Dreessen: Ottawa can become a great city without nagging other levels of government

The fact is that we’re in a mess because we spent money we don’t have on things that aren’t people-centred, don’t deliver lasting value, and aren’t creating the city we say we want to be.

Published Sep 04, 2024  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

The NCC River House offers free swimming in the Ottawa River and has been a huge hit since opening in 2023. Photo by Jean Levac /POSTMEDIA

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has been sharing daily videos implying an unfairness toward Ottawa’s financial status, repeating variations on a theme: that the federal and provincial governments aren’t paying their fair share. Whatever you think of these “fiscal fairness” videos, it’s important to understand what is really behind our financial mess.

Ottawa, like other Canadian cities, may well need a new funding model: the ability to raise direct tax revenue to ensure it has the means and the ability to build transit, housing and other infrastructure without having to spend considerable energy and political capital begging for money.

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But we know what we can do to make our city feel alive again, without having to nag other levels of government for more money.

Long before the pandemic made remote and hybrid work a reality, decades of poor planning and inadequate design policies made the downtown core unattractive, inaccessible and nowhere near as beautiful as it should be.

Regardless of where the money comes from, what we need is a concerted political investment in people-centred design. What does this mean?

After the 2022 convoy protest, we kept Wellington Street closed to motor vehicles for about a year. During that time, we missed a golden opportunity to animate this small slice of the public realm. We could have added benches, temporary proper public washrooms (not portapotties), food trucks (like you find on the Mall in Washington D.C.), family-friendly activities including games and exhibits during the day and adult-oriented activities in the evenings. We could have had pop-up shows and street festivals. None of this would have cost a fortune.

We didn’t even try.

We left this portion of the street in front of Parliament Hill deserted and unattractive. After a year, we declared it a failure and re-opened it to cars.

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That is what needs to change. We need a willingness to build, to try new things without needing endless consultations; to test ideas and make places attractive and welcoming.

The ByWard Market already has a lot that’s attractive. What could make it better? There have been countless calls to action for fewer cars, more pedestrianized spaces, places to sit and relax, some accessible public washrooms, street art, food trucks and — hear me out — some actual food vendors. The city’s current plan is four years old, approved without funding and decidedly mediocre. If we make the place attractive for people, they’ll show up, week after week. The same could be said for Sparks Street or many other neighbourhoods across the city.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) recently gave us one fantastic example of design leadership with the River House, a very simple concept that works because it focuses of providing free public swimming in a gorgeous natural setting. The NCC has created simple pop-up cafés at popular spots across the city and is currently renovating the facilities at Westboro Beach. It has offered a “Summer Zone” on Queen Elizabeth Driveway, taking simple, inexpensive, steps to make a better city.

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People-centred design doesn’t have to be grandiose or expensive. It just needs to focus on people’s needs.

Across the country, cities have grappled with similar issues. Other cities are increasing transit frequency and reliability and seeing ridership rebound. Places such as Montreal are pedestrianizing streets and seeing their economies boom.

Ottawa is home to many creative people: not just architects and other professionals, but regular people who have ideas on how to make their communities interesting, vibrant and welcoming. Their ideas could blossom and be heard, influencing our city in positive ways. How come almost none of those ideas ever get tried?

Partly because putting forward ideas is limited through a public procurement model that isn’t interested in creativity. And partly because new ideas get buried in endless consultations that go nowhere. We need to put people-centred design in the spotlight and hold elected officials responsible for the process to create the city we want to be.

If we don’t demand it, we won’t get it.

Maybe Ottawa does need more fiscal fairness from other levels of government, or an entirely new funding model. The fact is that we’re in a mess because we spent money we don’t have on things that aren’t people-centred, don’t deliver lasting value, and aren’t creating the city we say we want to be.

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No amount of money can make up for the longstanding practice of putting entrenched political or bureaucratic interests ahead of people-centred design.

Ottawa needs to be fiscally responsible. It needs to be committed to excellence and dedicated to sustainable outcomes. We need to design our city right by putting people’s needs first, then building, and budgeting, accordingly.

It starts with us. The time is now.

Toon Dreessen is president of Architects DCA in Ottawa.

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