New Zoning By-law

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The City of Ottawa is developing a new comprehensive Zoning By-law for approval by Council in 2025. The by-law will implement the policies and directions in the new Official Plan approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on November 04, 2022. Once approved, the new Zoning By-law will replace the current Zoning By-law (By-law 2008-250).

Starting in 2023, the City will be consulting with communities, the development industry, grass-roots organizations, non-profits and other stakeholders to ensure that everyone gets a chance to have their say in the new Zoning By-law.

This Engage Ottawa page will be your one-stop shop for project updates and information on future public engagement opportunities. You will also find FAQ’s, blogs and future drafts of the by-law as they become available.

To sign up for news and updates on this important project, please email newzoning@ottawa.ca.


Honouring Statement

Ottawa is built on unceded Anishinabe Algonquin territory. The peoples of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation have lived on this territory for millennia. Their culture and presence have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. The City of Ottawa honours the peoples and land of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation. The City of Ottawa honours all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and their valuable past and present contributions to this land.


The City of Ottawa is developing a new comprehensive Zoning By-law for approval by Council in 2025. The by-law will implement the policies and directions in the new Official Plan approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on November 04, 2022. Once approved, the new Zoning By-law will replace the current Zoning By-law (By-law 2008-250).

Starting in 2023, the City will be consulting with communities, the development industry, grass-roots organizations, non-profits and other stakeholders to ensure that everyone gets a chance to have their say in the new Zoning By-law.

This Engage Ottawa page will be your one-stop shop for project updates and information on future public engagement opportunities. You will also find FAQ’s, blogs and future drafts of the by-law as they become available.

To sign up for news and updates on this important project, please email newzoning@ottawa.ca.


Honouring Statement

Ottawa is built on unceded Anishinabe Algonquin territory. The peoples of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation have lived on this territory for millennia. Their culture and presence have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. The City of Ottawa honours the peoples and land of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation. The City of Ottawa honours all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and their valuable past and present contributions to this land.

  • Exciting Update: Ottawa's New Zoning By-law Draft Provisions Coming Soon!

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    We're excited to announce that the first draft of Ottawa's new Zoning By-law is nearly here! Stay tuned for the release of the complete first draft of the new Zoning By-law on May 31, 2024, on Engage Ottawa New Zoning By-law. Save the date for the Joint Meeting of Planning and Housing, and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees on April 29, 2024, when a report will be presented that provides a detailed overview of the provisions in the draft Zoning By-law. This report will explain how the new Zoning By-law implements Ottawa’s new Official Plan.

    Your input is very important to us! Over the next year and a half, three drafts of the new Zoning By-law will be released, with the first draft being released this spring. Each iteration will build on the consultation and feedback of the previous version. The consultation period on the first draft will start in June 2024 and continue into the fall of 2024. Public consultations for the project will continue until Q4 2025 – so there will be ample opportunities to participate in the review.

    Stay tuned for further details on the consultation period and engagement opportunities that will be released later this spring. Let's shape the future of Ottawa's development together!


    Key Dates

    • April 29, 2024 – Joint Meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee, and the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee
    • May 31, 2024– Release of draft 1 of the new Zoning By-law
    • June 2024 – Q3 2025 – New Zoning By-law consultation period



  • New Zoning By-law - Open Houses

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    The new zoning by-law recently held open houses featuring information on key elements informing the development of Ottawa’s new zoning by-law. Below are posters displayed at the Open houses. The comments received at these events will help inform the first draft of the proposed by-law being released next year.

  • New Zoning By-law Virtual Open House: October 5

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    The City of Ottawa is hosting a virtual Open House that builds on the success of our in-person Open Houses held in September. We're here to share essential updates about the new Zoning By-law project and encourage your participation. The event is set for Thursday, October 5, starting at 6 PM.

    Here's what you can expect:

    • Presentation: The Virtual Open House will kick off with a presentation that covers the project's overview, timelines, and key topics.
    • Questions and Answers: Time will be set aside to answer questions submitted during the presentation.

    How to Participate:

    • Date and Time: Thursday, October 5, Starting at 6 PM.
    • Online Platform: The Open House will be held virtually on Zoom.
    • Registration: To attend, please register by clicking on this link.
  • New Zoning By-law Review Initial Open Houses

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    Join us for a series of three interactive open houses this September. These open houses mark the initial steps in our New Zoning By-law Project. They offer you the chance to learn what zoning means, understand how the new Zoning By-law implements the recently approved Official Plan, and receive a high-level overview of key zoning topics.

    September 16 - Nepean Sportsplex: 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM

    September 20 - City Hall (Jean Pigott Place): 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

    September 23 - Ray Friel Recreation Complex: 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM

    A virtual open house will be hosted on October 05 starting at 6 PM. Register here.

  • Form and Function Discussion Paper

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    The Form and Function Discussion Paper serves as an overview of regulation for low-rise infill development in residential neighbourhoods. This report builds onto the Neighbourhood Character and Neigbhourhood Zoning Discussion Papers that were released earlier this year. This paper delves deeper into considering the interplay of functional site design elements, such as where a residential site's waste storage, bicycle parking, landscaping, balconies, and other essential functions should be located.

    Making rules for neighbourhoods involves finding a balance among all these different things so that a property works well. The City welcomes feedback and input from members of the public. The survey for this discussion paper will be available until November. The comments received will be summarized the received responses in an "As We Heard It" report in Q1 next year.

    Consultations on this and the previous discussion papers will inform the development of the first draft of the new Zoning By-law. We encourage members of the public to review the discussion papers and share their thoughts and ideas, as their input will play a critical role in shaping the future of our city.

  • Changes from Bill 23

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    Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022,(External link) received Royal Assent on November 28, 2022. The Bill made changes to the Planning Act and other provincial acts. Changes to the Planning Act include overriding municipal zoning by-laws to allow up to three “gentle intensification” principal units on any urban-serviced residential parcel, including in a detached, semi-detached or townhouse and prohibiting a zoning by-law from restricting such from occurring. Residents will find the most up-to-date information on Bill 23 on this webpage.

  • New Zoning By-law Discussion Papers and Surveys

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    Consultation on developing a new Zoning By-law is now open with the release of seven Discussion Papers and corresponding surveys. These papers address key issues relating to the implementation of the new Official Plan, including:

    • Climate Change, Resiliency, and Public Health

    The release of these discussion papers is the first chance for the public to consult on the implementation of the recently approved new Official plan through the development of a new Ottawa Zoning By-law. The City welcomes feedback and input from members of the public and will summarize the received responses in an "As We Heard It" report later this year. Consultations on the discussion papers will inform the development of the first draft of the new Zoning By-law. We encourage members of the public to review the discussion papers and share their thoughts and ideas, as their input will play a critical role in shaping the future of our city. The surveys close Friday, July 28.

  • Discussion Papers - Timeline Update (REVISED)

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    The Zoning Discussion Papers will be residents’ first opportunity to have their say about the future of zoning in the city of Ottawa. The Discussion Papers focus on key policy directions in the Official Plan that must be implemented in the Zoning By-law:

    • Climate Change, Resiliency and Public Health
    • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Land Use
    • Neighbourhood Zoning
    • Neighbourhood Character
    • Rural Zoning Issues
    • Trees


    Timeline (REVISED)

    Recent changes to Provincial planning legislation, including Bill 109 (More Homes for Everyone Act, April 2022) and the recently proposed Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act), have the potential to cause significant changes to the planning framework underlying Ottawa’s growth and housing objectives. The Province has also announced that changes will be made to the Provincial Policy Statement and that new regulations relating to planning issues in Ontario will be coming into effect. Additionally, the new Official Plan’s recent approval will require an evaluation of the thirty (30) Ministerial modifications made to the Plan as part of its approval by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

    As such, the release of the discussion papers will be placed on hold pending the resolution of the above issues, and a review of how this may impact Ottawa’s planning framework and zoning strategy. A new timeline will be developed following a review of the impact of the above changes to Provincial legislation.

    November 17, 2022


  • Zoning Implementation Report

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    The Zoning Implementation Report was approved by Ottawa City Council on July 6th.

    The report provides an overview of the strategy for implementing the policies of the Council-approved new Official plan through the development of a new zoning by-law. Specifically, it looks at how the policies in the Official Plan concerning equity, inclusion and diversity, the growth management strategy, public health, housing, 15-minute neighbourhoods, climate change and the urban forest tree canopy will be implemented in the new Zoning By-law.

    The report also includes an overview of best practices in zoning in Canada and other jurisdictions, renderings that illustrate the proposed strategy for achieving the density targets in the growth management strategy, information on the enhanced interactive capabilities in the new Zoning Map, an overview of the content of upcoming discussion papers, and information concerning the public engagement strategy and project timelines.


  • Zoning Best Practices Review

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    A Best Practices Review of Zoning in Canada and other jurisdictions was conducted in 2021 to inform and support the development of the new Zoning By-law. The Review examines zoning practices in 15 Canadian jurisdictions and seven American jurisdictions to offer contemporary perspectives on various zoning issues including affordable housing, infill, density targets, character and housing typologies. To view the Best Review of Zoning, please go here.


Page last updated: 26 Mar 2024, 10:09 AM