Small is Mighty
How seemingly small actions and community-led urban biodiversity projects across the country are having a big impact.
City Profile
Ottawa
Ottawa
- Ottawa has the highest total number of community gardens at 129, and with population factored in, has more than double the median with nearly 13 community gardens per 100,000 residents.
- With 237 parks that allow dogs off-leash, Ottawa has the highest total number of off-leash dog areas, as well as the highest per population with nearly 24 per 100,000 residents.
- Ottawa is one of about a quarter of cities that offer a formal park volunteer program, a grant program, and a policy to waive permit fees for groups showing financial need.
- Ottawa’s first outdoor bike park opened in 2019 atop a former ski hill at Carlington Park, through a partnership with the Ottawa Mountain Biking Association.
- The city has created an interactive map of Ottawa’s natural areas including descriptions of what nature-lovers will see and experience at each site.
- Park staff worked with the city’s Environmental Remediation Unit to remediate and cap former landfill and other contaminated sites as part of park redevelopments, including Bayview Friendship Park, Springhurst Park and Reid Park.
Data 2020
4.5
ha parkland per 1000 people
4466 ha of total parkland¹
34%
of total parkland is natural area
1510 total ha
2%
of total city land is parkland
279600 ha of total city area
237²
Dog parks
129
Community gardens/urban farms
400 m
Parkland provision goal (distance to park)
or a 5 minute walk
Yes
Policy to waive permit fees for groups with financial need?
Community park group program
Community Environmental Projects
Community Partnership Grants
Community Garden Fund
Community grant program
Yes
Provincially legislated tools available for parkland development
Community Benefits Charge³
¹This number does not include provincially or federally owned/managed parkland, which is significant in Ottawa and estimated at 1600 ha. ²In addition, there are 2 large off-leash dog parks on NCC property. ³This tool was introduced in 2019 and is still under review. Previous Provincial legislation allowed 5% of development site or cash-in-lieu. The City of Ottawa has a policy in place to designate Environmental Protection Zones, however the data for these areas within the municipal parks system is unavailable.
Park Master Plans
Environmental Strategies
Inclusion Strategies
Deepening the Conservation Conversation
How we can both deepen the conversation about biodiversity and broaden it to include more people.
Take me out to the dog park
How cities are dealing with the high demand for—and high controversy around—dog parks.
Don’t just tick the box—think outside of it
Why community engagement requires going deeper—and broader—to provide meaningful opportunities for people to see themselves reflected.
Power to the People
Park groups of all types are delivering outsize impacts for their communities through collaborative programming—but they need support in order to thrive.
Feed them and they will come
How creative community groups and city support are growing connections through food in parks.
Towards Equitable Parks
How to ensure we are prioritizing equitable park development as part of the COVID-19 recovery
Don't See your City on the List?
Twenty-seven cities participated in this year's report and we hope more will join us next year.
Learn how to participate in 2021