Final Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict Ottawa, Canada SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

www.ottawaecodistrict.org

Acknowledgments The Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict (OCED), a local not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the creation of EcoDistricts in Ottawa. It is a community-led initiative supported by over 50 partners from the private, public and institutional sectors including the City of Ottawa, Invest Ottawa and Hydro Ottawa. The OCED has developed this Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan for Invest Ottawa and the City of Ottawa. Invest Ottawa has provided administrative assistance as in-kind to support to the OCED. Invest Ottawa delivers economic development programs and initiatives that increase entrepreneurial momentum, wealth and jobs in the City of Ottawa and its surrounding region. It works with a range of organizations including not-for-profit corporations. The OCED would like to recognize the many people and organizations that have supported the development of this SNAP. This included funding support from Invest Ottawa, Hydro Ottawa and the Windmill Development Group. It also included project work with World Wildlife Fund and Public Works and Government Services Canada. The OCED would like to recognize the original Steering Committee, the Board of Directors and our subcontractors:              

James McNeil, JJ McNeil Commercial Karen Pero, Pero Consulting Inc. Jennifer Davis, Stratos Andy Singh Roger Marsh, Hydro Ottawa Greg Searle, BioRegional North America Daniel Redmond, MMM Group Katie Miller, Impact Hub Ottawa Rebecca Aird Paul Barton Martin Canning GreatWork MacFadyen Communications Web Rock Star Plug’N Drive

We would like to acknowledge five students from the University of Ottawa Master’s Degree program in Environmental Sustainability who assessed the top 10 list of projects and provided recommendations.     

Mallory Coles Jordan Ross Merissa Mueller Courtney Griffin Alexandra Abram

The OCED would also like to recognize staff members Don Grant, Executive Director and Clark Trivers, Program Coordinator; past student employees Alexandra Gadawski, Rafaela Ahsan, Brianne Robinson and Carolyn Schissler; and volunteers Kaley Fitzsimmons, Aviva Shapiro and Hannah Zhang. © 2015, Invest Ottawa (2013)/Investir Ottawa (2013). All Rights Reserved. The preparation of this plan was carried out with assistance from the Green Municipal Fund, a Fund financed by the Government of Canada and administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Notwithstanding this support, the views expressed are the personal views of the authors, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Government of Canada accept no responsibility for them.

Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................... 7 What is a Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan (SNAP)? ................................................ 7 What is an EcoDistrict? ........................................................................................................ 7

About the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict .......................................................................... 9 History .................................................................................................................................. 9 Where is the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict? ............................................................................. 9

The SNAP Framework ................................................................................................. 10 Strategic Plan ......................................................................................................................11 Strategic Plan Overview ................................................................................................................. 11 A Vision for Downtown Ottawa ..................................................................................................... 11 Mission Statement ......................................................................................................................... 12 Top Level EcoDistrict Goals ............................................................................................................ 12 Top Level Outcomes....................................................................................................................... 12 EcoDistricts Protocol Components ......................................................................................12 Collaborative Governance ............................................................................................................. 12 Priority Areas ................................................................................................................................. 13 Objectives, Actions and Targets..................................................................................................... 13 Stakeholders .................................................................................................................................. 14 Reporting ....................................................................................................................................... 14

Baseline Research and Online Communications ..................................................... 15 Building Research ...............................................................................................................15 Overall Building Profile .................................................................................................................. 15 Consideration of the Options for District Energy in the OCED ...................................................... 15 Economic Analysis ..............................................................................................................16 Highlights ....................................................................................................................................... 16 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................... 17 Environmental Analysis .......................................................................................................17 Highlights ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................... 18 Communication ...................................................................................................................19 Website .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Earned Media ................................................................................................................................. 19 Social Media ................................................................................................................................... 20

Community Engagement ............................................................................................ 22 Engaging the Community ....................................................................................................22 Managing the Results..........................................................................................................23

Using Process to Secure Buy-in ..........................................................................................24 Integrating Future Ideas ......................................................................................................25

Stakeholder Engagement ........................................................................................... 26 Facilitate Stakeholder Cooperation......................................................................................26 Relationship Building ..................................................................................................................... 26 Stakeholder meetings .................................................................................................................... 26 Partnerships ................................................................................................................................... 27 EcoDistrict Champions Network ..........................................................................................27 Structure of the Network ............................................................................................................... 28 Value Proposition of the Network ................................................................................................. 28 Participants in the Network ........................................................................................................... 28

Action Plan .................................................................................................................. 30 Prioritizing Actions ...............................................................................................................30 Analysis of Top 10 Ideas .....................................................................................................31 Completing the Action Plan .................................................................................................32

Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 33 List of Exhibits Exhibit 1: Map of the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict with Boundaries ............................................... 10 Exhibit 2: Table – OCED Reporting Template................................................................................. 14 Exhibit 3: Table – Total Buildings and Area in OCED in 2014 ......................................................... 15 Exhibit 4: Earned Media Summary................................................................................................. 20 Exhibit 5: Social Media Summary................................................................................................... 21 Exhibit 6: List of City Wide EcoDistrict Ideas.................................................................................. 24 Exhibit 7: Diagram – Consultation to Action (C2A) Model............................................................. 25 Exhibit 8: List of EcoDistrict Champions as of August 2015 ........................................................... 28 Exhibit 9: Table – Top 10 Ideas Ordered by Priority ...................................................................... 31 Exhibit 10: List of Weighted Criteria for Idea Assessment ............................................................. 31 Appendices Appendix A – Action Plan Appendix B – EcoDistrict Roadmap Appendix C – Economic Analysis Appendix D – Environmental Analysis

Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan for Downtown Ottawa

Introduction What is a Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan (SNAP)? A sustainable neighbourhood action plan or SNAP brings community groups and stakeholders together to focus on a manageable parcel of land – a neighbourhood, district, village or small town – to develop a plan for implementing actions that support sustainability. It is designed to achieve environmental, social, cultural and economic benefits. It builds on an existing municipal master plans for land use, economic development, transportation, cycling, forestry, walkability and so forth, and is the natural extension of a sustainable community plan or strategy. The SNAP movement is new in Canada but the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) believes that the use of SNAPs has the potential to spark the implementation of sustainability actions in cities. It gives sustainability practitioners a way to speak to businesses, governments and residents in a compact area and to create the kinds of synergies that are needed to get real change going. The point is best illustrated with an example. A private sector property management firm that is also an EcoDistrict Champion suggested turning downtown Ottawa into an LED zone for outdoor lighting. The suggestion is that this company would change its exterior light bulbs and would encourage other property owners to do the same if the City of Ottawa converts its street lights in the area to LEDs. It turns out that the City is rolling out its LED street light program in 2016 and the National Capital Commission, another EcoDistrict Champion, is also launching an illumination project focused on the relighting of the Confederation Blvd, and some key federal buildings in the downtown Ottawa and Gatineau area with LED technologies. This idea was shared during a stakeholder meeting and reflects the relationships that have been developed and nurtured. The development process has planted the seeds of transformation and this document has been written to reflect our experience. The SNAP itself is an action plan and it is covered in the Section called Action Plan and it is included as Appendix A – OCED Action Plan and Appendix B – EcoDistrict Roadmap.

What is an EcoDistrict? An EcoDistrict is a neighbourhood or district that is focused on implementing sustainability. It is a methodology for community development that creates opportunities for residents, property owners, businesses, governments and organizations to collaborate and implement actions that support sustainability on a neighbourhood scale. The goal is to give everyone a voice and to work together to make the community better. The EcoDistrict movement started in Portland, Oregon in 2006 and it has been the location of five EcoDistrict projects. With municipal commitment from the Mayor, the Portland Sustainability Institute

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(PSI) was formed to think about how to export their highly successful, home-grown focus on sustainable neighbourhoods to other communities. In 2013 the PSI became a new not-for-profit called EcoDistricts and they began the process of creating a systematic framework under the banner the EcoDistrict Protocol. The Protocol “provides the structure and direction needed to help district-scale projects achieve their full potential and creates a network to help practitioners tap into emerging best practices, while leaving communities with the flexibility they need to determine how their resources can best be organized to meet their self-identified needs.”1 As of May 2015 there were approximately 100 projects testing the Protocol globally which includes:  

31 Incubator projects in 26 North American cities; and 10 Target City projects in eight North American cities including Ottawa-Gatineau.

Information is being collected from all of the participating communities and it will be used by EcoDistricts to finalize the Protocol which will be launched in September of 2016.

1

The EcoDistricts Protocol V.0 - Pilot Version for Target Cities, 2015, p. 5.

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About the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict History In 2012 a group of organizations and individuals came together in Ottawa to focus on improving the downtown. It was felt that even though municipalities, private developers and community groups are taking action, the lack of a systematic framework for creating sustainable communities left each group working in its silo, producing results that are disconnected and sub-optimal.

Early Steering Committee Meeting 2012

At an inspirational community meeting called the 3i Summit, over 200 Ottawans came together to brainstorm options for a more sustainable future. At that event, a small group started a conversation about bringing the EcoDistrict approach to Ottawa to be used as a tool for neighbourhood sustainability. This group became the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict Steering Committee. Over the next year the Steering Committee developed a plan to work with the City of Ottawa and over 50 community partners to create a SNAP based on the use of the EcoDistrict protocol. In October 2013 the City allocated funding towards this project and an application was made to the FCM. In April, 2014 funding was announced. Since that time Invest Ottawa (as an agent of the City of Ottawa) has managed the overall implementation of the SNAP project by the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict Inc. a community based not-for-profit with a local Board of Directors and an Advisory Committee. Led by the Board, these two bodies have ensured that the development of the SNAP meets the requirements of the core funders and the FCM.

Where is the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict? The Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict is located in the city’s core. Its boundaries are the Ottawa River to the north, the Rideau Canal to the east, Bronson Street to the west and Gloucester Street from Bronson to Metcalfe and Nepean from Metcalfe to Elgin to the south with two expanded areas. The EcoDistrict also includes the Westin Hotel and the Ottawa Convention Centre on the east side of the Rideau Canal, and

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Ottawa City Hall and Lisgar High School which are just north of Lisgar Avenue. This is the area covered by the SNAP – see the map on page 4. Recently the OCED agreed to work collaboratively with the Windmill Development Group which is building a mixed use community called Zibi on a series of islands in the Ottawa River as well as a small part of the Ville de Gatineau. Together these two communities will become one of the greenest and most sustainable in Canada. Exhibit 1: Map of the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict with Boundaries

Note: Zibi is a complementary project covered by a different SNAP and is identified in striped shading.

We have also emphasized to stakeholders that this is a pilot project and hopefully the first of several EcoDistricts in Ottawa. Wherever there is an interest in creating a vibrant and more sustainable community we plan on sharing the EcoDistrict principles so that they can be adopted to create new sustainable neighbourhoods in other parts of Ottawa.

The SNAP Framework Behind every strong plan is a consistent framework, ideally based on a robust methodology. The OCED chose to use the EcoDistrict Protocol as the framework and to support it using existing City of Ottawa planning documents such as the Official Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, the Ottawa Cycling Plan and many others.

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Strategic Plan The development of the SNAP for Ottawa Centre began with the development of a strategic plan. It was important to establish strong, strategic direction for the project to ensure alignment with core objectives. This effort, conducted over four months with input from stakeholders, also included the visioning component of the project. The strategic plan and the visioning elements form the core of the SNAP. Strategic Plan Overview The OCED was identified as the organization with overall responsibility for managing the implementation of the SNAP on behalf of Invest Ottawa, the City of Ottawa, all other funders, founding partners, stakeholders and the community. Therefore the objective of the strategic plan was to document the consensus amongst Board members and key stakeholders on several key components of the SNAP including:    

Vision; Mission; Top level goals; and Top level outcomes.

In addition to providing consensus and alignment on the above, the strategic plan helps the OCED to determine where it is going and how it is going to get there. It is a top level document that will be used to provide direction to staff as they manage the implementation of the SNAP. The lifespan of the plan is three years from 2014-2016. The strategic plan serves many purposes.  

  

It helps the OCED to manage the SNAP project deliverables – The plan will organize the SNAP deliverables, assign milestones and will include due dates for the milestones. It directs strategic thinking – The plan documents the OCED direction on key elements of business strategy. It allows us to align our outcomes, actions and targets with our strategic vision. It is aligned with the EcoDistrict Protocol – The OCED will use the EcoDistrict Protocol to organize some of its work. The toolkit includes performance areas and objectives. It is integrated with our financial expectations – The plan will be directly connected to the budget and it will reflect our choices of revenue streams. It provides a filter for future decisions - The plan will provide a filter for deciding whether or not to take on new projects. We will be able to consider if new work or funding advances the vision and objectives of the OCED.

A Vision for Downtown Ottawa The vision for downtown Ottawa is: Advancing the economy, greening the core, inspiring a healthier, smarter, sustainable future

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Mission Statement The mission of OCED is to make Ottawa’s downtown core more sustainable, socially vibrant and attractive to businesses and organizations looking to relocate or expand. We see ourselves as a catalyst for change and we are bringing developers, building owners, tenants, employees, residents and government together to take actions that will transform the downtown. Top Level EcoDistrict Goals The top level goals for the EcoDistrict are to:   

reduce the ecological footprint of operations; increase social vibrancy; and attract new businesses and create jobs.

Top Level Outcomes The following top level outcomes have been identified for the SNAP.    

Greenhouse gas emissions from the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict are reduced by 20 percent per capita by 2024. “Everyone” refers to the downtown core as the EcoDistrict. EcoDistrict occupancy rates are amongst the highest in Canada. Community members have been mobilized to affect positive change.

EcoDistricts Protocol Components The framework for the SNAP combines the strategic plan – the vision, mission, top level goals and top level outcomes – with components from the EcoDistrict Protocol. This includes:     

Collaborative governance; Priority areas; Objectives, actions and targets; Stakeholders; and Reporting.

The EcoDistricts Protocol distills five years of experience into a series of guidance documents supported by workshops, webinars and an annual conference. In 2014 EcoDistricts began a long term project to develop a complete set of tools that will guide communities from registration to recognition. The Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict has evolved alongside the Protocol and we are part of the pilot implementation of the tools and templates that support the Protocol. Our SNAP has been developed using this guidance and the Protocol is at the core of our OCED framework. Collaborative Governance An essential component of the Protocol is the development of collaborative governance. This comes from a fundamental observation that change occurs, and in fact is optimized, when stakeholders and

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community members work collaboratively. In the Protocol this outcome flows from significant efforts to engage, efforts that move way beyond ‘typical’ municipally led consultation efforts. The OCED is a community based not-for-profit that has become a poster child for the EcoDistricts vision of collaborative governance. It features:     

A Board of Directors with representation from the public sector, private sector and individuals; An Advisory Committee that gives strategic advice to the President of the Board and the Executive Director; A set of founding supporters who provided seed funding to the project; A network of 38 businesses and organizations called the Champions Network that are committed to supporting the OCED; and A large group of community contributors who have provided letters of support or other offers of support.

The OCED has become the catalyst organization that is leading the implementation of the SNAP. As the Action Plan in Appendix A demonstrates, the main job of the OCED is to bring stakeholders and community members together to work collaboratively. Priority Areas The EcoDistricts priority areas are a defined sustainability lens based on achieving sustainability outcomes. They help structure the assessment process for selecting actions and setting targets. The priority areas are:      

Livability defined as housing and places that promote inclusiveness, identity, empowerment, and culture; Prosperity defined as education and economic opportunities that build prosperity and innovation; Health and Wellness defined as improved quality of life for all through better health and wellness; Mobility and Connectivity defined as physical and virtual networks between people and places that are efficient, equitable, affordable and sustainable; Ecosystem Stewardship defined as regenerated natural ecosystems functioning at their full potential; and Climate Protection and Resource Efficiency defined as climate protection and the efficient use of resources.

A key step in the EcoDistricts process is the development of the EcoDistrict Roadmap which is based on the priority areas. In the roadmap the OCED has set out actions for each priority area over the next ten years. The Roadmap is included as Appendix B. Objectives, Actions and Targets Every EcoDistrict sets up its own objectives using those provided by EcoDistricts as a starting point. Objectives for each priority area are set out in Appendix A – the Action Plan.

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Every EcoDistrict also establishes actions that can be undertaken over the next ten years along with targets. Actions and targets for each priority area are set out in Appendix A – the Action Plan. Stakeholders A critical component of establishing any SNAP is identifying stakeholders and working with them in the development of the plan for the future. A key failure point of past sustainability plans is lack of stakeholder engagement from the start of the project. Our stakeholders are downtown developers, building owners, businesses, organizations, and employees as well as residents and community groups from different parts of the National Capital Region. Included in this group are the many people who volunteer for the OCED. Our goal is to have good relationships with our stakeholders and to seek their input into the decisions that we make. We will achieve this goal by having regular meetings and by connecting with stakeholders in the way that best meets their needs. Reporting In order to be effective, reporting has to be easy to do. The data collection has to be straightforward, relying on other reputable sources, and information needs to be publicly available on the OCED web site. While cakes and celebrations are nice, it is the availability of good data, ideally on a yearly basis, that allows the Executive Director and others to share a story of organizational progress and lessons learned. The OCED reporting template is summarized in Exhibit 2. Exhibit 2: Table – OCED Reporting Template Data Employment Building Space by Sector Commuting Modal Share Energy Use (District wide)

Source City of Ottawa Various (assembled by OCED staff) City of Ottawa Hydro Ottawa (assembled by staff)

Available Every two years Ideally every two years Every two years Uncertain

Progress vs Workplan

OCED

Annually

Progress vs Roadmap

OCED

Annually

Community mobilization

OCED

Annually

Volunteer Hours Positive Change

OCED OCED

Annually Annually

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Notes Total jobs, federal jobs, all other jobs. Ideally includes floor space by use. Transit, bike, walking, vehicle. The first report was difficult to produce; it may not be feasible to produce future reports. Comparison of progress vs plan using workplan. Review of Roadmap, changes to Roadmap, lessons learned Track of the number of people participating in initiatives that mobilize communities to affect positive change. Track total volunteer hours. Track the number of people who report feeling more empowered to address positive change.

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Baseline Research and Online Communications Building Research Overall Building Profile In order to determine the total number of buildings and park space in the OCED, the research team relied on data from the Altus Group, JJ McNeil Commercial and Public Works Government Services Canada plus interviews with building owners and online mapping. Exhibit 3 has an overview of total building space in the OCED. Exhibit 3: Table – Total Buildings and Area in OCED in 2014 Building Use Hotel

#

Area (SF)

15

Office

Rooms/Units

2,145,814

3,791

135 23,509,028

Other (utility, education, cultural)

12

1,514,933

5

105,150

Residential (large)

25

4,028,555

Residential (small)

21

168,454

Retail

38

1,249,786

Religious

Grand Total

203

32,721,720

In addition it was determined that there are 7 areas classified as parklands totalling 1,817,000 square feet or 16.88 hectares. Consideration of the Options for District Energy in the OCED District heating and cooling – district energy – is an energy distribution system that has the potential to reduce the cost of energy to each building within the system and to reduce the ecological footprint associated with energy provision. It is one of the most significant benefits that can be obtained through the application of an EcoDistrict approach. As part of the research completed to establish a baseline for the OCED, the research team: 1) determined the total amount of private sector commercial space currently in place along with any residential space; and 2) asked property managers for this space if they would consider using district energy in the future. The conclusions of the research are as follows. 

Approximately 4.8 million square feet (SF) could be added to the proposed district energy system provided that there is a strong business case for participating buildings.

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

 



Approximately 4.2 million SF may be suitable for being added to the proposed district energy system but at present the building owners or managers have not responded to requests for information or to meet for the purposes of discussing district energy. One million SF of the surveyed building stock has been ruled out completely due to size or the installation of brand new technology. Hotels and residential buildings are almost 4 million SF of off peak load. There are also several other hotels and residential towers just west of Bay and just south of Gloucester near Elgin. It may be possible to connect other large residential towers to the proposed district energy system if it is determined that they are close enough to make the connection economically feasible. At the time of the study one of the six planned commercial properties had selected its HVAC system thereby ruling out a connection to the proposed district energy system.

Economic Analysis An analysis of economic components was completed to provide a baseline understanding of the neighbourhood being studied. The full Economic Analysis with references is included as Appendix C. Highlights The highlights of the data collected are as follows.          

The OCED has approximately 9,000 residents in 5,500 households. The OCED has a ratio of 1.63 people per household which is the lowest ratio in the City. The area Outside the Greenbelt has a ratio 2.72 people per household. Almost 100,000 people in Ottawa are within a 20 minute walk of the OCED. With over 90,000 people working in the OCED from all Wards in the City of Ottawa and beyond, improvements to the OCED will benefit some people in every Ward. Almost 60 percent of the jobs in the OCED are in the federal government which is the largest employer in Ottawa. The current trend is towards fewer federal government jobs in the OCED. Although high technology is the second largest employer in Ottawa there are only 8,500 high tech jobs within the Central Area2 as compared to 61,000 federal government jobs. Tourism is the third largest employer in Ottawa and a major player in the OCED. In the last three years the vacancy rate in the OCED has been on the rise, in large part due to reductions in the amount of space occupied by the federal government. The trend is for more B and C class space to become vacant and be positioned to be renovated, repurposed to residential, or removed from the inventory.

2

The City of Ottawa Employment study uses a sub-set called the Central Area that includes the EcoDistrict, Lebreton Flats and a portion of the Byward Market. The OCED estimates that the EcoDistrict accounts for 88 percent of identified jobs.

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 

Over the last three years the green buildings have had a lower vacancy rate on average than non-green buildings. Ottawa is Canada’s most connected city and can provide top level connectivity services to new businesses and organizations.

Conclusions The economic analysis points to the following opportunities for the OCED.  







With over 100,000 people within walking distance of the OCED and 90,000 people working in the area improvements will benefit a significant number of Ottawa residents. Given the high number of federal government employees, any changes to the number working within the OCED will have a significant impact on the OCED. Steps should be taken determine how to attract a diversity of businesses to the OCED including more residents. B and C class space is in transition and the OCED would like to positively affect this transition. This is a chance to remake individual parts of the OCED into more sustainable and environmentally and people friendly places to live, work and play. Greener buildings and world class connectivity should be front and centre in efforts to attract new tenants to the OCED. This can be complimented by the OCED goals to create Canada’s first EcoDistrict within what will soon be one of the greenest and most sustainable downtowns in North America. All of this could be used as a strategic marketing tool to attract businesses and people to the EcoDistrict. All transportation indicators point to a continuing trend away from single occupant vehicle commuting and towards increases public transit and cycling with car pooling and walking holding their current modal share by percentage. The OCED should work to increase all shares of sustainable transportation.

Environmental Analysis An analysis of environmental components was completed to provide a baseline understanding of the neighbourhood being studied. The full Environmental Analysis with references is included as Appendix D. Highlights The highlights of the data collected are as follows.    

The City and the National Capital Commission (NCC) have a strong focus on preserving and enhancing green space in the downtown core. Stormwater management is a priority for the City and a key component of the Ottawa River Action Plan. Commercial and residential consumption of electricity in the OCED has declined slightly from 2011 to 2013. From 2008 to 2012 GHG emissions in City of Ottawa facilities fell by approximately 30 percent and community emissions fell by 24 percent largely due to the provincial phase out of coal as a fuel for electricity generation.

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 



 

  

The greatest GHG challenge in the transportation sector is the continued reliance on single occupant vehicle travel. Since 1986 the number of cars arriving downtown in the morning peak period has decreased while the number of people arriving downtown has increased. As a result, the City of Ottawa has decided that future planning of the downtown transportation system will focus on improving the capacity and quality of service for people, rather than private vehicles. Ottawa enjoys a higher level of transit ridership than any other Canadian city of a similar size and has a goal to increase the modal share of public transit from 22 percent in 2011 to 26 percent in 2031. The City of Ottawa has over 1,400 km of cycling pathways with plans to expand to over 2,500 by 2031. The NCC has over 800 km of multi-use pathways. Modal share targets for cycling from 2011 to 2031 are as follows: within the Greenbelt to increase from four to eight percent; and within the Inner Area3 to increase from eight to 12 percent. Walking in the core has plateaued. It was 51 percent in 2011 and the City has a goal of increasing it to 52 percent by 2031. City data indicates that only 16 percent of waste from multi-residential buildings is recycled or composted. The OCED has 25 buildings of this type within its borders. Increasing on-street waste diversion and diversion within the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) sectors are City waste management objectives.

Conclusions The environmental analysis points to the following opportunities for the OCED.    

 

Work with the City and the NCC to enhance natural spaces, improve access to waterways and create pocket parks (both permanent and temporary or ‘pop-up’ parks). Work with the Ward Councillor to suggest innovative approaches to park creation that qualify for cash-in-lieu of parking funding. Work with the NCC and others (such as the Ottawa Riverkeeper) to support commitments to protect and enhance the Rideau Canal and the Ottawa River. Work with private sector landlords and other stakeholders to look for opportunities to better manage stormwater before it enters either the sewer system or local waterbodies. Pervious pavement, bio swales and other options may be considered. Promote steps being taken by the City and others to manage stormwater. Public awareness can enhance buy-in and where appropriate assist with behaviour change. Continue to play a ‘dot-connector’ role by being a catalyst for collaboration between various levels of government, utilities, stakeholders, and the broader community on GHG reduction and all other environmental issues.

3

The Inner Area includes Centretown, Sandy Hill and Lowertown. A comparative map is included in Appendix D – Environmental Analysis.

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   

Promote electric vehicles as a low carbon mode of personal transportation. If you have to drive a car, make it an EV. Take action that will make it easier and safer to cycle as this will help to increase the modal share of cycling. Work with the City and its partners to increase waste diversion in multi-residential buildings. Look for opportunities to improve waste diversion in on-street receptacles and by working with small businesses that do not have access to recycling or composting.

Communication It would be hard to overstate the importance of online communication and media exposure. There are three tools that a small organization can use to raise awareness of a new concept: 1) a great web site; 2) earned media; and 3) social media. Together these three components make up the cornerstone of communication with the public, stakeholders and funders. It should be noted, however, that web maintenance and social media require up front resources to ensure good design and strong practices, and a dedicated effort from staff. Website An original website developed by Board member Greg Searle provided the OCED with initial visibility. In the summer of 2014, the OCED team began working with a media specialist and a web designer to revamp the site and to make it fully editable using WordPress. This latter decision has made it possible for the OCED Program Coordinator, Clark Trivers, to manage the site since it went live in the fall of 2014. The web site is designed to introduce visitors to Canada’s first EcoDistrict by providing a considerable amount of background on the concept and why it is a fit for the downtown core. It also provides a space for regular blog articles, for links to media stories and updates on events, thus serving an updating function for repeat visitors. Finally it allows us to acknowledge the contributions of our Board members and of the Champions and Ambassadors that make up the EcoDistrict Network. Some key highlights (as of August 2015) include:     

65 blog articles written and posted in one year; Six Events hosted with all relevant information (venue, where to buy tickets, times, and so forth) hosted on the site; A regularly updated initiatives page tracking the major OCED campaigns; Links to all earned media; and A gallery including hundreds of event photos, videos and ideas from other EcoDistricts.

Earned Media Just after the FCM application was submitted, the OCED team participated in media training with McFadyen Communications. This was extremely valuable as it provided an excellent overview of what constitutes a media story, how to develop a story, how to write media advisories and releases and how to develop a relationship with the media.

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The OCED has focused on several key sustainability issues over the last 18 months and has worked to engage the public and stakeholders. As a result, there has been strong success engaging the media. A summary of earned media to August 2015 is listed below. Exhibit 4: Earned Media Summary 





Print o o o o o o o o Radio o o o TV o o

Ottawa Business Journal - 5 Centretown news – 4 (Including “Going Green” Youtube video with 133 views) Ottawa Citizen – 5 Expert Editorial – 1 Metro News – 2 Real Estate News Exchange - 1 Ottawa Community News – 1 Centretown Buzz - 2 CBC – 2 Radio Canada – 1 CKCU FM 93.1 - 1 CBC - 2 CTV – 1

Social Media Twitter is the OCED’s primary social media channel. The time requirements to effectively cover all social media channels is beyond the capacity of the core team. The OCED has accounts on other platforms but focuses on Twitter to have a strong presence on one platform instead of a comparatively smaller presence across many. The OCED engages with partners via Twitter to promote our operations. This includes links to blog articles, events, and other initiatives that support the EcoDistrict mandate. The Linkedin group Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict is used to cover issues in more depth. LinkedIn has been used on a fairly regular basis since the early days of the OCED (2012). It does a good job of reaching the OCED’s 400 members, however Twitter has greater reach and immediacy. In addition, LinkedIn comments are contained within the group, whereas re-tweets from established program supporters like Impact Hub Ottawa (11,900 followers), Ecology Ottawa (6,000 followers) and Laura Paul (28,000 followers) greatly extends reach. The OCED team uses YouTube to effectively manage the videos that have been produced in support of the program. The OCED team has also experimented with Facebook and Instagram and the plan is to increase their use where it makes sense and where resources are available.

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Exhibit 5: Social Media Summary 



 



Twitter o Tweets – over 2,500 o Followers – over 1,400 o Member of ~ 70 lists o 207 photos and videos o Twitter Analytics Summary (July) o 67 Tweets o 29.2K Impressions o 1,377 Profile Visits o 76 Mentions o 55 New followers Facebook o 102 page likes o Post reach of 406 o 6 event photo galleries o 5 events – 56 attendee RSVPs o Average daily page visits – 3 LinkedIn o 399 members Instagram o 22 posts o 73 followers Youtube o 4 videos o 1 subscriber o 686 views

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Community Engagement The development of a community plan of any kind must reflect the input of community members and stakeholders. This section provides an overview of the efforts undertaken to involve the community in meaningful engagement and discussion. The results of this engagement are a fundamental cornerstone of the SNAP that has been developed and they have provided important direction to the OCED in terms of planning and operations.

EcoDistrict Community Engagement Session at Ottawa City Hall on February 19, 2015

Engaging the Community On February 19, 2015, hundreds of community members came to City Hall to share what they love about downtown Ottawa and their ideas for how to improve it. Participants were invited to join conversations at tables addressing six priority areas from the EcoDistrict Framework.      

Livability and Place Prosperity Health and Wellness Mobility & Connectivity Ecosystem Function Resource Efficiency

During the planning of the community engagement session, the OCED staff worked with a subcontractor familiar with community organizing to involve as many people as possible in the process. This involved:  

 

developing several email lists of people who would welcome an invitation via Mail Chimp (and not opt-out); working through community organizations to share invitations including the Centretown Community Health Centre (CCHC), the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) and the Centretown Community Citizens Association (CCCA); working with community partners to get the word out including Ecology Ottawa, EnviroCentre and Citizens for Safe Cycling; and using Twitter and Facebook as social media tools to share information about the session.

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Participants who attended the session on February 19th were encouraged to share ideas at up to three different topic tables using a process called World Café. This generated lively and energetic discussions that were participant focused and allowed for a sharing of ideas that tapped into creativity and fostered collaboration.

World Café conversations at EcoDistrict Community Engagement

Afterwards the ideas were consolidated and participants were able to express their preference for up to three ideas using a voting process called Dotmocracy. The ideas themselves and the preference voting were all collected and saved for recording and further analysis.

Managing the Results OCED staff sorted and organized the 334 ideas into about 53 ideas were consolidated into our list of the top 10 actionable ideas for EcoDistrict projects known as the Top 10 List. This list has been subject to two more rounds of analysis. The remaining ideas where consolidated and were grouped into the following categories. 





 

Collaboration Opportunities – These are ideas that will require cooperation between two or more groups over time e.g. reclaim industrial spaces. For these ideas the OCED will seek out partners who are interested in these ideas and in exploring potential next steps. Research Opportunities – These are ideas that require more research e.g. rooftop gardens for commercial purposes. For these ideas we will work with partners to hold information sessions, look for existing research and share our findings. It is our hope that we may also generate interest in completing new research into areas that would benefit the OCED at some future point. Referrals – Some ideas or suggestions should be referred to an existing organization such as the National Capital Commission (NCC) City of Ottawa or OC Transpo e.g. better snow removal around bus stops. We have organized these ideas and OCED staff will pass this information along to the appropriate organizations. Value Statements – Some ideas are in fact value statements. For these value statements the OCED will curate the ideas and will integrate them into the next round of strategic planning. Other – We have also separated the ideas that have already been actioned and the ideas that have been judged to not be feasible. A brief note accompanies ideas deemed not feasible.

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The entire list of ideas is available on the OCED website.

Using Process to Secure Buy-in As the OCED team worked with the ideas from the session, it became clear that participants were happy because we chose to implement a clear process designed to honour the ideas shared from inception through sorting to the generation of actions. The most surprising observations about the first session is the fact that over 50 percent of the ideas identified would apply anywhere in the city of Ottawa not just in the downtown core. The list below includes several examples of ‘city-wide’ EcoDistrict ideas. Exhibit 6: List of City Wide EcoDistrict Ideas               

More gardening areas Community design for wellness Integrate bike network with LRT Better snow clearing around bus stops Better wayfinding Neighbourhood WiFi Mixed use design Shared office space Educate cyclists and motorists Bird friendly buildings Cell phone charging stations Creative use of space example yoga, tai chi, piano playing Green roofs District heating Options to Salt Permeable surfaces Adopt trees

The team's commitment is to ensure that good ideas are managed properly, remembered and considered for implementation as EcoDistrict actions. Moving forward we have decided to create a systematic process that we can use every year to consult with the public. In addition to staying connected with residents from Centretown and the inner Wards of Ottawa, the plan is to have future community engagement sessions in different parts of Ottawa. This process is summarized in Exhibit 7.

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Exhibit 7: Diagram – Consultation to Action (C2A) Model

Integrating Future Ideas Exhibit 7 has become the basis of a Consultation to Action model for managing ideas and inputs that the OCED receives through other events and future events. The goal is to manage all the ideas that are receive this way. What this means in practical terms is that when the OCED hosts engagement sessions and other engagement events ideas from citizens, community groups and stakeholders will recorded, tracked, sorted and assigned using the C2A model. This approach has several strengths. 





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People who participate in engagement sessions – in person or online, formal or informal – respect an organization that listens and demonstrates consideration for ideas for change. By formalizing the process of receiving and managing ideas, the OCED is strongly supporting this process. Community associations, business improvement associations (BIAs) and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are great partners. Sustainability issues are cross cutting and can touch on the mandates of many organizations. Working together on an issue with other affected organizations just makes sense. The City of Ottawa, OC Transpo, the NCC and a few other organizations have the responsibility for many issues that touch people’s lives – roads, multi-use paths, transit, snow shovelling, and so forth. There is value in being an effective conduit between people and these large organizations especially where a track record can be established for helping to solve problems. The OCED’s private sector partners (EcoDistrict Champions and Ambassadors in particular) need to see that the OCED is a results-based organization that is worth supporting and funding. In addition, they are the source of many good solutions.

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In Appendix A – Action Plan the OCED has include some specific, large scale community engagement events.

Stakeholder Engagement While the OCED team has worked hard with community members, it has invested most of its time engaging community groups and stakeholders. Right from the first meetings of the OCED Steering committee it was clear that this approach would not be directed and fully funded by the local municipality or the federal government through the NCC. As a result facilitating stakeholder cooperation and inviting the input of community associations, BIAs and NGOs was essential. In addition, the OCED team had several models of community partnership to consider. Integrated Community Sustainability Plans (ICSPs) have been in place since 2006 and there are many examples of community partnerships. The team used this information and experience to guide it in its engagement efforts.

Facilitate Stakeholder Cooperation During the SNAP process, the OCED team focused on building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders within the EcoDistrict. Efforts focused on facilitating meetings between stakeholders to identify the best and most promising ideas for implementation. Relationship Building Even before the City of Ottawa pledged support to the OCED the Steering Committee approached many stakeholders seeking a letter of support. This was an excellent process for building relationships because it forced the OCED team to summarize its purpose and value proposition into an elevator pitch that could be easily understood by stakeholders. Relationship building started even before Invest Ottawa submitted its SNAP application to the FCM. By the time the application was submitted, the OCED had over 40 supporters – businesses, organizations or individuals who provided letters or expressed support for the concept. Since those early days the number of supporters has increased and the level of support has been strengthened. Stakeholder meetings This strong community support was crucial in securing the commitment of the City of Ottawa through Invest Ottawa to the development of a SNAP. However this was just the start of the relationship building process. Since the GMF application was submitted in October 2013 (and subsequently funded in April 2014) the OCED team has met with stakeholders on a regular basis. The OCED has had over 100 one on one meetings with stakeholders since applying for FCM funding in October of 2013. This includes formally asking over 80 organizations to join the EcoDistrict Network and

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working with over 50 other individuals and community associations who have agreed discuss sustainability issues with the OCED. The OCED also used a formal process to engage stakeholders in October 2014 that included a meeting at the NCC’s Urbanism Lab followed by an online survey. This work informed the design of our outreach programs. Partnerships The OCED has pilot tested partnerships with several stakeholders and although it has not yet entered into any formal agreements or partnerships, it has established the groundwork to allow it to do so. Several potential partnerships are being considered and are included in the Action Plan. This includes: 

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 

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EcoStep – launching a small business outreach program that will focus on reducing the ecological footprint of tenants and small businesses. This program will focus on reducing energy and water use and on diverting waste. It will also raise the profile of the EcoDistrict. Potential partners for this program include Hydro Ottawa, Enbridge and the City of Ottawa. Informal Eco Network – The OCED meets on a quarterly basis with Ecology Ottawa, EnviroCentre, Ontario Renewable Energy Coop (OREC), the Environment Committee of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and Sustainable Eastern Ontario. The group works to coordinate action on climate protection and other common issues. Property Manager Champions – The OCED meets with the six EcoDistrict Champions that are property managers to discuss collaboration on issues specific to managing commercial buildings. EV Day Supporters – This includes our co-presenter Plug’N Drive and the Sparks Street BIA where the event is hosted, plus a number of event sponsors (e.g. Hydro Ottawa, Windmill) and local EV owners, many of whom are members of the EV Council of Ottawa. Network of Sustainable Brewers – We have established a series of sustainability profiles for eight local breweries that have also worked with us to host ‘Local Beer Friendlies’ – events designed to promote sustainable business and local issues.

EcoDistrict Champions Network In the original FCM application, the idea of creating a sustainable practices program (SPP) was proposed. As a result of ongoing engagement with stakeholders, and in particular the engagement sessions in October 2014, it became clear that the focus needed to change slightly. The SPP became a network of businesses and organizations that are supportive of the OCED and its goals with supporters signing an MOU and committing to a one year formal agreement. The Champions Network launched in January 2015 with 29 businesses and organizations helping to transform the downtown core. The number of members has increased steadily since the launch. Joining the EcoDistrict Champions Network is an easy way to support the transformation of Ottawa’s downtown into Canada’s first EcoDistrict. Increased connectivity is the way towards a sustainable future and the network connects the OCED’s supporters effectively.

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Structure of the Network The research revealed that there are two groups of stakeholders with an interest in the OCED: those that are located within the area; and those that are outside of the OCED with a professional interest in sustainability. As a result the EcoDistrict Network is comprised of two types of organizations.  

Champions are businesses and organizations located inside the EcoDistrict that are committed to implementing sustainable practices while showcasing efforts already underway. Ambassadors come from across the region and work together in EcoDistrict-led think tanks to consider ways to adopt smart, innovative approaches and technologies that will benefit commercial and residential buildings. They also work with the OCED to provide sustainability options to others in the network.

In addition, there are about 10 organizations that are not in a position to commit to joining the network but are willing to share information about EcoDistrict events with their employees or they will attend specific events such as EV Day. Value Proposition of the Network The value proposition of the network is based on three pillars.  

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Recognition for support, achievement and expertise through the OCED web site, banners, mentions at events, blog posts and special events. Sharing of information at network meetings, OCED events like EV Day, informal socials, lunch and learn events in the workplace, surveys, presentations and profile articles on network members posted to the OCED web site and shared via social media and the network newsletter, Inspiring Ideas. Improvement through collaborative efforts and sharing ideas for action with the City of Ottawa, the NCC and other stakeholders about how to improve downtown places and spaces.

Participants in the Network As of August 2015 there were 20 champions and 21 ambassadors. Exhibit 8: List of EcoDistrict Champions as of August 2015           

Bank Street BIA Bentall Kennedy Canada Council for the Arts Cement Association of Canada Hydro Ottawa Impact Hub Ottawa Invest Ottawa JJ McNeil Commercial Inc. KPMG Manulife Real Estate Minto Group

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        

Morguard National Arts Centre National Capital Commission Ottawa Tourism Oxford Properties Royal Bank of Canada Sparks Street BIA Welch LLP Windmill Development Group

Exhibit 9 – List of EcoDistrict Ambassadors as of August 2015                     

Bullfrog Power CiMA Devcore EnviroCentre FileFacets Golder Associates KWC Architects Inc. Lightenco MTBA Ottawa Tool Library Parsons Plan Group Plug’N Drive Recycling Council of Ontario Stantec Stoked Stratos Terra 20 Veritas Vrtucar WSP

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Action Plan This document serves two purposes: it summarizes the work that was done to date to produce the OCED SNAP; and it introduces the SNAP. The SNAP includes: 

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Actions to achieve goals, objectives and targets established by the City of Ottawa, including some in: o climate protection; o energy, waste and water management; o sustainable transportation; o land use; and Actions to achieve goals, objectives and targets in other areas of sustainability as identified in the EcoDistricts Protocol.

The OCED has worked with community participants and a wide array of stakeholders to generate ideas for how it can achieve its vision and top level goals. The process for developing the action plan is summarized here and the final SNAP is included as Appendix A – Action Plan. It should be noted that the actions identified in the SNAP will require additional resources to implement. Nothing in this report obligates any of the current partner organizations (i.e. the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the City of Ottawa, and other private organizations) to contribute financially or otherwise to these initiatives, and it is recognized that internal organizational budget approval processes will be required to secure additional funds from current and future partners.

Prioritizing Actions On February 19, 2015, the OCED hosted a community engagement event where people not only generated over 300 ideas, they also had an opportunity to mark up to three ideas with stars, a form of voting called Dotmocracy. From this data the team generated the list of the Top 10 ideas for the EcoDistrict which are actually made up of 53 ideas that have been consolidated. Each idea was framed as an action that the OCED would be prepared to lead and implement. Even though almost 150 people attended the in-person event, the OCED recognized that there was an opportunity to engage many more people online. The community was invited to go online to review the Top 10 list and to help prioritize those ideas. The online engagement was open from March 3-25, 2015. The tool provided a participation opportunity to anyone who was unable to attend the Community Consultation in person. In addition to reviewing the ideas presented, online participants were able to add their own ideas. These ideas were added to those already received.

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Using a web-based technology that they developed, sub-consultants and team members GreatWork4 were able to use paired comparison voting to calculate preferences online and to curate the ideas submitted into an aggregated list of the most viable and compelling options. The results of the online prioritization are summarized in Exhibit 9. Exhibit 9: Table – Top 10 Ideas Ordered by Priority Idea

Rank

Level of Attraction (Score %)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

65 62 62 58 58 46 45 35 33 31

(Source: GreatWork Online Tool)

Improving bike connections to and through the EcoDistrict Improving the quality of green space downtown Increase access to affordable, healthy food and grocery options Improving recycling services for businesses, apartments and condos Improving energy efficiency of existing buildings Promoting and improving social vibrancy (events, festivals, food) Increasing the number of native trees in the EcoDistrict Connecting urban gardeners with downtown gardens Exploring ways to expand the sharing economy Using the EcoDistrict as a learning lab for post-secondary education

Analysis of Top 10 Ideas Further analysis of the list of the top 10 ideas for the OCED was conducted by a team of students from the Institute of the Environment at the University of Ottawa working to complete their Masters of Environmental Sustainability program. The students were asked to select two ideas from the list and to suggest three shovel-ready projects that could be completed by the OCED. One idea – Improving bike connections to and through the EcoDistrict – was selected by the OCED for initial development and was thus removed from further consideration. The student team began by analyzing the remaining nine ideas using ideas and concepts from the course Methods for Evidence-Based Decision-Making taught by C. Scott Findlay. Each idea was assessed against the OCED top level goals and then weighed against the criteria in Exhibit 10. Exhibit 10: List of Weighted Criteria for Idea Assessment     

A) Generate positive media B) Stepping stone for future projects C) Accomplish multiple ideas proposed D) Generate awareness of the EcoDistrict E) Funding sources

4

GreatWork

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         

F) Operating costs G) Scalability H) Existing Data I) Risk J) Communication K) Project Deadline management L) Resource availability (Capital) M) Resource Availability N) Flexibility O) Ambiguity

Upon completion of the analysis and further clarification from the OCED, two ideas were selected: (1) Improving recycling services for downtown business; and (2) increasing social vibrancy. After discussing each potential project with the OCED, three projects were proposed:   

Waste Survey: Deploy a waste survey to gather information on the current recycling behaviours and activities for downtown businesses/institutions along Sparks Street. EcoDistrict “Amazing Race”: Host an annual race/scavenger hunt designed to improve social vibrancy within the OCED; and, EcoDistrict Green Events Guide: Share a guide produced by the student team to assist event planners in organizing more eco-friendly and sustainable events.

All three proposed projects have been incorporated into the SNAP.

Completing the Action Plan The Action Plan was completed using the EcoDistrict’s Roadmap. This process required the OCED team to consider each Priority Area and to select programs, projects or initiatives that would fit into each of the five timeframes. The final result is a SNAP that notes activities that are being tested and are already underway and actions that can be completed in stages over the next ten years. The Roadmap is accompanied by a summary description of each action. A detailed listing of ideas is also included in table format. This listing notes the events that will support the action, the potential partners, the target and the current status including funding.

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Conclusion The implementation of sustainability in Ottawa has been advanced in a profound way through the creation of Canada’s first EcoDistrict in one neighbourhood. It has contributed to the adoption of the EcoDistrict approach by the Windmill Development Group for its landmark development of the historic but neglected properties in the Ottawa River now known as Zibi. Together, Zibi and the OCED have the potential to become one of the greenest, most sustainable downtowns in North America, able to compete on a world scale for attention. The development of this SNAP has been a long and arduous process, in large part because it was not developed by the City of Ottawa but by a community non-profit supported by the City and many other businesses and organizations. But from hard work has come grass roots, organic support and an emerging brand for the downtown – the “EcoDistrict” – that supports business development, employee attraction and retention, and destination development to increase tourism. It has also led to the development of the EcoDistrict Network of Champions and Ambassadors which is a more sophisticated community partnership approach that builds on the lessons from the many pioneers in this area including Whistler, Kingston and Calgary. The most important roles that is played by the OCED is that of ‘dot connector’ between groups. Good ideas are generated every day but moving those ideas beyond talk to action requires a specific skill and commitment to collaboration. It involves meeting with community groups, BIAs, businesses, property manager and departments within the City of Ottawa to connect silos and instigate collaborative action. The commitment to the next 10 years is outlined in Appendix A and reflects the findings in this document.

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