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Capital Brownfields: an Assessment of Brownfield Planning Policy in the City of Ottawa, Ontario

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Capital Brownfields: an Assessment of Brownfield Planning Policy in the City of Ottawa, Ontario Capital Brownfields: An Assessment of Brownfield Planning Policy in the City of Ottawa, Ontario by Mark Roy Ouseley A thesis Presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Environmental Studies in Planning Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2013 © Mark Roy Ouseley 2013 i AUTHOR's DECLARATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii ABSTRACT A brownfield is previously developed land which suffers from actual or perceived contamination due to past uses. The City of Ottawa, like many of Canada's municipalities, is faced with a significant inventory of brownfields. As the legacy of industrial activities in earlier times, these sites have become an environmental threat, blight to the community and economic loss for their owners and the City. Unlike many of Ontario's more highly industrialized municipalities, Ottawa has a less industrialized history and, as the Nation's Capital, faces unique brownfield challenges and development climate, requiring a policy approach that is tailored to the Ottawa development market. Ottawa's major brownfield sites are owned by different levels of governments and private firms, ranging from the National Capital Commission owned LeBreton Flats to the City of Ottawa owned Bayview Yards. This thesis intends to examine current development trends for brownfields, impediments and opportunities for development, assess the efficacy of current policies and provide suggestions for the improvement of the existing brownfield development planning process in Ottawa, using an applied research method. This study is developed through interviews with key informants, a collective case study analysis, a literature review and site visits. This thesis intends to study current policy and provide recommendations to improve Ottawa's approach to brownfield development. The City of Ottawa has developed a Brownfield Community Improvement Plan, featuring multiple grant programs which has proved to be successful in incentivizing the development of brownfield sites which otherwise would have remained idle. However, the creation and development of this policy was a challenging process, requiring review and improvement in light of ongoing development applications. The findings of this paper indicate the policy has been successful due to its encouragement of brownfield projects which otherwise would not have occurred. In addition, case studies of Bayview Yards, CLC Rockcliffe Lands, Lansdowne Park, LeBreton Flats, 1357 Baseline Road and 300 West Hunt Club Road illustrate the pursuit of significant brownfield development projects in the City. However, despite its success, some challenges still exist which the City of Ottawa must endeavour to overcome. By tackling these challenges, the City could further aid in erasing brownfields from Ottawa's urban fabric and leave a legacy to its residents, characterized by a robust urban centre free from severe environmental contamination. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although only one name adorns the cover, this thesis is the product of the time, effort and contributions of many individuals. I am very grateful to the key informants I had the pleasure of interviewing who took the time out of their busy schedules for an interview. Without their expert opinions and feedback, this thesis would only be half complete. I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Geoffrey Lewis for his steadfast support, advice and guidance during the process of hammering out this thesis. It was through his assistance that I was able to weave this document together cohesively. My years spent at the University of Waterloo in the School of Planning were a formative period. I am grateful for the classes I enrolled in and professors such as Dr. Pierre Filion, Dr. Mark Seasons, Dr. Murray Haight and Dr. John Lewis who possessed the pedagogical talent to bring planning discipline to life. I am also extremely grateful for Edie Cardwell’s support and guidance. With her coaching I was able to navigate the obstacle course of forms, paperwork, applications and other challenges required to complete the Master’s thesis marathon. Thank you to my friends from Queen’s who helped me enjoy life outside of the fun that is thesis writing. Thank you as well to my peers and friends at the University of Waterloo. I have learned, laughed and enjoyed many good times with you. My time and enjoyment of the Waterloo region was also facilitated through my friends and mentors, Dr. Ric Soulis, Eric Ward and Watson Adams. Their support and encouragement were instrumental in maintaining my perseverance in writing this thesis. I am extremely grateful for the ever- present support and interest of Iola Price who inspired and nurtured my early interest in sustainability and conservation. Also, I am grateful for Dr. Pamela Welbourn’s Environmental Toxicology class at Queen’s University which first introduced me to the topic of brownfields. To my brother, Jeremy, who, in addition to being an exceptional accountant in training, runs an unofficial IT department which helped keep iv my computer, phone and other electronics functioning during my research process. Without him, this thesis may have been written on a typewriter or on papyrus with a quill pen. Finally, the completion of this thesis would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of my parents, Claire and Roger Ouseley. Your support, continued interest in the topic and enthusiasm for my work was the fuel that kept the thesis train moving. v DEDICATION To my parents, who travelled across the Atlantic Ocean with only two suitcases and a dream. They landed in Toronto, got fed up with the traffic there and eventually moved to Ottawa, the beautiful city I am proud to call home. Thank you for your continued support and reminding me that the journey of a thousand words begins with a single keystroke. This journey spanned over 40 000 words, excluding the 1 000 word count embedded in each picture. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTHOR's DECLARATION................................................................................................. ii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................. xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 1.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2. Site Selection ...................................................................................................... 2 1.3. Research Purpose and Questions ................................................................ 4 1.4. Applied Research ............................................................................................. 6 1.5. Study Methods and Approaches ................................................................. 7 1.5.1. Literature Review ....................................................................................... 7 1.5.2. Collective Case Study .............................................................................. 8 1.5.3. Case Study Selection ................................................................................ 9 1.5.4. Policy and Program Identification ...................................................... 10 1.5.5. Site Visits ...................................................................................................... 11 1.5.6. The Interview Process .............................................................................. 11 1.5.7. Snowball Sampling .................................................................................. 13 1.5.8. Develop Interview Protocol, Script and Follow-Up Method ........ 14 1.5.9. Data Collection ........................................................................................ 16 1.5.10. Interpretation of Data ......................................................................... 18 1.6. Attend Public Meetings and Information Sessions ................................ 18 1.7. Challenges and Limitations .......................................................................... 19 CHAPTER 2: BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT DEFINITION, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES ............................................................................................................ 22 2.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 22 2.2. Defining “Brownfield” ..................................................................................... 23 vii 2.3. The General Properties of Brownfields in Canada ................................ 26 2.4. Contaminated Sites vs. Brownfields ........................................................... 27 2.5. Brownfields vs. Greenfields
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