Canada’s Capital Core Area Sector Plan June 2005 Ce document est aussi disponible en français This document is also available on the web site of the NCC http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca Contacts : Pierre Dubé 613-239-5471 [email protected] Lori Thornton 613-239-5426 [email protected] François Lapointe 613-239-5579 [email protected] CANADA'S CAPITAL CORE AREA SECTOR PLAN June 2005 This Plan was approved by the Board of Directors of the National Capital Commission on June 30, 2005. C ANADA’ S C APITAL C ORE A REA S ECTOR P LAN MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE VICE- PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER It gives me great pleasure to present For several decades, the National to you The Core Area Sector Plan. Capital Commission has strived to This important federal planning imagine tomorrow’s Capital. document will guide the develop- ment of the Core Area of the Capital, The Core Area Sector Plan presents in preparation for the challenges and long-term perspectives of the federal potential accomplishments of the government and the National Capital coming decades. Commission on the future use and purpose of federal lands in the Core Area. The Plan sends a clear message: in a period of human and financial resource shortages, and rapid changes in The future planning and development of the Core Area political, social and technological spheres, the unique requires the cooperation and participation of federal qualities of the Capital's Core Area must be protected departments and agencies, provincial and municipal in order that the potential of this place can be governments, the private sector, and the Canadian enjoyed by future generations. public. The National Capital Commission has prepared the In this perspective, the content of the Plan has Plan on behalf of the Government of Canada.The Plan benifited from the ideas and suggestions shared during sets out a vision and high-level policies and strategies the public consultations. to enhance and promote the most symbolic area with- in the Capital. We hope that you will appreciate reading this Plan. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the Plan and to be part of the accomplishment of the fascinating vision for our Capital's future. Thank you for your interest in the planning of the Micheline Dubé heart of Canada's Capital. Marcel Beaudry i ImagineC ANADA the’ S C APITALHeartC ORE A REA ofS ECTOR theP LAN Capital “ as a unified space for working, living and celebrating Canada, a place that communicates the nation and creates spaces for Canadians to gather and celebrate their sense of country.1 ” NTRODUCTION I 1 Plan for Canada's Capital , 1999; Reflecting a Nation - Public Programming & Activities Vision for the Core Area of iiCanada's Capital , 2005 C ANADA’ S C APITAL C ORE A REA S ECTOR P LAN VISION FOR THE YEAR 2025 The Core Area of Canada's Capital in the Year 2025… The Core Area of the Capital is endowed with remarkable natural and urban characteristics, exuding a strong and distinctive identity. There is a sense of place, a uniqueness here that is palpable. Parliament Hill, dominated by the Parliament Buildings and the Peace Tower, presides as the most majestic and powerful symbol of this Capital: a magnificent assembly of buildings, breathtaking in their grandeur, atop the wild wooded escarpment, on the edge of the mighty Ottawa River. Open lawns surrounding these exemplary heritage buildings are filled with people, eager to touch this magical place, this heritage site, this bold representation of the Canadian democracy. There is a feeling of shared destiny, of nationhood, of common ground - this place belongs to all Canadians, it is "home away from home". A beautiful street passes in front of Parliament Hill - Confederation Boulevard - alive with animation and storytelling, commemorations to Canadian heroes and milestones, places for people to gather. This street encircles the core area of this Capital, crossing the Ottawa River, linking a spectacular collection of national museums and institutions of superior design that tell the Canadian story and showcase the nation's treasures. This is Canada's Discovery Route, its avenue of history and culture. Capital stages along this boulevard present festivals and celebrations to the amusement and enrichment of all. Views northward to the ancient Gatineau Hills and along the Ottawa River bring the sense of Canada's wilderness into the heart of the Capital. Visitors experience a rare urban landscape rich with green and blue, open spaces and water - that shines forth in the splendour of autumn colours and in winter is transformed into a wonderland of snow and ice. This Capital is a four-season city, taking advantage of the different experiences that each season offers. It is also a city of lights, where the evening setting is enlivened by beautifully illuminated symbols and features that invite exploration, discovery and enjoyment. An integrated system of parks, open space corridors and pathway linkages provides a natural setting for the core area, bringing people to nature, to water edges, and onto the waterways themselves to connect to destinations and places of interest. This capital showcase is linked with and knitted into the interesting and lively surrounding precincts and neighbourhoods, each with their own character and flavour. A unique blend of the old and new, stately heritage buildings are mixed with modern structures, housing offices of govern- NTRODUCTION ment, business and special organizations. New mixed use developments restore and reconnect the I iii C ANADA’ S C APITAL C ORE A REA S ECTOR P LAN urban fabric - in LeBreton Flats, in new residential and institution- al projects on central sites, through the reclamation and reuse of industrial heritage buildings and spaces that "build" the Islands "bridge" from Ottawa to Gatineau across the now publicly accessi- ble Chaudières Falls, the connection and integration of Vieux Hull with the river shore at the old Scott Paper site. Safe, well-designed pedestrian networks and public spaces, from the small to the grand, connect different precincts. To the people, these public places present arts and culture, routes filled with his- tory and interesting stories, and places to rest, sit and view the surroundings. High standards of environmental stewardship and respect are evident everywhere - in the design of buildings, landscapes and streets, in the efficient use of infrastructure, in the naturalization of select sites, in the sleek and integrated systems of transit and Chaudières Falls, looking west movement within the core and connecting to outlying urban areas. This is a city, but it is so much more than just a city - it is the capital of a nation, proud and free, celebrating its achievements and the identity and aspirations of its people, in a setting of natural and built beauty. To achieve this vision, the Capital must continue to evolve, for the benefit of future generations, building upon accomplishments already realized, continuing to dream of what it can yet become. Ottawa River, looking east NTRODUCTION I iv C ANADA’ S C APITAL C ORE A REA S ECTOR P LAN Steering and Working Teams Technical Committee François Cyr The Capital Core Area Sector Plan is the product of work Linda Dicaire undertaken by staff of the NCC and of the firm Urban Thérèse St-Onge Strategies and their associates. Sylvie Tilden Ivana Copelli The Plan also reflects numerous comments received Marc Corriveau through different consultation exercises, both internal Jean Charbonneau and external to the NCC, which took place over the Arto Keklikian period of 2003 to 2005. Mary Taylor Johanne Fortier National Capital Commission Mary Devine Domitien Mugemana (December 2004) The Board of Directors Peter Moore (December 2004) The Executive Management Committee Luc-Alexandre Chayer The Advisory Committee on Planning, Design and Realty Richard Scott Lynda Villeneuve (December 2004) Director of Planning Grace Strachan François Lapointe Gérard Lajeunesse François Daigneault Project Leader Pierre Dubé Consultant Team Working Group Urban Strategies François Lapointe, Director of Planning Cyndi Rottenberg-Walker Team Leader Pierre Dubé, Senior Planner and Project Leader George Dark Strategic Advisor Lori Thornton, Senior Planner Eric Turcotte Senior Designer David Malkin, Project Planner (February 2005) Andrew Goodyear Project Manager Arturo Samper, Senior Architect Michel Céré, Graphic Design and Photos Delcan Ann Lafortune, Administrative Assistant Ronald Jack Traduction: Franciel Transportation Systems Transportation Communications Team Ronald Fournier Strategic Sandra Pecek Urban and Environmental Environmental Élizabeth Lacoursière Planning Assessment Eva Scharchel Kelly Mowbray Strategic Steering Committee Environmental Environmental Curry Wood, Vice-President Planner Assessment François Lapointe, Director Anne-Sophie Lawless John Abel Marie Boulet Meloshe and Associates Local Project Roland Thériault Mark Kristmanson Nancy Meloshe, Principal Coordination Peter McCourt Marie Crevier Daniel Miron Bob Lewis Apropos Planning Gisèle Kelly Jean-René Doyon June Creelman, Partner Programming We would like to thank all of those who participated in the planning process, open houses, workshops and meetings. NTRODUCTION I v C ANADA’ S C APITAL C ORE A REA S ECTOR P LAN PLAN HIGHLIGHTS The Core Area Sector Plan represents the lead mission, which is to plan the physical develop- policy document governing the planning and ment and use of federal lands in the Capital and development of federal lands