The Official Plan provides a vision of the future of the city and its physical development. Design and Planning Guidelines translate that broad framework into detailed principles for development. These guidelines play an integral role in achieving high quality design throughout the city.
Please note that the City of Ottawa Urban Design Guidelines listed here are in effect. However, the guidelines may not all be in full conformity with the City’s new Official Plan as approved in 2022; in particular, there may be discrepancies in terminology between the guidelines and the new Official Plan. The guidelines will be gradually reviewed and updated as required. Where there is a discrepancy between the new Official Plan and a guideline, the new Official Plan will prevail.
Guidelines in Progress
The Design and Planning Guidelines contained within this section are currently in a development phase.