Urban Design Review Panel

The Urban Design Review Panel is an independent panel of volunteer design professionals who provide an objective peer review of projects within the City’s Design Priority Areas. The Panel plays an important role in promoting design excellence in Ottawa, a key priority of the City’s Official Plan. As Section 4.6.1(2) of the Official Plan states, the City is required to retain the Urban Design Review Panel as an “independent advisory panel who provide objective peer review of both development applications and capital projects”.

The Urban Design Review Panel in the planning approval process

The Urban Design Review Panel is part of the City of Ottawa’s planning approval process. It is the role of City staff to work with applicants and ensure that the Panel reviews are embedded within the pre-consultation application process whenever possible. As such, pre-consultation application proposals which meet the criteria set out in Section 3 of the Urban Design Review Panel Terms of Reference will be subject to the Panel review(s) before a formal application is deemed complete. Thus, the applicant’s Urban Design Brief submission to the Urban Design Review Panel, the recommendations from the Panel meeting, and the applicant’s corresponding responses to the recommendations will all be part of the formal application package in accordance with the Urban Design Review Panel Report Terms of Reference. However, in the case of an Official Plan Amendment and/or a Plan of Subdivision, the Urban Design Review Panel review may be held after a formal application is submitted and deemed complete, at the discretion of the File Lead.

Applications located within the Design Priority Areas designated in Schedule C7-A (Urban) and C7-B (Villages) of the Official Plan, and which meet the General Criteria below, shall be subject to the Urban Design Review Panel's review (as outlined in Section 3 of the Urban Design Review Panel’s Terms of Reference).

A Secondary Plan or other Council-approved statutory policy may establish directions and criteria that deviate from the Urban Design Review Panel's Terms of Reference. Should such circumstances arise, the Secondary Plan or other Council-approved statutory policy shall prevail.

1. Schedule C7A - Design Priority Areas – Urban [ PDF 1.121 MB ]
2. Schedule C7B - Design Priority Areas – Villages [ PDF 1.160 MB ]
3. Schedule A – Transect Policy Areas

General criteria

1. Applications including Official Plan Amendments and/or Zoning By-law Amendments requesting an increase in height or density, and Site Plan Control applications which would result in a building—or an addition to a building—that is:
   1. Seven (7) storeys or greater in the Downtown Core and Inner Urban transects (as identified in Schedule A of the Official Plan)
   2. Five (5) storeys or greater in the Outer Urban and Suburban transects (as identified in Schedule A of the Official Plan)
   3. Three (3) storeys or greater within Village Design Priority Areas (as identified in Schedule C7-B of the Official Plan)

2. Applications which do not meet the criteria outlined above in 3.2.1 but are associated with large-scale institutions and facilities such as hospitals, universities, and cultural facilities.

3. Applications which do not meet the criteria outline in 3.2.1 but are of a complex nature as outlined by the following circumstances. The decision to bring these files to the Panel will be at the discretion of the File Lead and the Urban Designer on file, in consultation with the Panel Coordinator:
   1. Within Village Cores,
   2. Within Heritage Conservation Districts and/or in proximity (30 metres) to built and cultural heritage resources,
   3. Within proximity to Natural Heritage Features (as identified in Schedule C11-A, C11-B, and C11-C of the Official Plan),
   4. City-led policy initiatives and capital investments, such as a Secondary Plan, a Community Design Plan, a public realm study, and a street reconstruction project.
4. Applications for Plan of Subdivision which include multiple development blocks planned for mid- or high-rise development and a mix of land uses may be subject to the Urban Design Review Panel's review at the discretion of the File Lead, Urban Designer and Panel Coordinator.

Exemptions

1. Revisions to plans that have received staff and/or Council approval where the change maintains the overall design response associated with the initial approval.
2. Municipal parks development, including developer-built municipal parks.
3. Development within the Kanata North Business Park Special District.
4. A Site Plan Control application for low-rise or mid-rise development that is generally in conformity with the zoning, and that has implemented staff’s initial pre-consultation application directions satisfactory to the file Lead, the Urban Designer on file and the Panel Coordinator.
5. Applications for conversions where there are no significant alterations to the site or exterior of the building and the conversion is primarily inside the existing building may be considered for exemption at the discretion of the File Lead, the Urban Designer on file and the Panel Coordinator.

Criteria for multiple reviews 

1. When applications are submitted separately by the applicant for varying application types, each application will be subject to Urban Design Review Panel review(s) as outlined above. 
2. Applications may be subject to multiple reviews if recommended by the Urban Design Review Panel and/or if the design is significantly changed from the previous review at the discretion of the File Lead and Urban Designer on the file.

Projects requiring a heritage permit

1. In the event where an application is subject to the Urban Design Review Panel's review and requires a heritage permit, the Panel's review shall take place before the appropriate heritage permit is issued.
2. For applications subject to the Urban Design Review Panel's review and requiring a heritage permit, submissions materials must be detailed to the level commensurate with a Site Plan Control application regardless of the application type.
3. At the discretion of Heritage Planning in consultation with the File Lead, Urban Designer, and Panel Coordinator, applications which have previously attended the Urban Design Review Panel and received a subsequent heritage permit may be exempt from a second review with the Panel during the Site Plan Control application process.

Applications outside of Design Priority Areas

1. Applications outside of Design Priority Areas are generally not subject to the Urban Design Review Panel's review. However, at the recommendation of the Program Manager, Public Realm and Urban Design, and in coordination with the applicant(s), complex applications which trigger the need for an Official Plan Amendment associated with an increase in massing and/or height may be brought to the Urban Design Review Panel for review.
2. Applications within the Central and East Downtown Core Secondary Plan area defined in Schedule A – Character Areas of the Secondary Plan but not within the Design Priority Areas, and which meet the criteria set out in Section 3 of the Urban Design Review Panel's Terms of Reference will be subject to the Panel's review.

The applicant is required to provide detailed submission materials two weeks prior to the Panel meeting (see Panel meeting schedule). If the Urban Design Review Panel's submission materials are complete and submitted on time, the applicant will be notified of the time and location for their scheduled meeting with the Panel approximately a week ahead of the meeting.

Please be aware that there is a possibility that the number of submission packages received exceeds the capacity of the agenda. In such cases, applications may be carried over to the following the Urban Design Review Panel's meeting.

For an applicant to be scheduled on an Urban Design Review Panel meeting agenda, the applicant(s) must:

• Complete their phase 1 pre-consultation meeting with City staff before the submission deadline
• Receive written comments and initial design direction from City staff before the submission deadline
• Notify the Panel Coordinator (udrp@ottawa.ca) two weeks before the submission deadline of their intention to submit for the Urban Design Review Panel's review
• Submit all required materials by the posted submission deadline

Granted completion of the above, all eligible projects will be added to the Urban Design Review Panel's agenda. Submission materials shall be professionally prepared, legible, drawn to scale, and accurately represent all the design aspects of the project in question.

For an Urban Design Review Panel submission package to be complete it must include the following required materials:

• Applicant project summary sheet  (Please submit the summary as a separate document)
• Urban Design Brief: A customized Terms of Reference for each application will be provided by the Urban Designer following the first pre-consultation application meeting. Elements to be included in the Urban Design Brief submitted for the Urban Design Review Panel's review shall be confirmed by the Panel Coordinator.

The Urban Design Brief is required to be signed by a member holding a professional membership with the Ontario Association of Architects, Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, Ontario Professional Planners Institute, and/or Canadian Institute of Planners, or equivalent professional organization; and should include materials prepared by urban designer(s), licensed architect(s), licensed landscape architect(s), and registered planner(s). The Urban Design Brief should highlight the key urban design features of the proposal, and should provide an explanation as to why the proposed development represents the most appropriate design solution for the site.

Presentation and design review format

The Urban Design Review Panel proceedings are not permitted to be recorded by any electronic devices.

The Urban Design Review Panel proceedings will be led by the Chair and will follow the general sequence described below for both informal pre-consultations (at the pre-consultation phase) and formal reviews (during the post-approval process). As a rule, the Urban Design Review Panel does not discuss applications without at least one representative of the proponent’s design team present (an architect, landscape architect, urban designer, or planner).

Meetings are approximately one hour in length, and applicants are expected to arrive at least five minutes prior to their scheduled meeting time. Additional meeting time may be allocated to accommodate complex applications.

Applicants are expected to make a 5– to 10-minute presentation to the Panel that focuses on the proposal’s built-form, architecture, site design, and sustainable initiatives. If additional presentation time is required, please consult with the Panel Coordinator about the need for additional time by the submission deadline.

The Urban Design Review Panel is comprised of seven expert design professionals. All members are senior professionals able to evaluate projects of varying complexities and contexts related to their profession.

Current Panel members

David Leinster, OALA, CSLA
Chair, Urban Design Review Panel

David Leinster is a landscape architect and partner at The Planning Partnership in Toronto. With expertise in public realm planning and design, and having extensive experience as a design critic and juror, David is a former member of the City of Ottawa’s Design Review Panel for the Downtown Design Review Pilot Project and a former juror for the Ottawa Urban Design Awards.

James Parakh, OAA
Vice-chair, Urban Design Review Panel

James Parakh is an award-winning architect and the urban design manager for Toronto & East York District of the City of Toronto's Planning Division. Over the last decade and a half, he has led the urban design studio that has helped guide the review of development in downtown Toronto and surrounding urban areas.
 
James is highly regarded as an international authority in the field of tall building urban design through his professional work in Toronto and Ottawa, as well as his role as chair of the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat / Urban Design Assembly—a role that he has had since 2014. He serves as vice-chair of the City of Ottawa’s Urban Design Review Panel and has participated on design panels for the National Capital Commission as well as on international design juries for tall building design with the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and for the World Architecture News Awards.
 
Prior to joining the City of Toronto, James was a lead designer with WZMH Architects (Toronto) and led the designs for projects such the ING Bank headquarters in Toronto, Parc Island in the Dubai Marina, United Arab Emirates, Etisalat Headquarters in Sharjah and Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Tower in Pudong, China, and the Infield Master Plan for Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.
 
A graduate of the Toronto Metropolitan University, Colombia University and the University of Houston, James’ main interests focus in how tall buildings fit within their urban context and how they affect the quality of life of people that live or work within them.

Colin Berman, OALA, CSLA, MALA
Associate partner, DTAH

Colin Berman is a landscape architect, urban designer, and associate partner with DTAH, bringing 23 years of experience from a wide range of award-winning projects. His expertise in public spaces encompasses complex heritage restorations, vibrant urban plazas, parks, transit projects and green infrastructure. In institutional settings, he has developed thoughtful master plans for campuses across Canada. 

His urban design work spans city-wide design guidelines, streetscape developments and sustainability policy development. Colin also brings specialized knowledge in Indigenous co-design, fostering cultural sensitivity and meaningful local engagement. On waterfronts, his work integrates habitat restoration with public realm planning, balancing ecological preservation and human use. In the development sector, Colin has led the landscape component of multidisciplinary teams, collaborating to navigate projects through conception, design, municipal approvals and construction.

Colin is deeply committed to sustainable design. His teams collaborate to employ carbon calculation tools, quantifying and mitigating the environmental impact of their designs. By addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation proactively, Colin ensures projects are resilient and sustainable for the future.

Beyond technical expertise, Colin is skilled in guiding public and stakeholder consultations. He has led numerous strategies for engaging communities in public projects across Canada. With a collaborative, task-oriented approach, he and his teams create consultation processes that are both inclusive and enjoyable for participants.

Philip Evans, OAA, AAA, AIBC, NSAA, MRAIC, CAHP
Principal, ERA Architects

Philip Evans is a principal at ERA Architects and the founder of Culture of Outports. Over the course of 17 years, he has led a range of conservation, adaptive reuse, design, and feasibility planning projects.

Philip is known for transforming challenges into opportunities. He gives sound advice and guidance to better manage cultural, heritage, and property assets to leverage economic success while maintaining the highest level of integrity. He brings a collaborative spirit to a diverse range of working relationships, and his clients have included private and public developers, communities, municipalities, provinces, and private citizens. He works both in the office and in the field and has practiced on either side of (as well as within) the Atlantic. He appreciates working in a range of built environments, including urban, suburban, and rural settings.

Heather Rolleston, B.Arch.
Principal and design director, Quadrangle

Heather is an architectural designer and is a principal and design director at Quadrangle. She has over 20 years of experience designing, leading and managing a wide range of projects from the residential, mixed-use, master plan and commercial sectors. A graduate of the University of Toronto Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, she continues to be involved in academia as a guest critic at her alma mater as well as at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture.

Heather’s work has been recognized with a number of awards including the RAIC Governor General’s Medal in Architecture and the RIBA International Award for the Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research.

As a member of the Urban Land Institute’s Women’s Leadership Initiative Championship Team and through her involvement with Building Equality in Architecture Toronto, Heather lends her voice to advocate for gender equality in the architectural profession.

Heather is also sitting member of the City of Toronto’s Design Review Panel.

Nigel Tai, OAA, MRAIC, LEED
Architect and principal, Diamond Schmitt

Nigel Tai is a licensed architect and principal at Diamond Schmitt, with over 20 years of experience working in the fast-paced cities of Hong Kong, London, and Toronto.

As a seasoned fast-track architect, he has successfully managed complex institutional projects from design concept to building opening in just two years, such as the LEED Gold certified 110,000-square-foot Environmental Science and Chemistry Building at the University of Toronto Scarborough which features 70 geothermal boreholes and an earth tube system that supplies 100 per cent fresh air to the building. He easily adapts to various project procurement models to deliver carefully realized projects for academic, research, residential, and community-based needs. 

Currently, he is the project architect for the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus which includes function that bridges the gap between the university and the community, providing much-needed healthcare to the community.

As a certified Passive House Designer, Nigel specializes in sustainable design, exemplified by his work on the Ottawa Community Housing’s Gladstone Village and Toronto Community Housing’s Alexandra Park development which addresses community and climate needs by creating an affordable housing neighborhood with energy-efficient building systems. 

Nigel is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and is a LEED Accredited Professional and a LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt certified professional. He brings a deep passion for harnessing the power of architecture to improve the world. His practice is committed to sustainable design principles and innovative approaches that improve the environment and the communities they serve. 

Alex Taranu, FCIP, MCIP, RPP, OAA
Manager of Architectural Design, City of Brampton

Alex Taranu is a licensed architect in the Province of Ontario and Registered Professional Planner with over 30 years of professional experience in planning, urban design, and architecture. During the 1990s he was involved in a number of urban design and architectural projects in many Ontario cities, in particular in Toronto as a consultant on projects such as the “Railway Lands (City Place)”, and the “Waterfront Design Schemes and Charrettes”. Since 2001, he has been heavily involved in the re-urbanization of suburban areas through projects such as “Downtown Brampton Revitalization and Central Area Intensification”. He also has extensive professional work experience as an advocate for urban design in the planning process as the founder and past chair of the Ontario Professional Planner Institute Urban Design Working Group and other professional advocacy organizations.

Emmanuelle van Rutten, B.Arch., OAA, OAQ, MRAIC, LEED AP BD+C
Director, Moriyama & Teshima Architects, Ottawa

Emmanuelle is a licensed architect in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and Director at the Moriyama & Teshima Architects' Ottawa office. Her professional focus has been on large-scale institutional buildings in Ottawa. These projects are exemplified by their exceptional designs and staunch project delivery.

Over the years, she has earned a reputation as a remarkable communicator (in both official languages), a meticulous project manager and an excellent designer. Her most notable projects include the Canadian War Museum and the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat on Sussex drive.

Emmanuelle is actively involved in Ottawa's design community. She maintains a close relationship with her alma mater - the Azrieli School of Architecture at Carleton University where she is frequently invited as a guest lecturer and guest critic.

For more information about the establishment of the Urban Design Review Panel, its evolution, and its current operations, please contact the Panel Coordinator at UDRP@ottawa.ca who would be pleased to discuss.