Reporting on building and development

Research reports - Annual Development Report

Annual Development Report 2022 [ PDF 7.737 MB ] - The Annual Development Report (ADR) monitors population and employment change as well as housing, office, industrial, and retail development. In addition, the ADR provides information on the Gatineau/Québec Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) and the Greater Ottawa-Gatineau Area, where possible, to provide a complete overview of the Regional Market Area. The revised ADR is now supplementary to the new Official Plan (OP) Monitoring Report, which measures other development and planning data indicators against OP policy goals and objectives.

New Official Plan Growth Management Strategy

The Ottawa Employment Survey 2016 [ PDF - 4.1 MB ] provides detailed information for planning transportation, infrastructure and land use, in addition to painting a picture of the city's economy by employment.

Economic development update

Residential Dwelling Approval Pipeline

In an effort to track progress towards municipal and provincial housing supply targets for the city of Ottawa, the Residential Dwelling Approval Pipeline provides an update on housing unit approvals, building permits issued, and other residential development indicators on a quarterly and year-to-date basis. Data will also be posted to Open Ottawa.

The following update reports on residential development data for Q1 2024, which covers January, February and March.

Quarter 1 2024 [ PDF 120.69 KB ]

A year-to-date report can also be found below which excludes double counting of housing units approved through multiple development applications at the same location as well as tracks progress towards the Municipal Housing Pledge.

Year to date January - March 2024 [ PDF 131.87 KB ]

Definitions

Additional Residential Units:

The City of Ottawa estimate of additional residential units includes building permits issued for secondary dwelling units, non-residential to residential conversions, coach houses, student housing, and additions or alterations that increase the number of apartments.

The Province’s definition includes laneway, garden and basement suites added to existing homes as additional residential units, according to the housing tracker at ontario.ca.

Approvals: new dwellings approved through development applications related to lot creation or lot development.

Minor Variance: an approved deviation from the Zoning By-law that permits development that does not comply to performance standards (e.g. lot size, building height).
Plan of Condominium: the approved separation of dwelling units or land that may be sold as part of a condominium corporation.
Plan of Subdivision: the approved separation of land to create more than one or two lots where roads and services are to be created and/or extended.
Severance: the approved separation of land to create a new parcel that can be bought or sold separately.
Site Plan Control: a process through which the City of Ottawa ensures that a lot layout is safe, functional, and orderly.

As-of-right: permitted as is, under the Official Plan and Zoning By-law.

Building Permit: in this context, a document issued by the City of Ottawa that permits the construction of or change of use to a residential dwelling.

Coach house: A separate additional dwelling unit that is subsidiary to and located on the same lot as an associated principal dwelling unit, but contained within its own building. These may also contain uses accessory to the principal dwelling.

Completion: a dwelling where all proposed work is now complete. Source: CMHC

Demolition Permit: in this context, a document issued by the City of Ottawa that permits the removal of a residential dwelling.

Dwelling: a dwelling unit used or intended for use as a residential premises for one household.

Apartment dwelling (also referred to as “Apt”): a dwelling unit within a building that has two or more principal dwelling units that are divided horizontally (e.g. a duplex), or a dwelling unit that is subsidiary to the primary unit (e.g. a secondary dwelling unit or coach house). For example, an apartment building will have multiple apartment dwellings.
Rowhouse dwelling (also referred to as “Row”): a dwelling unit within a building that contains three or more attached principal dwelling units that are divided vertically.
Semi-detached dwelling (also referred to as “Semi”): a dwelling unit within a building that contains two attached principal dwelling units that are divided vertically. For example, one semi-detached building will have two semi-detached dwellings.
Single detached dwelling (also referred to as “Single”): a dwelling unit within a building that contains only one principal dwelling unit.

Land Use Permissions: a change to what a parcel or piece of land may be used for under land use policy.

Official Plan Amendment: an approved change to policies and/or designations within the Official Plan. The Official Plan is a broad guideline of land use and development in Ottawa.
Zoning By-law Amendment: an approved change to the current Zoning By-law in terms of land use. The Zoning By-law outlines how a specific parcel of land may be used.

Long-term care bed: A bed in a long-term care home that is licensed or approved to be occupied by one resident each.

Net dwellings: the number of dwelling units that have been issued building permits minus the number of dwelling units that have been issued demolition permits, to calculate true supply growth.

Non-residential to residential conversion: A pre-existing building that, historically, was not occupied as a residence (for example, a church, office or warehouse) and that is converted for residential use.

Not-for-profit dwellings: Housing owned and/or operated by a not-for-profit or charitable housing organization that has received funding through the City of Ottawa from municipal, provincial, and/or federal funding programs.

Secondary dwelling unit: A self-contained apartment or small residential unit located within an existing single detached, semi-detached or row house (for example, a basement suite).

Start: a housing start, defined as the beginning of construction work on the building where the dwelling unit will be located. Source: CMHC

Student housing: A form of accommodation that university or college students can choose as an alternative to on-campus housing.

Under Construction: a dwelling that is under construction as of the end of the reporting period. Source: CMHC