Ottawa parking spots to become parks, patios in one-year trial

ottawacitizen.com
Sept. 2, 2015
By Paula McCooey

Ottawa’s transportation committee has approved a one-year pilot project to convert as many as 25 street parking spots into patios or mini parks.

Also called “parklets,” the public spaces are inspired by similar projects in San Francisco and elsewhere and use on-street parking spaces for public or commercial use between April and October. Proponents say the spaces are a way to create vibrant outdoor gathering spaces for the public to enjoy.

Three types of streetside conversions will be permitted: parklets for public use, which could contain seating, shading elements, bike parking and games tables; patios for private use by patrons of an applicant’s café, bar or restaurant; and vending stalls for private use for retail sales.

Transportation committee chair Keith Egli said it’s a great way to liven up a street and get people out in the community to see what the businesses have to offer.

“The public-use ones like the parklets give people an opportunity if they are just out walking or cycling to take a load off or sit down, maybe get some shade if it’s a hot day,” he said. “It makes people be outside more in the good weather and just to experience different things, whether it’s meeting a friend for coffee or buying a book and sitting in front of the store that sold you the book.”

The projects will be restricted to streets with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less where parking is allowed at all times. Streetside patios will be restricted to locations where other outdoor patios are prohibited under Ottawa’s encroachment bylaw.

According to a report to the committee, projects can be sponsored by businesses, commercial and community associations and the city itself. Applicants are responsible for obtaining permits and for design, installation and maintenance of the projects, which can extend along the full length of an applicant’s street frontage.

Projects will be selected based on the ingenuity of proposals, creativity and innovation in design and materials and an assessment of the impact to parking on the street as a whole.

If the trial is approved by Ottawa council on Sept. 9, applications will be sought between early October and early December.