As a community, walkability and pedestrian-friendly streets frequently come up as high priorities for the future of QTN. What does a 15 minute neighbourhood look like for QTN? Here’s an example of where you can walk today from the Alpine Ave tennis courts (source: walkscore.com):
We encourage you to participate in a series of community workshops on neighbourhood walkability being hosted by Walkable Ottawa. To register for a workshop please visit Walkable Ottawa’s website. Here is some additional information on these sessions:
· Sept 9, 7:00-8:30PM. Residential Focus: Neighbourhoods which are predominantly residential. They may have some public amenities, but little or no commercial. For example, Barrhaven West/Old Barrhaven, Alta Vista, Crystal Beach, or Manor Park.
· Sept 10, 7:00-8:30PM. Mixed Urban: Somewhat walkable neighbourhoods with a mix of residential and commercial, near and around walkable shopping streets. For example, Sandy Hill, Glebe Annex, or Chinatown.
· Sept 11, 7:00-8:30PM. Mixed Residential: Neighbourhoods in which residents use their cars every day, with available rapid transit, which are located farther away from the city centre. For example, Overbrook, Britannia, or Hiawatha Park.
· Sept. 12, 7:00-8:30PM. Approaching Walkable: Neighbourhoods which are similar to Mixed Residential in terms of car use, but with walkable shopping streets. For example, Westboro, The Glebe, or Beechwood.
“What should we expect?”
Each evening will open with introductions, followed by a brief Q&A and an informational video on the many aspects of walkability. We will then move into smaller groups through breakout rooms divided by participants’ main interests, and close with a large group discussion.
“Walkability survey?”
A week ahead of the consultation, you will be invited to complete an online survey on walkability in your neighbourhood. This will allow us to include your direct input in our consultation, and provide some context in advance of the community workshops. If you find it too long, do not feel pressured to complete all of it: simply the parts that matter most to you.
“Where is the information going?”
All the information we gather will be compiled into a report, which will be made publicly available on our website. These ideas will then be worked through with a diverse group of stakeholders, and presented to the City to supplement the work the Planning Department is doing on walkability.
It’s been a challenging year in QTN with major developments on three sides of our community. We’re inviting you to join us and hear how we are navigating these opportunities among many other important priorities in QTN. Register below to attend our virtual AGM on Zoom.