Community Values

During our last engagement session we asked the public to help identify a set of “Community Values” that reflect the community’s vision for Tunney's Pasture, based on today’s realities.

The five Values and accompanying mission statement below will play a vital role in ensuring the Project Team has a solid understanding of what is important to the community when it comes to the future of Tunney’s, taking into account things such as climate change, housing, and community-building in a post-pandemic Ottawa.

Mission Statement: Tunney’s Pasture will be a neighbourhood that supports Greenspace, Connectivity, Affordability, Climate Resilience, and Community.

• Value #1: Greenspace
• Value #2: Connectivity
• Value #3: Affordability
• Value #4: Climate Resilience
• Value #5: Community

Value #1 – Greenspace: Tunney’s Pasture will include diverse vegetation and opportunities to create natural habitats, encourage social gatherings, improve urban tree canopy, and allow for recreational and restful activities and protection from climate change.

The Community’s Supporting Narrative for Value #1: Greenspaces create social connections between people, where residents of all ages and abilities congregate to exercise, relax, meet, play, learn, share, and support one another. Tunney’s Pasture will focus on:

• Increasing greenspace and tree canopy coverage across the site, including in park spaces and public realm, to meet the goals of the City of Ottawa’s new Official Plan.
• Creating gathering spaces such as community gardens and parks to serve as natural buffers and support food sustainability/security.
• Integrating infrastructure to protect greenspaces and protect against climate change.
• Incorporating green corridors that promote active uses.

Value #2 – Connectivity: Tunney’s Pasture will create a unified, integrated, and complete community by connecting Tunney’s Pasture to its surroundings while promoting the increased use of sustainable and active transportation.

Community’s Supporting Narrative for Value #2: New forms of connectivity will create a welcoming neighbourhood, enhance mobility, and have a positive impact on surrounding neighbourhoods by creating interdependence between them. Tunney’s Pasture will focus on:

• Promoting sustainable forms of mobility, adding new sidewalks and pathways to encourage outdoor physical activity, and creating new links to facilitate access to nearby services and amenities.
• Including pathway features that are accessible to all and include shaded areas and resting places to encourage social interaction. Where possible, shaded areas and benches will be provided along multi-use paths (MUPs).
• Enhancing connections to the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail, the new Chief William Commanda pedestrian bridge, the Ottawa River, among others.

Value #3 – Affordability: Tunney’s Pasture will enable affordable housing that is inclusive of, and accessible to people with varying incomes, abilities, ages, and household size.

The Community’s Supporting Narrative for Value #3: The redevelopment will respond to the city’s housing needs and help build welcoming and affordable housing, which, in turn, will contribute to the community’s well-being and foster prosperity and social inclusion. Tunney’s Pasture will focus on:

• Establishing clear definitions of affordability.
• Reserving a minimum of 20% of residential units that are affordable to a cross section of people.
• Including a variety of housing types and forms to accommodate families of all types.
• Encouraging provision of community social and health services to support residents.

Value #4 – Climate Resilience: Tunney’s Pasture will contribute to building climate resilience by making choices that recognize and adapt to the local impacts of climate change.

The Community’s Supporting Narrative for Value #4: The redevelopment will strengthen climate resilience by aligning with Government of Canada policy on sustainability and drawing on other best practices that leverage local opportunities, resulting in a more sustainable, greener community. Tunney’s Pasture will focus on:

• Achieving Net Zero by 2050, with consideration given to local, clean, and sustainable energy options, such as wind, solar, or geoexchange.
• Incorporating low-impact development features across the site, such as stormwater measures that mimic natural water storage processes.
• Leveraging low or carbon neutral heating and cooling systems throughout.
• Establishing robust sustainability objectives.
• Ensuring that the principles of a 15-minute neighbourhood are woven through the entire development.

Value #5 – Community: Tunney’s Pasture will become a complete community through an overarching commitment to support inclusivity, social cohesiveness, creating economic opportunity, and wellness.

The Community’s Supporting Narrative for Value #5: A sound redevelopment plan is a tool for building a community that is open and inclusive. Community building requires choices that promote neighbourhood harmony, and that nurture local health, businesses, and community services that support one another. Tunney’s Pasture will focus on:

• Including various initiatives that welcome new community members and encourage critical supports for working families, such as daycares and shared office facilities.
• Providing opportunities for the inclusion of services and/or amenities, such as a community centre, coffee shops, food stores or book shops based on community needs and informed by other relevant initiatives and information, such as the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan and its Parks and Recreation Plan, and a thorough market analysis.
• Fostering a culture of learning and innovation in community building.
• Creating a platform for community wealth building, social procurement, economic development, and other measures that will contribute to a strong and resilient Ottawa.