The Possibilities We Want

How do we envision the Ottawa we want? In the best of all worlds, by say 2050, what would kind of a community would we like to have?

This does not mean what we expect to have, what we think is probable to have, or even what seems logical to have based on where we are today. It represents the vision of possibility which we truly believe is desirable and something we would like to live into.

Trying to conceive of the whole thing fully formed may be overwhelming so if we break it down into more bite-sized chunks it might be more of a doable exercise.

We could start, for instance, with overall themes or principles which could guide the development of our city -- themes like tolerant or prosperous or innovative and that speak to our different values, assumptions and world views. When taken together a compliation of these themes are likely to identify many of the common traits that we share and that can be used to develop a consensus about the future we want for ourselves as a community.

We could also consider what we want by sub region or neighbourhood, like Orleans or the Glebe, or by broad issue areas like environment, health, education, food, energy, economy, transportation, housing, waste and recreation.

The Choosing Our Future initiative of Ottawa City Hall identifies several additional dimensions to consider including: climate change, water quality, quality of life, governance, culture and identity, and biodiversity.