Re-activating Farmland in Ottawa's Greenbelt: establishing a concept of infrastructure development in the southern farm sector

Established by the Greber Plan in 1950, the objective of Ottawa’s Greenbelt was to create a federally owned green space that would contain the urban sprawl of the city. At the time of expropriation, the land mass that is now considered “the Greenbelt” was actively used for agriculture. Sixty-four years later, the population of Ottawa has outgrown its original boundaries and the Greenbelt has effectively become a transit corridor for the city’s urban and suburban populations. The greenbelt is farmed less and less with each passing year and more questions arise as to its role within the city. This thesis explores the kinds of infrastructure that could be developed to reactivate Ottawa’s Greenbelt. It includes a design proposal for the Southern Farm Sector that envisions a productive agricultural landscape focused on the production of locally grown food, public engagement and education, and sustainable development.