A Golden Green Belt: Integrating Nature in Ottawa’s Next Suburbs

Many of the modern Ottawa suburbs' greenspaces are conceived from the point of view of their human users but not as welcoming extensions of natural habitats for local fauna. An unbuilt greenspace in Nepean located at the westernmost point of contact between Ottawa's agricultural "Goldbelt" and its famous protected "Greenbelt"offers a lens to rethink human settlement from the point of view of animals. The design of a fauna-oriented retirement campus offers a footing for this re-oriented design methodology. Analytical design at various scales seeks to find a balance between private and public places for both humans and animals. In a time of urban sprawl and population growth, the Golden Green Belt concept offers a model for future suburban projects. The imagined "Golden Green Belt" offers itself as an essential link and safe wildlife passageway just as it listens to and honours the muted voices of animals amidst our human noises.