Editor's note: Many commentators have noted that the decision by Mayor O'Brien to run again in this fall's municipal elections means that he can campaign by claiming two significant achievements: spearheading the decision to build an East-West LRT that includes a downtown tunnel, and backing the proposal to redevelop Lansdowne Park. So far, the two major projects have been presented as "stand alone"; here Spacing Ottawa contributor Dwight Williams suggests a way to link them. In the months since the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) brought forth their proposal for redeveloping Lansdowne Park, ...

In a 15-9 vote last night Ottawa City Council approved the Lansdowne Live partnership. While Spacing Ottawa took no position on the redevelopment — our contributors and commenters were split on the issue — over the course of the debate and the public consultation process we ran strong arguments both in favour and opposed to the OSEG proposal, starting with an impassioned "pro" editorial on our very first day from Alain Miguelez, who called it a key city-building project and argued that: There should be more people at Lansdowne. There should be more ...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599" caption="Bank and Holmwood corner as seen in OSEG proposal"][/caption] Editor's note: The following opinion piece by Tim Lash takes the form of an open letter to decision-makers and the general public in advance of the June 28 council vote on the OSEG proposal for the renewal of Lansdowne Park. re: Visual Resources for Civic Lansdowne Decisions, and a Request Dear Ottawa residents, councilors and mayoral candidates, OSEG and City staff have split up their design and publicity about Lansdowne's future into separate parts: (1) the major part faced by Bank and Holmwood that would be given to OSEG for private development, (2) the stadium and Ottawa Civic Centre, (3) the remaining public space near the canal (which might include an "overlap" area north of the Aberdeen Pavilion). The parts have been put forward out of sequence, partially, with shifting goal-posts and assumptions. The split hides the significance and impact of what would be given over to private development. It would be wrong to make a legal commitment on this basis. Please don’t. To be right, Lansdowne has to be shown whole – what it is now, and what’s proposed. Only so can everyone concerned • consult honestly and make civic decisions that are good socially, economically and environmentally • plan and design coherently so objectives for Lansdowne Park are met in reality, and won't cancel each other out, or let one subvert another, and • achieve a place that works with people’s surrounding activities, places, and facilities.

Editor's note: The following post first appeared in  Marie-Judith Jean-Louis's  Modern Ottawa (MOOT) blog. Passionate about modern and innovative design, Marie-Judith is Ottawa-based interior designer and owner of M2JL STUDIO | modern interiors. In addition to MOOT, she writes regular blogs for M2JL STUDIO and occasionally writes for the Ottawa Citizen.  She teaches decorating classes at La Cité Collégiale. There's a lot of debate going on about the future of Lansdowne Park. A couple days ago, I heard a conversation on the radio about the future plans for Lansdowne and the new proposed designs. The hosts were arguing as to whether or not anything would eventually happen. Apparently, debates about Lansdowne have been going on since the 1980s.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Winter at Lansdowne: the season to gather opinion"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Courtyard behind Sussex Drive"][/caption] When you're getting to know someone you think might have prospects it often a good idea to spend some sunshine hours with them before moving on to dinner and a movie and whatever might come next. Going for a walk can be a great strategy. Let them choose the route, maybe end up somewhere for a coffee, and spend a while with them where you can get a sense of who they are before there are any expectations. One person we thought Ottawa needs to go on a daytime stroll with and get to know of a little better is George Dark, chair of the Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel. That's the panel charged with making sure the design of the new Lansdowne will do Ottawa proud. How important is that? Well, some argue that Lansdowne Live might be the biggest city-building project we've seen in decades. So this thing we've started with George might be very serious, indeed. But beyond getting paid for it, we wondered -- why should a Toronto landscape architect care what a long-neglected site 400 kilometers away from his office really ends up looking like? Why should we trust him to care about us?

-Editors note: Our colleagues at Apartment 613 will be guest blogging on Spacing Ottawa every Wednesday; the following is the first post in this series. As guest bloggers for Spacing once a week, we thought that it would be prudent, given what has transpired with a certain large piece of city-owned land lately, to compile the observations our writers have made on the debate that has polarized viewpoints across the region. Lansdowne Park is the spark that has lit up a Hindenburg-sized blimp of public opinion on how choices about the city are made and who should decide these outcomes. From power-driven city councilors, to concerned citizens, to sports fans, to eager developers (and everyone in between), it is clear that the people of the City of Ottawa are craving something new and exciting to revamp, revitalize and reclaim an area of our beautiful city centre.

What better topic to kick off Spacing Ottawa than with Lansdowne Park? It has attracted a great deal of controversy and misinformation, but in looking at the future of this important municipal asset, I have sought to steer clear of the rhetoric and asked myself a few basic questions about what the city ought to consider as it ponders Lansdowne’s future. The answers I give here are my own, as a citizen of Ottawa and one who is ambitious about the evolution of this city. What should Ottawa seek to achieve at Lansdowne? Lansdowne was never intended as a park in the strict sense of the word. It has always been, and should continue to be, a magnet for people and a place of intense activity revolving around sports and commerce.