Beyond ‘Complete Streets’ – The Complete Community, Part 1

If you follow discussions about urbanism in Ottawa or anywhere in North America, you’ve likely heard the term “Complete Street.” It’s a powerful concept: the idea that our streets should be designed as safe and accessible corridors for everyone, whether you are walking, cycling, taking transit, or driving. It’s about ensuring safe movement.

But safe movement is only half of the equation. What good is a safe street if it only leads to other places you also have to drive to? This brings us to the next logical step: the “Complete Community.”

If a “Complete Street” is the safe corridor, the “Complete Community” is full of valuable destinations.

A Complete Community is a neighbourhood where most if not all of your daily needs—a carton of milk, a morning coffee, a park for your kids, a pharmacy—are accessible via a short, safe walk or bike ride. It’s about building places that are worth walking to in the first place. It’s about safe and convenient access.

This isn’t a radical fantasy. It’s a return to a traditional model of neighbourhood-building that was common for centuries before being systematically outlawed by exclusionary post-war suburban zoning that was and is entirely dependent on the car. This kind of neighbourhood design is great for car companies and terrible for the health and vitality of the community.

In my work with the Convent Glen Orléans Wood Community Association, I hear quite a bit about the isolation and boredom of modern suburban life. It’s extremely repetitive and monotonous spending every evening and weekend at home with the family, unless we happen to be shuttling children by car between heavily structured activities. Our communities are full of families, kids and great neighbours of all ages, but we all just disappear into our homes when we’re not driving from place to place, only to be seen again the next day or Monday morning at school drop-off. Spending time with our neighbours takes real planning, it doesn’t happen by accident.

This isn’t a failure of community spirit; it’s a failure of community design.

The “Complete Community” is the direct antidote to the isolation of the suburbs. It’s a pragmatic approach that aims to diversify the fabric of our community to solve these problems. It’s about bringing more things closer to home rather than needing a car to get anywhere. A Complete Community gives you valuable, convenient nearby amenities, making the choice to walk or bike the most logical one for many daily trips.

What Does This Mean For Me?

This shift has profound benefits. It combats social isolation by creating natural, spontaneous opportunities to bump into neighbours. It improves our health by re-integrating light physical activity into our daily routines. And it has a massive positive impact on personal finances. For instance, in my own family, replacing our second car with a cargo bike has saved us thousands of dollars a year. A Complete Community is what makes that kind of decision feasible for more families.

This isn’t a pipe dream. But building it in a place like Orleans isn’t currently possible. It’s not a lack of demand; it’s a lack of permission. Our current zoning by-laws actively outlaw the gradual, organic evolution of our neighbourhoods.

This article is the first in a series. In the next part, we’ll explore exactly what’s in a Complete Community, the massive financial and social perks, and—most importantly—the specific, actionable policy changes we need to advocate for to make it a reality. This is the core mission of The New Orleans: to move beyond critique and build a blueprint for a more resilient, connected, and vibrant future.