Critical Research Note - Faith Missions and Church Redevelopment in Ottawa, Ontario

Abstract

In certain Christian denominations in North America, as church offi cials cope with shrinking and aging congregations, opportunities to repurpose church properties have come to the fore. Understood within an urban planning context, churches provide solutions to challenges faced by municipal sustainability planners,
infill developers, and social housing providers. The following commentary focuses on Anglican and United Church activists in Ottawa, Ontario and their accomplishments in drawing attention to the possibilities for simultaneously rejuvenating churches, congregations and neighbourhoods. This paper spotlights an emerging social phenomenon: faith-based redevelopment of urban church properties, a topic not yet fully explored in the academic literature.