VANPLEX
David Babakaiff
Written by David Babakaiff — Co-Founder, VanPlex | 25+ Years BC Construction

Ottawa Areas | Inner West

Missing Middle in Westboro

Westboro is a walkable inner west-end neighbourhood in Kitchissippi Ward, built around Richmond Road and served by the O-Train Line 1 corridor. It has an active infill market. Under four units as-of-right, a serviced Westboro lot carries a multiplex without a rezoning, and near the station, the zoning can allow more.

A modern infill multiplex on a walkable Westboro street near an O-Train station in west Ottawa

What Westboro Lots Look Like

Walkable inner west end

Westboro is in Kitchissippi Ward, built around the Richmond Road / Westboro Village high street. It is an established, walkable neighbourhood with an active infill market, not a new subdivision.

On the O-Train Line 1 corridor

The O-Train Line 1 west extension runs from Tunney's Pasture out through the west end and adds a Westboro station among seven new stops. Transit access is central to how the area builds.

Fully serviced, mixed lot sizes

Westboro is on full municipal water and sewer. Lots range from older narrow inner-city parcels to redeveloped infill sites, so fit varies block to block.

The O-Train Line 1 west extension runs from Tunney's Pasture out through the west end and adds a Westboro station among seven new stops (OC Transpo). That transit access, plus the existing high street, is why Westboro leans into the higher N-zones rather than the base four-unit form.

Which N-Zone, and How Many Units

The March 2026 reform replaced the old R-zones with size-based Neighbourhood (N) zones. Quieter interior Westboro streets are typically base N1 with the four-unit baseline. Lots near Richmond Road and the O-Train station can fall in higher N-zones, N2 in the six-unit range, N3 around ten, without a rezoning. Two lots a block apart can carry very different multiplexes, so confirm the exact N-zone for your parcel on geoOttawa.

Best For

  • ✓ Owners of a serviced Westboro lot near the O-Train or Richmond Road.
  • ✓ Builders chasing higher N-zones where transit allows more than four units.
  • ✓ Anyone wanting a walkable, transit-served infill site over a car-dependent suburb.

Usually Fails When

  • ✕ A narrow interior lot can't fit four units to the N1 zone standards.
  • ✕ A heritage designation or conservation overlay restricts the build.
  • ✕ You assume a station-area unit count without checking the parcel's actual N-zone.

What To Verify Before Spending Money

  • → Your Neighbourhood (N) zone, base N1 or a higher transit-area zone, on geoOttawa.
  • → How close the lot actually sits to the O-Train station or Richmond Road.
  • → Whether the multiplex form fits setbacks, height, and coverage without a variance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build a fourplex in Westboro? +
Yes. Ottawa Zoning By-law 2026-50 allows up to four units as-of-right on a serviced residential lot, and Westboro is fully serviced. No rezoning is needed if the building meets the Neighbourhood (N) zone standards. On lots near the O-Train or Richmond Road, higher N-zones can allow more than four.
Does the O-Train make Westboro better for a multiplex? +
It helps. Higher N-zones cluster near transit and main streets, where the as-of-right count rises above four: N2 around six units, N3 around ten. The O-Train Line 1 west extension adds a Westboro station, so station-area lots are worth checking on geoOttawa for a higher zone.
What zoning applies to a Westboro multiplex? +
Westboro lots fall under the size-based Neighbourhood (N) zones that replaced the old R-zones in March 2026. Quieter interior streets are typically base N1 with the four-unit baseline; lots near Richmond Road and the O-Train can be higher. Confirm the exact zone for your parcel on geoOttawa.
Do I need parking for a Westboro fourplex? +
No minimum is required. By-law 2026-50 removed minimum parking requirements city-wide. In a transit-served, walkable area like Westboro, dropping the parking requirement is often what lets a multiplex fit an older narrow lot.
Does a heritage designation affect a multiplex build in Westboro? +
It can. A heritage designation or conservation overlay on a specific Westboro lot restricts the build separately from the Neighbourhood (N) zone rules. Westboro is an established, walkable neighbourhood with an active infill market, so check for a heritage or conservation overlay on the parcel before assuming the as-of-right permission applies without limits.
Why do lot sizes vary so much across Westboro? +
Westboro mixes older narrow inner-city parcels with redeveloped infill sites, so fit varies block to block. This is a Kitchissippi Ward neighbourhood built around the Richmond Road and Westboro Village high street, not a single planned subdivision, so a lot's frontage and area need to be checked individually rather than assumed from the neighbourhood as a whole.
Should I assume a higher unit count just because a lot is near the Westboro O-Train station? +
No, check the parcel first. Being close to the new Westboro station on the O-Train Line 1 west extension does not by itself confirm a higher N-zone. The unit count depends on the exact parcel's zone designation on geoOttawa, so confirm the N-zone before assuming a station-area lot carries more than four units.
Is Westboro a car-dependent suburb or a walkable neighbourhood for a multiplex build? +
Westboro is a walkable, transit-served neighbourhood, not a car-dependent suburb. It is built around the Richmond Road and Westboro Village high street and served by the O-Train Line 1 corridor, which is why builders here weigh it against car-dependent suburban sites elsewhere in Ottawa when choosing a multiplex location.

Next: run the numbers on a specific Westboro lot with the feasibility guide, or start at the Ottawa Missing Middle hub.

Official Sources Referenced

City of Ottawa: New Zoning By-law (Engage Ottawa)
https://engage.ottawa.ca/zoning
City of Ottawa: Council approves landmark new Zoning By-law (Jan 28, 2026)
https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/city-news/newsroom/council-approves-landmark-new-zoning-law-enable-housing-and-economic-development
City of Ottawa: New Zoning By-law 2026-50 (provisions and map)
https://ottawa.ca/en/planning-development-and-construction/zoning/new-zoning-law
Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 — Legislative Assembly of Ontario
https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-43/session-1/bill-23
Province of Ontario: More Homes Built Faster Act overview
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/s22021
CMHC: Housing Markets, Data and Research
https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research
Statistics Canada: Census of Population — Housing
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/ref/index-eng.cfm
Opticos Design: Missing Middle Housing (origin of the term)
https://missingmiddlehousing.com/
General information, not legal advice. Zoning and permitting rules are set by the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario, and both change over time. Verify current requirements directly with the City of Ottawa Planning Department before making a decision.

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