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From Urban Forests to Neighbourhood Treescapes: An
Examination of Power, Actors and Processes in Champlain Park, Ottawa
by
Alexander I. Copp
Master of Arts
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Carleton University
2016
Abstract
This research examines the asymmetries of power that exist between a variety of actors when
addressing issues of Ottawa’s urban forest. Champlain Park, a mature neighbourhood within
Ottawa, was identified as a case study because of persistent infill development pressures and the
presence of bur oak, a unique tree to the region. Through semi-structured interviews and
supporting secondary materials, a discourse analysis was used to reveal key perspectives of the
various actors involved in shaping the neighbourhood treescape of Champlain Park. This
research highlights how dominant discourses supporting the neoliberal compact city privilege
developers in decision making over the urban forest at the expense of community residents. It
also reveals an inherent tension within the municipal government between its Forestry Services
and the Planning Department. This research argues that a neighbourhood or community scale, the
scale of the treescape, is also an important scale - but often neglected - for the management of
the urban forest. This work argues that the urban forest should therefore be re-imagined as a
mosaic of treescapes.