"On any given weekday, you might find Ashley Hopkins aboard one of Ottawa’s new light-rail trains on her way to an important meeting downtown. This may seem like a mundane occurrence, but in the nation’s capital, it’s a sign of a city on the rise.
Ms. Hopkins, the president and chief executive officer of Ottawa’s Paradigm Properties Inc., has been with the commercial property management firm for nearly a decade. She says the conversation in Ottawa has shifted dramatically over the past few years from if the city can meet the rising demands of its residents, to how much more can it do.
“It has a lot to do with the LRT and the announcement that the City [of Ottawa] is working in conjunction with developers for intensification,” Ms. Hopkins says. “Just by saying they are interested in intensification, is saying they are open to the ideas never considered before.”