HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-15 Climate Change and Environment Committee Agenda
Climate Change and Environment Committee
Agenda
May 15, 2025, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Conestoga Room
City of Kitchener
200 King Street W, Kitchener, ON N2G 407
People interested in participating in this meeting can email Committee Administrator, Eda
Islemecioglu at eda.islemecioglu@kitchener.ca. Please refer to the delegation section on the agenda
below for the registration deadline. Written comments received will be circulated to the Committee
prior to the meeting and will form part of the public record.
*Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you require
assistance to take part in a city meeting or event, please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994.*
Co-Chairs: V. Nhio-son & K. Charlesworth
Pages
1.Commencement
The meeting will begin with a Land Acknowledgement given by the Chair.
The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the
Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee Peoples.
We recognize our responsibility to serve as stewards for the land and
honour the original caretakers who came before us. Our community is
enriched by the enduring knowledge and deep-rooted traditions of the
diverse First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Kitchener today.
2.Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and the General
Nature Thereof
Members of Council and members of the City’s local boards/committees are
required to file a written statement when they have a conflict of interest. If a
conflict is declared, please visit www.kitchener.ca/conflict to submit your written
form.
3.Delegations
Pursuant to Council’s Procedural By-law, delegations are permitted to address
the Committee for a maximum of five (5) minutes. All Delegations where
possible are encouraged to register prior to the start of the meeting. For
Delegates who are attending in-person, registration is permitted up to the start
of the meeting. Delegates who are interested in attending virtually must register
by 1:00 p.m. on May 15, 2025 in order to participate electronically.
4.Discussion Items
4.1 Kitchener 2051, DSD-2025-206 45 m 1
N. Goss, Policy & Research Manager, will provide a 5-minute
presentation on this matter.
5.Information Items
5.1 Sub-Committee Updates 20 m
5.2 Agenda Setting & Motion Process and
Procedures
15 m 39
Staff will provide a 5-minute presentation on this matter.
6.Adjournment
Eda Islemecioglu
Committee Administrator
Staff Report
Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
REPORT TO: Climate Change and Environment Committee
DATE OF MEETING: May 15, 2025
SUBMITTED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager, Policy & Research, 519-783-8933
PREPARED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager, Policy & Research, 519-783-8933
WARD(S) INVOLVED: ALL
DATE OF REPORT: May 1, 2025
REPORT NO.: DSD-2025-206
SUBJECT: Kitchener 2051 – Community Conversation Kit
RECOMMENDATION:
That the comments provided by the Climate Change and Environment Committee as
part of the discussion through the Kitchener 2051 Community Conversation Kit be
provided to staff for consideration as part of the Official Plan update process.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
The purpose of this report is to have a conversation with the Climate Change and
Environment Committee through the Kitchener 2051 Community Conversation Kit.
Kitchener 2051 is the project under which Kitchener’s new Official Plan is being
developed.
Community engagement is currently underway and includes numerous ways of having
conversations with the community and collaborators.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Kitchener is preparing a new Official Plan (OP) – referred to as Kitchener 2051.
An OP is a document that shapes the way a city grows and develops. Provincial legislation,
specifically the Planning Act, sets out what an OP can do, including:
Directing growth and change, mostly related to how land and buildings are used;
Guiding decisions on land use, development, transportation, physical and community
infrastructure, and more;
Implementing the City’s vision, established through the Strategic Plan; and
Providing direction for implementing tools like the Zoning By-law.
The existing City of Kitchener OP was adopted in 2014 and has positively shaped growth
and development across the City over the last decade. A new OP is needed to respond to
current and future conditions and trends. Kitchener is growing fast and facing city-building
challenges like the housing crisis, pedestrian and cyclist deaths and injuries, inequity,
climate change, social isolation and how to pay for aging infrastructure and city services.
The City is also presented with opportunities like new mobility technologies, a young and
1
highly skilled workforce, strong neighbourhoods and communities, a rich and diverse
culture, and a growing desire for urban connection.
Kitchener 2051 presents an opportunity to tackle these issues head-on, ask big questions,
and prepare for an uncertain future. It should reflect the City’s values and aspirations for
what it can become – a thriving city that offers well-being, potential and quality of life, for
everyone. Kitchener 2051 will address conformity with Provincial policy and legislation and
the Region of Waterloo OP, alongside recently completed plans for the City, such as
Housing for All, Places & Spaces, and Cycling & Trails Master Plan, to set out a forward-
thinking and contemporary city-wide policy framework.
Kitchener 2051 is occurring over several phases between 2024 and 2026. An overview of
Kitchener 2051 was provided to the Climate Change and Environment Committee at their
October 2024 meeting. Phase 3 is currently underway and includes conversations about
approaches to growth, big ideas and emerging directions.
REPORT:
A key component of Phase 3 of Kitchener 2051 community engagement is through
Community Conversation Kits. The Community Conversation Kits have been designed to
understand the community’s thoughts and priorities on the Kitchener 2051 Big Ideas and
Emerging Directions
A facilitated discussion with the Climate Change and Environment Committee will occur at
the May 15th meeting using the Community Conversation Kit and supporting materials
(Attachment A). Comments gathered through this facilitated discussion will be shared with
Kitchener 2051 staff to inform, alongside technical considerations, Kitchener’s new Official
Plan.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
DSD-2024-423: Kitchener 2051: Official Plan Project Update
REVIEWED BY: Tim Donegani, Senior Planner
John Zunic, Senior Planner
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – Kitchener 2051 Community Conversation Kit and Supporting Material
2
Spring 2025Community Conversation Kits
Draft Big Ideas & Emerging Directions
3
2 | Kitchener 2051
We have some big ideas for Kitchener’s new Official Plan!
The City of Kitchener is writing a new Official
Plan called Kitchener 2051 – and we need to hear
from you!
Kitchener 2051 is about reflecting and
implementing shared community priorities and
directions. These priorities and directions will
guide Kitchener’s development over the next
25 years and beyond in support of our vision of
building a city for everyone where, together, we take
care of the world around us and each other.
Our Official Plan is a tool that contains policies
and maps that guide where housing, jobs, and
streets are built, protect our natural areas, and
guide investments in community services and
facilities. Kitchener’s Official Plan has positively
shaped growth and development across the
city over the last decade. A new Official Plan
is needed to respond to current and future
conditions and trends.
Kitchener 2051 presents an opportunity to tackle
these issues head-on, ask big questions, and
prepare for the future. It will work together with
other recently completed plans, such as Housing
for All, Places & Spaces, and the Cycling and Trails
Master Plan, to set out a forward-thinking and
contemporary policy framework.
Since Fall 2024, we have had conversations with
over 2,000 residents and collaborators as we
launched Kitchener 2051 asking the question -
how can the changes unfolding in our community
over the next 25 years benefit everyone?
These conversations have been framed by four
themes from our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan:
• A Connected City: how we move and how we
grow.
• A Thriving City: how we live and ensure a
prosperous future for all.
• A Green City: how we care for the earth and
each other.
• A Caring City: how we come together to
plan and build for individual and collective
wellbeing.
To read the “What We Heard”
Report which summarizes
community input to-date, scan
the QR code or visit EngageWR.
ca/Kitchener2051.
2 | Kitchener 2051
4
Developing Our Big Ideas and Emerging Directions
A first step in framing a new Official Plan for
Kitchener was to develop the Big Ideas – the
main aspirations for a new Official Plan. The
Big Ideas reflect what we learned in Phases
1 and 2, as well as preliminary findings from
the various Kitchener 2051 technical reports
and direction from existing City plans and
strategies. We have also developed a series of
emerging directions. These are different paths
we can take to bring our big ideas to life.
To read our Community
Backgrounders on the
technical reports, scan the
QR code or visit
EngageWR.ca/Kitchener2051.
What is a Community Conversation Kit?
The Community Conversation Kit has been
designed to to understand your thoughts and
priorities when it comes to these Big Ideas
and Emerging Direction through an interactive
discussion with people in your community. This
could be your book club, softball team, co-workers,
friends, faith community or neighbours – really any
group that you would like to share ideas and have
a conversation with. It works best in groups of 4-8.
Your feedback on these will help shape the draft
policies of the Official Plan.
Our DRAFT Big Ideas are on Page 4. Comments
on the DRAFT Big Ideas are encouraged but
do not need to be the focus of your group’s
discussion. They can be done independently and
submitted as part of your conversation kit or sent
individually to the City.
The 100 Points for Emerging Directions Exercise
starts on Page 6. Please use your time to work
through this together.
How to run a Conversation Kit Session?
If you are the host:
1. Consider ordering some food for your group
(first 50 kits to be submitted will be re-
imbursed up to $30, see instructions below).
2. Host your conversation using the instructions
and helpful tips provided throughout this kit.
3. Record the group’s thoughts and feedback
in this conversation kit as clearly as possible.
It’s ok to keep it to the main ideas, areas or
agreement or points of tension. Don’t try to
capture every word.
4. Submit completed conversation kits anytime
up to May 20, 2025 by:
Emailing it to kitchener2051@kitchener.ca
OR
Dropping it off in person at any of the
following locations:
• Kitchener City Hall – 200 King Street West
• Any Community Centre
• Any Kitchener Public Library Branch
Please make sure that the Conversation Kit is
in an envelope marked to:
Attention: Planning and Housing PolicyKitchener City Hall – 200 King Street West
6th Floor
Grab a Slice!
The first 50 Kit submissions will be
reimbursed up to $30 for food purchased
by the host for the group. To be reimbursed,
please submit a clear photo of your reciept
along with your Conversation Kit.
Be sure to check the project website to see if we
are still offering reimbursement before ordering.
Community Conversation Kits | 3
5
4 | Kitchener 2051
DRAFT Big Ideas
What do we mean by Big Ideas?
Our big ideas are the north star guiding our desired future. They will shape the policies of our new
Official Plan and preferred approach to planning for growth across our city. They reflect our Community
Values, which were developed based on your input in Phase 1 and 2 of the process.
DRAFT Big Idea – Our Neighbourhoods
If you live in Kitchener or would like to live here, if you rent or own, if you
live alone or with others, if you need care or assistance - there will always
be a home for you here.
You and your family, however you define it, will be able to make a home in
any of Kitchener’s neighbourhoods. Our neighbourhoods will be places
where the community can connect, where people of all ages can learn and
play, and where shops and services are close by.
DRAFT Big Idea – Our Economy
Our economy will be built on businesses of all types in neighbourhoods
across the city: from shops and services, to industry, innovation hubs,
and offices. Residents and goods will get where they need to go quickly,
efficiently and sustainably. Coordinated energy and infrastructure
investments in business across the city will create a more competitive,
resilient economy.
DRAFT Big Idea – Our Environment
We value, protect and conserve our natural environment so that Kitchener
is a place where you and your family can be safe, healthy, and comfortable
for generations to come. Kitchener will emit almost no greenhouse gases
and our communities, built and natural environments will be ready for
hotter days and more intense storms. We will learn from Indigenous land-
based cultural practices and stewardship in the spirit of reconciliation
to build a stronger community, based on a mutual understanding of each
other and the environment.
4 | Kitchener 2051
6
Is there anything you’d like to share about the DRAFT Big Ideas?What did you like? Could it be improved?
Community Conversation Kits | 5
7
6 | Kitchener 2051
100 Points for Emerging Directions Exercise
Emerging directions are different paths we can
take to shape our big ideas. They are NOT actions.
Rather they help provide focus on specific areas
so that as we work to implement our Official
Plan they act as guideposts to develop detailed,
concrete actions.
There are 18 emerging directions. This is not
meant to be an exhaustive list but rather focused
on areas that need further discussion. Through
these community conversations, we want to
understand how important and meaningful each
one of these directions are to you.
As a group:
1. Read through the emerging directions.
2. Discuss what they mean and why they are
important to you. You might find it helpful
to use the conversation starters provided
below each Emerging Direction to keep
the conversation going. Other questions to
consider are:
• Why does this emerging direction
resonate?
• What would be an action that could
come from it?
3. You have a total of 100 points to distribute
amongst the 18 emerging directions.
Working together, distribute a portion
of your 100 points to each emerging
direction. The more points you give to an
emerging direction the more important/
meaningful it is to you. It may be helpful to
use physical items as counters, like paper
dots, jelly beans, gaming tokens.
4. Take notes on your discussions and your
reflections on the activity on Page 8
(following the table).
5. Don’t forget to fill out the Demographic
Survey and the Meal Reimbursment Form
before sending back your package!
6 | Kitchener 2051
8
Emerging Directions – Conversation Kits | 7
#Emerging Direction Points
1 Use all the tools that Kitchener has, and build on relationships with other orders of
government and private sector collaborators, to continue to support the expansion,
preservation, and creation of affordable homes to meet the needs of existing and future
residents.
Think about – What are ways we can focus on housing affordability? How can we avoid a re-
occuring housing affordability crisis?
2 Establish an affordable housing target.
Think about – How can we measure our progress on having affordable housing for everyone
in our City? What might a target help us achieve or measure?
3 Allow housing choices in all neighbourhoods – from houses to apartments, rental and
ownership, market and affordable – to meet the needs of existing and future residents.
Think about – What type of homes have you lived in already and what type of home may you
need in the future? Maybe stairs are difficult. Maybe you need a home that fits your extended
family.
4 Create strong neighbourhoods by promoting human connection.
Think about – What ways were you able to maintain connections with people during the COVID-19
pandemic? Where in your neighbourhood do you go to spend time with others
(e.g., parks, libraries, a place of worship, your neighbours’ backyard)?
5 Plan for more people in neighbourhoods to increase mobility choice, more shops, and more
services closer to homes.
Think about – If you could have any shop or service closer to home what would it be?
6 Ensure that while new homes are added in neighbourhoods, displacement of lower income
and marginalized households is minimized.
Think about – Do remember a time when you or a loved one had to leave your home sooner than you
or they wanted? How did it affect affordability and/or connection to community?
7 Permit small-scale and compatible commercial and service uses in neighbourhoods.
Think about – How long does it take you to walk from your home to get a coffee?
To the doctor’s office?
8 Ensure that goods can move around Kitchener and get where they need to go easily and
quickly.
Think about – Are there trips that you can make by walking, biking, or taking transit, instead of
driving? Reducing car trips leaves more room on the roads for trucks to get around efficiently.
9 Creating conditions that attract the employers and industries of tomorrow and play to
Kitchener’s economic strengths.
Think about – What can the City do today to ensure good jobs and a vibrant economy
25 years from now?
#Emerging Direction Points
10 Allow industrial uses that don’t need to be located away from homes in more places
throughout the city.
Think about – Where might there be opportunities to grow our local economy throughout Kitchener
to provide more industrial-type jobs? What do we need to be mindful of?
11 Protect and grow existing employment areas for industries that needs lots of land or create
noise, dust, vibrations, or odours.
Think about – Employment Lands with industrial uses can’t be located close to where people live,
as they can be noisy, produce odours, have lots of truck trips, or all of the above. How can the City
improve getting to and from jobs in these areas since they’re further from where people live?
12 Direct major offices close to ION station stops or other areas with frequent transit.
Think about – What are some benefits to having larger offices near ION stations?
13 Our transportation network includes safe, comfortable, and accessible active transportation
routes.
Think about – Separated and protected facilities for walking, wheeling, and cycling.
14 As neighbourhoods change they should consider the impacts of a changing climate.
Think about – More trees to provide shade; areas within neighbourhoods to escape from extreme
weather (e.g., spaces like libraries or community centers or treed parks).
15 Use data about climate risks and vulnerable neighbourhoods to inform decisions on city
infrastructure to reduce urban heat and flood risk.
Think about – How can we prioritize investments over the next 25 years to help protect
people and property from the worst impacts of climate change.
16 Continue to naturalize stormwater channels and ponds and integrate these spaces with
recreation opportunities.
Think about – Henry Sturm Creek in Victoria Hills and Montgomery Creek near Wilson Park.
17 Prioritize the local food system by seeking opportunities for urban agriculture,
low-barrier food production, processing and food retail.
Think about – If you’ve tried to ‘localize’ some of your food buying decisions over the last
few months, how has the food system been able to accommodate that?
18 Recognize the value and significance of Kitchener’s Natural Heritage System.
Think about - The Grand River valley and special places along Strasburg Creek such as Brigadoon
and Wards Ponds and the Huron Natural Area.
Total Points
Our Neighbourhood
Connecting back to our Big Ideas:
Our Economy Our Environment
0
9
8 | Kitchener 2051
Overall, what were some thoughts shared on why specific emerging directions resonated?
What were some actions that were discussed?
8 | Kitchener 2051
10
Describe why the group assigned the points in the way that they did. Were there areas of debate? Is so, describe them.
Community Conversation Kits | 9
11
10 | Kitchener 2051
Create A Refund Vendor
Please note that * indicates that the field is mandatory.
Please provide the reason for the refund * :
Community Engagement: Kitchener 2051 Conversation Kit - Food Reimbursement
Company/Vendor * :
Contact Name :
Address * :
City * :
Province/State * :
Postal Code * :
Telephone :EXT :
Mobile :
Email * :
Please provide payment address, if different than the address above :
Company Code :1000 City of Kitchener - Default
Currency :CAD - Default
Incoterms :FOB DESTINATION - Default
Terms of Payment :Net 0 - Zero
Submitted By :Elyssa Pompa
Date * :
10 | Kitchener 2051
12
Demographic Survey
Tell us about yourself!
We are asking these demographic questions to better understand who takes our online surveys
and who might be missing. This is important when assessing equity, diversity and inclusion in the
decision-making process. Your answers will be kept confidential and are available only to City of
Kitchener. The survey results will be reported all together in one large group (aggregated) and in
such a way that no one person can be identified.
Answering the questions below is voluntary. You do not have to answer if you do not want to.
The personal information is collected according to s. 28(2) of Municipal Freedom of Information
and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and will be used by the City of Kitchener to inform
policy decisions. If you have questions about this notice of collection, please contact Sue Weare,
sue.weare@kitchener.ca, 519-741-2200 ext. 7058.
1. Indicate the number of people participated in the conversation for each age group.
Under 18 years old :
18–29 years old :
30–39 years old :
40–49 years old :
50–59 years old :
60–64 years old :
65 years old and above :
Prefer not to answer :
2. What are the first three digits of your postal code?
N2A
N2B
N2C
N2E
N2G
N2H
N2M
N2N
N2P
N2R
Other :
Community Conversation Kits | 11
13
14
Kitchener 2051 A Connected City
Summary of Background & Technical Data
April 2025
Prepared by Urban Strategies for the City of Kitchener
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2 | Kitchener 20512 | Kitchener 2051
A Connected City
A connected city is also about the quality of our
neighbourhoods and ensuring housing for all who
want to call Kitchener home.
A Connected City is about connecting how we
grow with how we move. It is about getting around
easily, sustainably, and safely to the places and
spaces that matter to us most. By 2051, current
and new residents will need places to live, work,
and play, and options to connect to these needs.
The distance between our everyday needs
shapes the way we move between them. By
bringing homes, jobs, and amenities closer
together through intensification, we make
it easier for people to travel sustainably—
whether by walking, rolling, cycling, transit, or
by car. Prioritizing safe connections between
these places supports healthier, more vibrant
neighbourhoods for everyone.
Background & Technical Data Summary
To give us the tools and understanding we need
to build a connected city, we are preparing a
series of background and technical studies. The
Transportation Master Plan and Official Plan
are city-wide plans that guide how we move
and grow, and they are outdated. This is why we
are coordinating updates to both these plans
to fully integrate the planning of growth, land
use, and transportation infrastructure. These
two plans will work together to guide future
decision-making and city investments for years
to come. We will have more to share about the
Transportation Master Plan later in 2025!
The Population and Employment Forecast
and Housing Needs Assessment (Assessment)
supporting Kitchener 2051 is looking at the
economic, social and policy drivers to forecast
the city’s growth over 25 years. Based on the
ages, forecasted incomes, and characteristics of
the population, it makes recommendations on
the number and types of homes we need so that
everyone can find a home in Kitchener that meets
their needs.
The Assessment uses a social lens to consider
access to housing, and how it’s affected by the
systemic barriers that people face. It highlights
the struggles faced by the increasing number of
residents experiencing homelessness, for whom
the challenges of getting back into stable housing
are difficult to overcome.
16
A Connected City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 3
What is affordable housing and who does what?
Housing is said to be affordable when
households spend less than 30%
of their income on housing costs.
Affordable housing is not just about
subsidized apartments. It covers a
wide continuum of housing types. The
Housing Wheelhouse from Kitchener’s
Housing for All Strategy describes how
Kitchener looks at this continuum. All
orders of government, the non-profit
and private sectors have important
roles to play in the provision of
housing that meets the needs of many
people, each with different needs and
different incomes.
Kitchener’s role is to plan for and
enable a broad range and mix of
housing types across the housing
continuum. Since approving the
Housing for All Strategy in 2020,
Kitchener has taken a more active
role in affordable housing across the
housing continuum. The Provincial and
Federal governments provide much
of the funding for new subsidized
housing construction. Waterloo
Region owns most local community
housing and works closely with various
non-profit housing providers.
17
4 | Kitchener 20514 | Kitchener 2051
Preliminary Key Findings
Housing Supply:
We need to plan for 55,000 new
homes over the next 25 years—
half rental, half ownership—to
meet demand and fix the current
housing shortfall.
Affordability:
The rising costs of rent and
homeownership and the limited
supply of non-market (all but the
dark blue sections of the housing
wheelhouse) housing are all
driving significant affordability
challenges, especially for low to
moderate-income households.
Over 10% of Kitchener
households are in homes that are
unaffordable, overcrowded and/
or in need of major repair, and
they cannot find an appropriate
alternative in our community.
Displacement & Housing
Insecurity:
Evictions, hidden homelessness,
and encampments are
consequences of the current
housing crisis.
Housing Diversity:
As the demographics of our
community change, we should
plan for more types of housing to
meet our changing needs. About
half of the homes in Kitchener
today are single detached, while
the other half are in higher-
density forms such as apartments,
townhouses, backyard tiny homes,
and retirement homes. We should
plan for a 40/60 split by 2051.
The need for this shift is primarily
driven by large and fast-growing
young adult and 75+ age groups,
who are more likely to choose
higher-density homes. Accessible
homes will also become more
crucial as the population ages.
Equity:
Vulnerable populations like single-
parent households and Indigenous
people are more likely to face
housing challenges. Inequity and
challenges in accessing housing
and supporting services are not
experienced equally across the
city. Central neighbourhoods have
the most affordable homes, the
best supporting services and, as
a result, some of our city’s most
marginalized people. In suburban
neighbourhoods there is still
significant need and inequity, but
access to social services is more
challenging.
Social Services:
There is a lack of integrated
services for people experiencing
mental health and addiction
challenges.
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A Connected City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 5
How can an official plan respond?
As the City develops a forward-thinking and
action-oriented Official Plan, several key
questions must be considered.
• Do our policies align with best practices and
housing needs?
• How can we ensure that housing policies reflect
diverse experiences of diverse residents?
• How can we make sure everyone sees a home
for themselves in the new Official Plan?
• How should the city support more housing
that is affordable to people with low income,
and non-market housing solutions?
• How can we help prevent displacement and
keep the City’s existing affordable housing?
• How can we continue to collaborate across the
governments, non-profits and the for profit
housing providers? Some of these ideas go
beyond the traditional scope of an Official Plan.
How do we make this official plan innovative?
And what’s better left to other city policies and
strategies, or is best done by others?
The preliminary recommendations in the
Assessment are categorized under the following
key focus areas:
• Municipal Leadership
• Non-Market & Deeply Affordable Housing
• Tenant Protections & Housing Stability
• Inclusive & Accessible Housing
• Preventing Displacement & Housing
Speculation
• Supporting People Experiencing
Homelessness
• Monitoring & Measuring Progress
Some preliminary key recommendations include:
• Establish a target for the number of new
affordable units we create every year and
monitor progress. The Current target is for
30% of new housing to be affordable to low
and moderate income households.
• Review policies and regulations that can add
costs and time to the development of new
housing.
• Plan for more homes everywhere, but
especially in areas that are well served by
transit, neighbourhood services and job
opportunities.
• Look for ways to protect existing affordable
housing and minimize displacement of the
folks that live there.
• The city should help deliver more non-
market housing. For example, by continuing
to use city-owned land, providing financial
incentives, speeding up approvals, and helping
to make connections and build capacity in the
not-for profit sector.
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6 | Kitchener 20516 | Kitchener 2051
A Connected City – DRAFT Big Idea and Focus Areas
Big Idea: Our Neighbourhoods
If you live in Kitchener, or if you would like
to live here, if you rent or own, if you live
alone or with others, if you need care or
assistance, there will always be a home for
you here. You and your family – however
you define it, are able to make your home in
any of Kitchener’s thriving neighbourhoods.
Our neighbourhoods will be places where
neighbours can connect, where people of
all ages can learn and play, and where shops
and services are close by.
We’re focusing on:
• Building affordable homes using all the tools
we have and working with others, including
other orders of government, builders, and
organizations.
• Adding homes of all kinds to all
neighbourhoods, particularly for those who
need it most.
• Making sure our homes and neighbourhoods
meet all of our needs.
• Evolving our neighbourhoods to be more
diverse, inclusive, and human. Making sure
our neighbourhoods have places to connect
with neighbours, family, play, learn, and access
shops and services for your everyday needs.
20
A Connected City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 7
A Connected City – DRAFT Big Idea and Focus Areas Related Initiatives & Policy
As part of its commitment to addressing housing challenges,
the City of Kitchener is helping build affordable homes using
all the tools we have and working with others, including other
orders of government, builders, and organizations.
• Kitchener’s Affordable Housing Incentive Programs
The City continues to implement financial tools such as
development charge waivers, grants, and streamlined
approvals to facilitate the creation of affordable and non-
market housing.
• Inclusionary Zoning and Rental Replacement By-law
Policies to ensure affordability in high-growth areas and
protect existing affordable rental housing.
• Housing Accelerator Fund
The City is administering $42.4 million in federal
funding over the next several years to fast-track housing
development, including affordable and supportive housing.
• City-Owned Land for Affordable Housing
Three affordable housing projects on City lands are in
development, with construction anticipated by 2026.
• Lived Expertise Working Group (LEWG)
Extending and strengthening the City’s partnership with
individuals with lived experience of housing precarity to
shape policies and programs.
• Lodging homes
Established as-of-right permissions for lodging homes
across the city where other residential uses are allowed.
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Kitchener 2051 A Green City
Summary of Background & Technical Data
April 2025
Prepared by Urban Strategies for the City of Kitchener
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2 | Kitchener 2051
A Green City
How We Plan for the Planet & Local Resiliency
A Green City is about charting our path to creating
more sustainable, healthy, and resilient communities.
It is about working together to enhance our
parks and protect our natural environment while
transitioning to a low-carbon future.
Background & Technical Data Summary
In 2019 the City of Kitchener declared a
climate emergency. The Official Plan is one
tool that the City can use to respond to the
climate emergency. The Kitchener 2051 Climate
and Energy Technical Study was completed to
help shape new and responsive policies which
respond to climate change.
The Climate and Energy Technical Study examined
the factors affecting Kitchener’s ability to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to
climate change.
It also reviewed:
• The latest climate science
• Related government policy (at all levels)
• Kitchener’s unique climate risks
What is Climate Change?
Climate change is driven by the release of
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, largely
from the combustion of fossil fuels. To
combat these emissions and their resulting
warming effects, Canada was among the 195
countries that signed the Paris Agreement
to work towards keeping the global average
temperature below 2°C above pre-industrial
levels and to pursue efforts to limit the
temperature increase to 1.5°C.
November 2024 marked the first time
global temperatures averaged above 1.5°C
for a 12-month period. The result of this
global temperature change has and will
continue to cause disruptions which are
experienced right down to the local level,
causing billions of dollars of damages,
exacerbating poverty, refugee flows,
political disruption, and health impacts.
2 | Kitchener 2051
24
Preliminary Key Findings
Kitchener’s climate is expected to experience
harsher conditions and more often, leading to:
Rising Temperatures:
More heatwaves and seasonal
shifts in warm weather
Unpredictable Precipitation:
Increased risk of severe storms
and flooding
More Extreme Weather:
Hotter summers with potential
droughts, and more rain and snow
in fall, winter, and spring
Since the 2014 Official Plan, new provincial,
regional, and local policies now require the City
to address climate change and greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions in planning decisions.
The study identified three main areas of risk for
Kitchener:
Ecological Impacts:
Heat stress, flooding, invasive
species, and impacts on existing
infrastructure
Social & Health Impacts:
Extreme weather events,
worsening air quality, food and
water-borne illnesses, and mental
health impacts
Economic Impacts:
Rising costs of inaction, insurance
challenges, and business
disruptions
A Green City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 3
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4 | Kitchener 2051
How Can the Official Plan Respond?
As we set out to write a bold and action-oriented
Official Plan that responds to the climate crisis, we
will continue to ask several important questions:
• Do our policies align with current science and
innovative practices?
• How can we build today, so that we
can be prepared for the challenges and
opportunities of tomorrow?
• Are we incorporating different ways of
knowing, including Traditional Indigenous
Knowledge?
• How can we ensure we protect our natural
environment?
• Do our policies support transition to cleaner
types of energy and reduce our reliance on
fossil fuels?
4 | Kitchener 2051
26
Policy Direction
The way we hope to direct our policy is routed
in the state of climate science and our local
context. The Climate and Energy Study has set out
recommendations for our new Official Plan with
this priority, and a focus on identifying targets,
establishing a framework, and key actions which
can be implemented.
The proposed targets focus on climate mitigation,
or ways to lessen our contributions to climate
change by cutting our Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
emissions. Based on the current science, a
target of reaching an equal balance between
greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse
gases removed from the atmosphere by 2050
is recommended, along with a carbon budget
tool to track our progress. A carbon budget is a
tool that establishes our local amount of GHG
emissions that can be released in the community.
The policy recommendations of the Climate and
Energy Study prioritize:
Efficiency - which means avoiding
emissions by reducing demand
A Consumption-Based Emissions
Inventory - which considers the
energy it takes to make the products
we use, and the fuel it takes for them
to get to us
Planning for Adaptation and
Resilience - which means building in
the ability to withstand the impacts of
climate change
Acting Now - which means making
changes now to avoid the costs and
impacts of action later
The Climate and Energy Study recommendations
fall into the following topic areas:
1. Municipal Leadership
2. Natural Environment
3. Energy Transition
4. Connected Communities
5. Energy Efficient Buildings
6. Sustainable Consumption
7. Resiliency
8. Preparing for Emergencies
9. Monitoring Progress
A Green City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 5
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6 | Kitchener 2051
A Green City – DRAFT Big Idea and Focus Areas
Big Idea: Our Environment
We value, protect and conserve our natural
environment so that Kitchener is a place
where you and your family can be safe,
healthy, and comfortable for generations
to come. Kitchener will emit almost no
greenhouse gases and our communities, built
and natural environments will be ready for
hotter days and more intense storms. We will
learn from Indigenous land-based cultural
practices and stewardship in the spirit of
reconciliation to build a stronger community,
based on a mutual understanding of each
other and the environment.
We’re focusing on:
• Protecting the countryside as a critical
ecological landscape.
• Planning for housing and jobs that support
sustainable transportation options and makes
better use of existing land and infrastructure.
• Driving emissions to zero and building
resiliency with every decision we make.
• Connecting people with each other, the land,
the air, and the water, and helping people
stay safe and comfortable in neighbourhoods
across the City.
6 | Kitchener 2051
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A Green City – DRAFT Big Idea and Focus Areas Related Policy & Initiatives
• TransformWR, Waterloo Region’s community-
wide response to the climate crisis. Endorsed by
all area municipalities in 2021, the plan sets the
target of 80% greenhouse gas emissions reduction
by 2050.
• Corporate Climate Action Plan, guides Kitchener’s
internal climate action through corporate policies
which are intended to cut emissions.
A Green City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 7
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Kitchener 2051 A Thriving City
Summary of Background & Technical Data
April 2025
Prepared by Urban Strategies for the City of Kitchener
31
2 | Kitchener 20512 | Kitchener 2051
A Thriving City
How We Create Vibrant Communities for All?
A Thriving City is about creating a city of
vibrant, evolving, and livable neighbourhoods
which provide housing opportunities for all.
It is about growing an agile and diverse local
economy, powered by talented entrepreneurs,
workers, and artists.
What do we mean by Complete communities?
Complete communities are neighborhoods
where residents can live, work, play, and
connect with each other in a short distance
from their homes. These communities
have a variety of housing options, job
opportunities, shops, services, and
recreational and cultural facilities, all within
walking or biking distance. They contribute
to thriving, connected, green and caring
neighbourhoods.
Background & Technical Data Summary
Our neighbourhoods are more than just homes
– they include places to shop, work, play, and
connect with neighbours. The Kitchener 2051
Non-Residential Technical Study is looking at
all these pieces that make our city a great place
to live to help us support and integrate these
uses across all our neighbourhoods. The study
includes three components:
1. Places to Shop & Work:
This part is looking at retail, service and office
policies and future needs. It is also looking
at mixed use buildings that usually have
apartments on upper floors, and businesses or
services on the ground floor.
2. Supporting our Economy and Industrial Lands:
This part is looking at our industrial areas
and business parks to plan for job growth in
Kitchener and support the economy. It is also
examining how to make sure people’s homes
aren’t impacted from the nuisances of nearby
industry.
3. Creating Places to Gather, Learn, and Play:
The final part is looking at our institutional
and community facilities, such as schools,
community centres, and libraries, to support
these facilities across the city. As our
community grows and changes, the demand
for these facilities continues to evolve and
the locations where they can be built become
more limited as we look to build and grow in
already built-up areas.
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A Thriving City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 3
Employment Lands
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4 | Kitchener 20514 | Kitchener 2051
Preliminary Key Findings
Retail follows rooftops: Shops
and services thrive when there are
many people living nearby.
Office Buildings are focused
Downtown and new ones should
be focused there too. Despite
high office vacancy (22%) and
work from home trends, robust
long term economic growth in
our region means we should plan
to increase the amount of office
space in Kitchener by about 50%.
Retail and Services: The
development of new buildings
for retail and services has
slowed in the last several years.
Considering the rapid change
and uncertainty in the retail
landscape, Kitchener should plan
to grow its total retail space over
the next 25 years, but not a grow
as fast as population growth.
Food Stores within walking
distance of residents is key to a
great neighbourhood, but most
don’t have a food store within a 15
minute walk.
Complete communities:
Updating neighbourhoods to
achieve this will be harder in
some places than others because
of street and lot layouts.
Industrial areas: Preserving lands in
our employment lands for growth
of existing and new industries are
crucial to our economy.
Community hubs clustering
institutional and community
uses together in one place
as a community hub is highly
valuable, but can be difficult
to coordinate among different
stakeholders and funders.
Institutional uses like schools,
hospital and community centres
will need to be planned for to
support population growth. This
means building more on existing
institutional sites as well as
allowing institutional uses to be
part of new mixed-use buildings.
The City should plan to increase
the amount of land dedicated to
institutions by about 10% over the
next 25 years.
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A Thriving City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 5
How can an Official Plan Respond?
To help ensure shops and places to work are
part of complete communities, the preliminary
recommendations from the study suggest:
• Enabling small-scale, shops, and amenities
inside existing neighbourhoods to make it
possible to buy a coffee, get a haircut, or meet
up with friends close to home.
• Prioritizing retaining existing food
stores especially those in underserved
neighbourhoods.
• Thinking about what food system policies
can support the production and sale of food
more easily.
• Considering how we can ensure the shopping
needs of the local community continues to be
met when older plazas and shopping centres
are redeveloped.
• Providing a flexible approach to mixed-use
development sites.
To help ensure there are good places to establish
and grow industrial and manufacturing business,
the preliminary recommendations from the
study suggest:
• Protection of our industrial lands for
manufacturers that really need them, while
making sure we are adaptable to changing
economic realities.
• Maintaining and adapting the business-
focused function of older industrial areas
that are interspersed within residential
neighbourhoods.
• Protection of the office uses within
Kitchener’s suburban office parks.
To help create more places to gather, learn,
and play across Kitchener, the preliminary
recommendations of the study suggest:
• The conservation and protection of lands that
currently have institutional land uses. The
city should protect institutional lands and
facilitate their evolution to new institutions as
needs change and be careful about permitting
conversion to a more financially attractive
land uses like residential.
• Better connections between school growth,
community and recreational planning with
institutional land needs in both new and
existing neighbourhoods.
• Supporting the implementation of Places and
Spaces and the Leisure Facilities master plan.
• Adopting a flexible approach to the
supporting of community hubs where a wide
range of institutional uses and community
infrastructure are clustered together.
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6 | Kitchener 20516 | Kitchener 2051
A Thriving City – DRAFT Big Idea and Focus Areas
Big Idea: Our Economy
Our economy will be built on businesses
of all types in neighbourhoods across the
city, from shops and services to industry,
innovation hubs, and offices. Residents and
goods will get where they need to go quickly,
efficiently and sustainably. Coordinated
energy and infrastructure investments in
businesses across the city will create a more
competitive, resilient economy.
We’re focusing on:
• Growing Kitchener’s economy by adding more
shops and services in all neighbourhoods,
making it easier to get groceries, a cup of
coffee, a haircut, or to your job.
• Creating more options to get people and
goods where they need to go, including
walking, biking, public transit, and driving.
• Creating conditions that attract the
employers and industries of tomorrow, and
play to Kitchener’s economic strengths.
• Protecting and preserving industrial
employment lands for uses that need to be
there, and making sure that offices are easy to
access and located close to transit.
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A Thriving City - Summary of Background & Technical Data | 7
A Thriving City – DRAFT Big Idea and Focus Areas Related Initiatives & Policy
• Make it Kitchener 2.0, the 2020 economic development strategy
supports economic recovery and propels our economy and
community forward by investing in catalytic growth opportunities
and creating a resilient future.
• Places and Spaces is Kitchener’s strategic plan for parks, it looks
at the quantity of parks and takes an equity lens prioritize areas of
greatest need. It also guides the quality of our parks and emphasis
for placemaking and creating diverse and functional spaces.
• Leisure Facilities Master Plan (2019) guides our investment in
things like arenas, rinks, baseball fields and community centers.
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Climate Change and Environment Committee
2025 Meeting Dates and Agenda Setting Deadlines
Request for
Agenda
Items (by the
end of the
day)
Agenda
Setting
Meeting
Circulation of
the Draft
Agenda
Agenda Posted
–
Current Month
Meeting Date
Minutes Posted
–
Previous Month
Thursday
April 24
Tuesday April 29 Thursday May 1 Thursday May 15
Tuesday
May 20
Thursday
May 22
Tuesday June 3 Thursday June 5 Thursday June 19
Tuesday
August 26
Thursday
August 28
Tuesday
September 2
Thursday
September 4
Thursday
September 18
Tuesday
September 23
Thursday
September 25
Tuesday
September 30
Thursday
October 2
Thursday
October 16
Tuesday
October 21
Thursday
October 23
Tuesday
November 4
Thursday
November 6
Thursday
November 20
Tuesday
November 25
Thursday
November 27
Tuesday
December 2
Thursday
December 4
Thursday
December 18
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