I believe that Kitchener is at its best when we come together as neighbours. On our trails, in our community gardens, at festivals, and in the everyday acts of care — we show up for one another and we celebrate together.
This community-building spirit thrives when people can stay in their neighbourhoods, with housing options that meet their needs at every stage of life. When we have everything we need close by, and good transportation connections to the rest of the region. When the benefits of economic growth translate to new public spaces, services, and opportunities across the entire city.
Strengthen effective street outreach programs and expand overdose detection. Design neighbourhoods for intergenerational belonging at every stage of life.
Plan neighbourhoods for efficient utilities and district energy. Use Kitchener Utilities to help residents affordably switch from gas to electric heat. Accelerate creek naturalization projects to increase biodiversity and resilience to flooding.
Expand affordable studio spaces. Partner with arts organizations for festival programming. Explore a new multi-sport outdoor stadium. Support neighbourhood community events with an easy mobile stage rental kit.
Protect farmland in our countryside. Allow food stores in every neighbourhood to eliminate food deserts. Expand community gardens on public and private land, eliminating the waitlist for garden plots. Explore a second Kitchener Market location.
Introduce rental licensing to proactively ensure tenant rights and property standards. Encourage new forms of housing in every neighbourhood. Incorporate affordable housing in the development of all city-owned building projects. Bring 3+ bedroom homes back to downtown.
Hire dedicated liaison roles to help first-time applicants navigate bureaucracy. Strengthen consultation with Indigenous communities. Use participatory budgeting to give residents real decision-making power. Offer more multilingual services and translations. Create a new 2SLGBTQ+ community grant program.
Establish new pedestrian streets. Empower residents to co-design streets in their neighbourhood and new public spaces. Expand park space and fill in missing links on the Walter Bean Trail.
Implement municipal sidewalk snow clearing. Double the pace of construction for the city-wide trail network, to be fully built out by 2030. Remove barriers to using municipal parking garages.