Growing Together West

This project is now complete. On March 19, 2024 Kitchener City Council unanimously approved the Growing Together plan, a policy framework that builds on Kitchener’s role as a national leader in addressing the housing crisis. For more information, visit kitchener.ca.

• Growing Together West update

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  Council approved Growing Together West in March 2024. Since then, the City received two site-specific appeals on Zoning By-law Amendment 2024-065. This means that the new Strategic Growth Area (SGA) zones remain under appeal.

  On June 19, 2024, Regional Council approved the Growing Together Official Plan Amendments. The Region made a modification to Official Plan Amendment 49 (OPA 49). It requires a height limit in zoning for lands zoned SGA-4. This was based on recent aeronautical studies completed by the Region. A future City-initiated zoning by-law amendment will be needed to carry out this policy direction.

  The appeal period has not yet closed on the Region’s approval of the Official Plan Amendments. Until it does, we will continue to dual test applications within the Growing Together geography.

• Kitchener takes bold action on housing with Growing Together plan and inclusionary zoning bylaw

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  Today, the City of Kitchener once again led the way both locally and nationally with the adoption of two major tools to address the housing crisis – the new Growing Together policy framework and the phased introduction of inclusionary zoning within major transit areas.

  Last night and into the early hours of this morning, Kitchener Council unanimously approved the Growing Together plan, a policy framework that builds on Kitchener’s role as a national leader in addressing the housing crisis. Growing Together enables more than 100,000 new homes in all shapes and sizes, and at least 20,000 new homes in “missing middle” forms. Council also approved an inclusionary zoning policy, which allows cities to require private developers to include a certain percentage of affordable units within new, multi-unit housing developments. This includes as many as 4,500 affordable units secured through inclusionary zoning.

  “The action we’re taking on the housing crisis is innovative, bold, balanced and forward-looking,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Growing Together is the most ambitious plan for transit-oriented design in Canada. Leading the way nationally with this first of its kind planning framework builds on the planning leadership continually shown by Kitchener Council. The issues of housing supply, housing affordability and climate change are so critical that the time is now to take the leap and establish a new set of rules for growth and change that will see us build a city for everyone where, together, we take care of the world around us – and each other.”

  The Growing Together and Inclusionary Zoning plans feature new zoning rules that enables all housing types through:

  • Full range of building types, including missing middle forms
  • No density maximums
  • No parking minimums
  • Requirements for a minimum amount of affordable housing units through Inclusionary zoning
  • Full mix of uses
  • Flexible built form regulations, including a zone without height limits

  
  

  These fundamental changes to Kitchener’s planning framework are game-changing and visionary; they will allow a lot more housing to be built, more affordably, on a lot less land.

  This project’s four-time award-winning community engagement includes two major international awards. Throughout the process, staff held community and industry engagements totalling well over 100 hours and have spoken in-person with approximately 1,400 people.

  “Growing Together and inclusionary zoning are a one-two punch to get more of the right kind of housing built in the right places,” said Ward 10 Councillor Stephanie Stretch. “I’m proud of the fact that Kitchener is adopting these top-notch housing policies – we’re setting a high standard that other communities can follow.”

  More information about the new inclusionary zoning bylaw can be found on the project’s Engage Kitchener page.

• Staff report going to Council Mar. 18

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  Staff are bringing a supplemental report on the Growing Together project to Council on Mar. 18, 2024 beginning at 1:30pm.

  The meeting will be held in Council Chambers at Kitchener City Hall, 200 King Street West. You can also watch live on the day of the meeting by going to kitchener.ca/watchnow

  The meeting agenda and staff report are now available.

  Thank you for your ongoing participation in the Growing Together process.

• Meet with staff on Feb. 29

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  Over the past 2 weeks, staff have been preparing an additional conversation with the community as a result of Council’s deferral of Growing Together. This post provides the details of the additional drop-in session, which will be similar in format to those offered in November 2023.

  Thursday Feb. 29

  3:30pm to 6:30pm

  City Hall Rotunda (200 King Street West)

  Staff from the Growing Together team as well as additional planning staff with expertise in land use policies, zoning regulations, and cultural heritage will be available. The councilors for wards 9 and 10, Cllr. Debbie Chapman and Cllr. Stephanie Stretch, will also be in attendance.

  Through the Growing Together project, staff have had conversations with over 1,100 community members at 13 unique engagements spanning more than 72 hours. This additional engagement opportunity has been created to have further dialogue with the community on the general theme areas related to matters raised through written and verbal delegations at the Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting on Jan. 29, 2024.

  Those themes include:

  • How Growing Together works with Heritage Conservation District policies;
  • How built-form transition works where a low-rise zone abuts a mid-rise or high-rise zone;
  • The permissions and regulations in the SGA-1 zone; and
  • Lands outside of the Major Transit Station Areas within existing Secondary Plan Areas that are proposed to be zoned through this process.

  Thank you, and we look forward to continued community engagement on Growing Together.

  -Growing Together Team

  
  

• Staff report going to Council Jan. 29

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  Over the past 2 weeks, staff have been preparing an additional conversation with the community as a result of Council’s deferral of Growing Together. This post provides the details of the additional drop-in session, which will be similar in format to those offered in November 2023.

  • Thursday Feb. 29 from 3:30pm to 6:30pm in the Rotunda on the first floor of City Hall. Staff from the Growing Together team as well as additional planning staff with expertise in land use policies, zoning regulations, and cultural heritage will be available. The councillors for wards 9 and 10, Cllr. Debbie Chapman and Cllr. Stephanie Stretch, will also be in attendance.

  Through the Growing Together project, staff have had conversations with over 1,100 community members at 13 unique engagements spanning more than 72 hours. This additional engagement opportunity has been created to have further dialogue with the community on the general theme areas related to matters raised through written and verbal delegations at the Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting on Jan. 29, 2024. Those themes include:

  • How Growing Together works with Heritage Conservation District policies;
  • How built-form transition works where a low-rise zone abuts a mid-rise or high-rise zone;
  • The permissions and regulations in the SGA-1 zone; and
  • Lands outside of the Major Transit Station Areas within existing Secondary Plan Areas that are proposed to be zoned through this process.

  Thank you, and we look forward to continued community engagement on Growing Together.

  
  

  -Growing Together Team

• Thank You for Your Feedback!

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  Thank you for participating in the Growing Together engagement throughout November. If you have made a written submission to our email address, provided comments through conversations in November, and/or provided comments through the engage page they have been received.

  Staff will be reviewing and considering all submissions throughout the month of December as they prepare final recommendations on land use and zoning changes for the Growing Together geography. You can expect to hear from us with a response to your submission if you have made one in early January.

  Comment responses will be followed shortly thereafter with the staff recommended Official Plan amendment and Zoning By-law amendment that are expected to be considered by Council later in January. This Council meeting is also known as a Statutory Public Meeting.

  Comments on the staff recommended Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments can be made directly to Council as part of the Statutory Public Meeting. More details on the Statutory Public Meeting will be provided a minimum of 20 days in advance in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act.

  Thank you for all your participation throughout the Growing Together process!

  
  

• Share your feedback on our final draft Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Regulations

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  Over the last few months, the Growing Together team has been working on the details of our proposed planning framework that will guide growth and change within Kitchener’s Major Transit Station Areas. We are pleased to present those materials here:

  • Draft Official Plan Amendment
  • Draft Zoning By-law Amendment
  • Draft Official Plan and Land Use Mapping
  • Draft Zoning Mapping
  • Growing Together Community Brief, which provides an easy-to-understand overview of the project; and
  • Growing Together Community Guide, which provides a more detailed and in-depth look at various factors informing Growing Together

  
  

  Below is a brief video walkthrough of the basics of the community guide.

  
  

  What do you think?

  Please provide us your comments on the draft materials by November 30, 2023. We will then present our final report with your feedback to Kitchener City Council.

  Add your comments

  
  

  Meet with us in person!

  Planning staff will be hosting a public open house at the Kitchener Market on Nov. 18, on the upper level near the main entrance from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  We will also be available to meet one-on-one or in small groups during our Office Hour Walk-Ins, held on:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Mill Courtland Community Centre, 216 Mill Street, Multi-Purpose room
  • Monday, Nov. 20 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Downtown Community Centre, 35 Weber Street West, Multi-Purpose room

  
  

  Please Note

  These draft materials are not final and changes may be made based on continued dialogue with the community, industry stakeholders and agency stakeholders. This may include updates such as applying holding provisions to individual properties where a record of site condition or a noise study is required, for example. Properties impacted by these changes will be notified by mail.

• Share your feedback on our draft approach to growth and change

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  Throughout the past three months, the Growing Together team has been working to develop the Draft Approach to Growth and Change in the Major Transit Station Areas. The draft approach to growth and change combines public and stakeholder feedback and aligns with key City objectives to:

  • Address the housing crisis by improving housing choice and affordability in Kitchener’s Major Transit Station Areas.
  • Address the climate emergency by creating transit-supportive communities, maximizing the use of existing infrastructure and leveraging new infrastructure.
  • Encourage a shift towards active transportation and transit within complete communities that provide for people’s daily needs.
  • Help bring more people, activity, life, and diversity to Kitchener’s Major Transit Station Areas.

  
  

  The draft approach recommends a new land use category called Strategic Growth Areas. The Strategic Growth Areas will allow a wide variety of housing types and a mix of uses within the Major Transit Station Areas. The Strategic Growth Areas are proposed to be implemented in the following four draft zones:

  • Strategic Growth Area 1 (SGA-1): Low-Rise
  • Strategic Growth Area 2 (SGA-2): Mid-Rise
  • Strategic Growth Area 3 (SGA-3): High-Rise Limited
  • Strategic Growth Area 4 (SGA-4): High-Rise

  
  

  Please read the Draft Approach to Growth and Change for a full description.

  
  

  What do you think?

  Help us plan for growth around Major Transit Station Areas (MTSA) in Kitchener. Until August 11, 2023 add your comments and ideas on:

  • What are your thoughts on the draft approach to growth and change?
  • What kinds of shops and services would you like to see in neighbourhoods near MTSAs?
  • What streets near MTSAs are interesting and enjoyable and which need more to see and do?

  
  Come chat with the Growing Together team!

  We attended the Multicultural Festival on June 24th and spoke with over 100 community members about growth and change. We will also be at:

  • Gaukel Block on Gaukel Street during the Downtown Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show (Saturday July 15) and
  • Summer Series at the Kitchener Market (Wednesday July 19)

  
  

  The Growing Together team will also be holding Office Hours on Friday, July 21 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. You can book a 30-minute appointment with members of the Growing Together team by sending an email to growingtogether@kitchener.ca.

  
  

• Join us to learn more about the draft approach to growth and change in Kitchener's major transit station areas

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  The City is continuing to engage on the Growing Together project, which is updating the planning framework for our Major Transit Station Areas, to enable and encourage responsible growth for the future.

  We’re attending a series of events this summer to chat with the community about our draft approach to growth and change with the Growing Together team at the following dates and times:

  June 24 2023

  • Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Festival (find us at the Gaukel Block)
    

  
  

  July 15 2023

  • Downtown Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show (find us at the Gaukel Block)

  
  

  July 19 2023

  • Summer Series at Kitchener Market

  
  

  Please feel free to drop-in any time during the above sessions. Participating in this project will provide residents with a greater understanding of the factors that influence growth and change in our city, as well as the city's obligations to accommodate this growth.

• June 2023 Status Update

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  Throughout March and April, the Growing Together team held six community workshops which were attended by over 500 residents and community members. A What We Heard report has now been published to summarize the key feedback we heard during our engagement events. You can read the engagement report here.

  Staff is presenting the summary report to members of Kitchener Council at the Planning and Strategic Initiatives meeting on Monday, June 19th. They will also present to members of Waterloo Council later this month.

  We are now moving forward to the next phase of the project.

  This summer, planning staff are attending a series of events to explore in a hands-on way how growth and change are happening in our community. During these engagements you will have the opportunity to comment on a draft land use and zoning approach. Your feedback, in combination with the feedback received through the Growing Together Workshops in March and April, will help inform the planning framework for Kitchener’s Major Transit Station Areas.