Great Places Awards: People’s Choice

This project is now complete. The winner of the 2023 People’s Choice was One Young Street. Thank you to everyone who voted this year. For more information, visit kitchener.ca/GreatPlaces

• Announcing the People's Choice!

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  Last night we celebrated the Kitchener Great Places Awards honoring outstanding development projects that show a commitment to design excellence and innovation in urban design, sustainability, and heritage conservation. We are very pleased to announce the winner of the People's Choice award: One Young Street!

  

  One Young Street is the first new mass timber building in Waterloo Region with exposed wood columns inside, visible from the street. The building's design pays homage to the historic Mayfair hotel that once stood in its place. One Young Street is a modern landmark in downtown Kitchener, combining the charm and character of a century-old brick and beam building with the conveniences and technology expected in a modern workspace. The project does not include any vehicle parking and has bicycle parking and changeroom facilities in the basement to support active transportation.

  Thank you to everyone who voted for the People's Choice award this year! And congratulations to the winners of the draw for $25 downtown dollars: Kim Haynes and Reg Good.

  More information about the Great Places Awards, including videos featuring the nominees and winners for each category, can be found at kitchener.ca/GreatPlaces.

• Great Places Awards celebrate outstanding development projects in Kitchener

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  The City of Kitchener celebrated its 2023 Great Places Awards yesterday, honouring outstanding development projects that show a commitment to design excellence and innovation in urban design, sustainability, and heritage conservation. Joined by several members of Kitchener City Council, Mayor Berry Vrbanovic kicked off the event, which named 14 winners across a variety of categories.

  This year’s event was held on World Town Planning Day, a day to recognize and promote the role of planning in creating great, livable communities and celebrate successes in city-building in creating healthy, livable communities.

  “Building a vibrant and world-class 21st century city includes celebrating the collaborative teams that have brought exciting projects like these to life across Kitchener,” said Mayor Vrbanovic. “The owners and developers who committed to Kitchener with their vision and investment, the consultant teams who use creativity and innovation to create memorable places for people and the construction teams that make these visions a reality, are helping build the kind of great city we all want to live, work and play in.”

  The Great Places Awards is the continuation of over 30 years of celebrating excellence in urban design and heritage, starting with an awards program in 1988 that continued to evolve from the Urban Design and Mike Wagner Heritage Awards into the modern Great Places Awards.

  This year’s award ceremony featured keynote speaker Michael A. Ormston-Holloway, with an address titled Looking at Spaces Differently - Unlocking Potential through Placemaking on the power of placemaking in repurposing underutilized spaces in cities to support growth, build resiliency and create dynamic, engaging, welcoming public spaces.

  “I’m excited to participate in Kitchener's Great Places Awards ceremony and be back in my hometown,” said Mr. Ormston-Holloway. “There is so much potential in this city; we just need to carefully peel back a couple of layers to reveal the things that are, in fact, already here and see them in a new light. Placemaking doesn't need to be difficult and can be gentle nudges in a different direction that reveal new ways to use our existing spaces.”

  More information about the Great Places Awards, including videos featuring the nominees and winners for each category, can be found on the City of Kitchener’s www.kitchener.ca/GreatPlaces.

• Register to attend the Great Places Awards

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  Thank you to everyone who cast their vote last month for the Great Places Awards!

  We are pleased to invite you to join the celebration and conversation about the importance of our built environment in creating a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient Kitchener.

  This year's Great Places Awards will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kitchener City Hall in the Rotunda.

  • Reception: 5:30pm to 6:30pm
  • Formal Program: 6:30pm to 8:30pm

  There is no cost for tickets to the event, but registration is required by Nov.1, as spaces are limited. Additional details will be shared as we get closer to the event. We hope to see you there!

  Register on Eventbrite