FAQs

Many of the existing policies, plans, and regulations for Lower Doon were developed over 20 years ago and have not been broadly reviewed or updated since that time. 

The City is undertaking this project to update the planning policies and regulations that guide and manage growth within the community. 

You can participate in the project by sharing your ideas on the "Ideas Board" as well as using the "Subscribe" button to subscribe to email updates for the study. You can also participate in one of two in-person engagement events on May 10, 2023.

The City of Kitchener has a sidewalk infill policy that provides a framework and process for installing sidewalks where they don't currently exist. This policy was adopted in 2015 and is applied most often through The City’s roadway reconstruction program. We use our sidewalk infill policy to help ensure sidewalks are installed through the reconstruction program where roads are currently missing sidewalks. Our sidewalk infill policy also provides some opportunity to review roadways that are not currently on the 5 year capital plan, prioritizing the highest ranking locations using the approved scoring system.

The scoring system ranks all streets across the City that are missing sidewalks based on proximity to major pedestrian generators, traffic volumes, land use, transit, and other factors.

The City is currently updating the Parks Strategic Plan through the Places and Spaces project. The "Places" component focuses on the quality of our parks for placemaking and creating diverse and functional spaces. Places will explore a wide range of themes, including principles of design (equity, accessibility), environmental (habitat, stormwater and climate change), and specific infrastructure planning (playgrounds, sportsfields, dog parks). 

The "Spaces" component explores the quantity of parks in Kitchener, and parks context within the City. It will detail Kitchener’s current inventory, look at the definitions of park space, determine the amount of park space we need and where, and provide or update the tools in which we acquire those spaces. 

The City is undertaking a City-wide Lodging House By-law Review that will update the existing rules and regulations that apply to lodging houses. This by-law applies to lodging houses across the entire City.