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When asked to imagine what Kitchener will be like in 2042, children seem to have less trouble finding the words and images that come to their minds. Maybe it's because their imaginations are more active, or maybe they are less concerned with what other people think about their ideas. Whatever the case, 9 year old Avery is very clear about her vision for Kitchener, and simply stated, we couldn't be happier to hear it!
The text reads: "A dog world where animals are cared about and everyone is kind to the earth"
Share your Vision for Kitchener, just like Avery did, and upload it to the Share Your Vision tab!
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Introducing Meera, Hassan and Daniel - our Street Team Interviewers!
Meeting people where they are is an important part of our outreach to the community. Our Street Team will spend the next two months attending special events, visiting local parks and community facilities connecting with people and including their ideas on our Engage Page.
Look for them tomorrow at Blues Fest, and next weekend at the Kitchener Market!
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Earlier in 2022, we held a survey and heard from over 1,000 Kitchener residents. You gave us lots of great ideas for what you’d like us to focus on as we build our next strategic plan, and now we want to know more!
This summer and early fall, help us better understand your feedback:
Our street team is visiting neighbourhoods, parks and local events this summer looking for your feedback. When you see them, don’t miss the opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas on which community priorities are most important for Kitchener now and in the future.
Would you like to make an even deeper contribution to the 2023-2026 strategic plan? Later this fall and into the new year, there is another opportunity for you to get involved.
Consider applying for our resident panel
A resident panel is an opportunity to get involved directly in the strategic planning process. The panel will be made up of residents who represent the diversity of our community. Their role will be to recommend goals and actions we should include in the strategic plan.
To do this, they will learn about the issues facing our community and the challenging trade-offs the City must make to develop a balanced plan. They will also review your feedback and input about what’s important to you and why. Then they will reflect on and discuss what they’ve learned. They’ll exchange perspectives and ideas. And finally, they will come to a consensus on what goals and action to recommend.
We will be inviting applications soon. To be the first to know when we do, subscribe for updates by clicking the ‘Subscribe’ button.
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The City is in the process of establishing a 20-year vision for the future and building its 2023-2026 strategic plan and wants to better understand the priorities that matter most to Kitchener residents.
“This is an exciting time for the City Kitchener as we begin our strategic plan consultation and engage with and listen to you, our residents, both about the kind of City we want to be by 2042 and also the most important steps we should focus on in the initial four years of that next plan,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Your input will be critical to creating that 20-year picture, as well as real actions that are aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development goals which we have adopted and which the next Council and staff will commit to from 2023-2026.”
There are several ways for Kitchener residents to contribute their ideas and input as part of this process. On Engage Kitchener, residents can share feedback and suggestions on ideas boards and respond to an online poll. Through the online platform, residents are also invited to submit writing, drawings, paintings, photos, videos, or other artistic pieces that illustrate their vision and hopes for the future of Kitchener. Look out for the City’s street team in neighbourhoods, parks, and local events this summer and fall, collecting feedback in person as well.
The City will also host a series of neighbourhood conversations at city community centres that residents can register to participate in this fall. These sessions will take place:
The City will also assemble a volunteer panel of residents who will work closely with City staff to develop potential strategic goals and actions for inclusion in the new strategic plan. Recruitment for the volunteer panel will begin later this year.
Earlier this year, the City first began asking residents about community priorities by conducting a phone survey. From this survey, several key themes emerged, including housing affordability, urban growth, recreation and leisure programs and services, environmental sustainability, and public engagement. In this next phase of public consultation, the City wants to learn more about these focus areas to help inform the actions and goals that will be included in the 2023-2026 strategic plan.
“To cast a new 20-year vision and develop a plan for 2023-2026 that will best meet the needs of our community, it’s important for Kitchener residents to be part of the planning process,” said Kathryn Dever, Director, Strategy and Corporate Performance. “We’re looking to build on what we’ve already heard from residents, to better understand what priorities and actions residents feel the City can take to best serve the community.”
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Affordable housing, homelessness, roads and climate change top the list of issues that are important to Kitchener residents, according to recently released results of an Environics survey.
Other survey highlights include:
- 33 per cent of residents identify affordable housing as the most important issue in the city. Residents also identified better roads and transportation as a key issue.
- 59 per cent of Kitchener residents agree that it is important to use more of the City’s budget to address climate change.
- A majority of Kitchener residents want to see the City balance supports for existing businesses and the creation of new jobs.
- Satisfaction with City of Kitchener government is high at 78 per cent, with results remaining stable since the last community survey in 2018.
- 60 per cent of residents say they receive good value for their tax dollars. 26 per cent of residents favour a tax increase to improve services, and one-third would prefer service cuts over tax increases.
- Kitchener residents want to see a larger investment in arts and culture, with 12 per cent feeling cultural events should be part of that focus.
“Our regular Environics survey, conducted once every four years, has become a valuable tool for Council and staff to get a statistical reflection of our community and help shine a light on the issues that are most important to the residents of Kitchener,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “As we make important decisions for the future of our city, these insights are extremely valuable to help shape our path forward so we can build a top-notch city that is innovative, caring and vibrant.”
The City of Kitchener retained Environics to undertake the survey as the first step in a public engagement process that will inform the City’s 2023 - 2026 Strategic Plan. The survey results will be used to inform a meaningful and inclusive public engagement process with the goal of identifying community priorities and creating a new 20-year community vision.
The Environics survey of 1,000 residents (18+) was completed in March and April 2022. The sample for the survey matched the statistics Canada profile for the City of Kitchener on key demographic and lifestyle variables. This survey included more equity-focused questions and expanded demographic questions to help understand opinions across categories including race and gender identity, which were not asked in previous resident surveys.
Compass Kitchener is a 12-member committee of community volunteers who advise Council on the Strategic Plan. They play a key role in public engagement that informs the City’s strategic plan.
“Broad citizen engagement and input is vital to developing a strategic plan that truly reflects the needs of the community,” said Judy Stephens-Wells, Compass Kitchener Chair. “Compass Kitchener is pleased to receive the Environics data and we look forward to collaborating with City staff and the public to further understand key priorities to be addressed in the next strategic plan.”
See the full Council and Environics reports for more information. These were presented to Council at a special council meeting on Monday, May 9, 2022.
