Great Places Awards

Eligibility

• Anyone can nominate a project for this award; students can nominate their own projects.
• Nominated projects must align with our Official Plan, zoning bylaw and urban design manual.
• Projects that have been entered into previous City of Kitchener awards program(s) in the same category are not eligible.
• Interior design projects are not eligible.
• Nominations must include the information requested through the nomination form including a digital representation of the project and other supporting material.
• Student projects must be completed through a secondary or post-secondary school program within three school years of the call for nominations.
• The studio or theoretical project must pertain to a site or location within Kitchener addressing urban design, sustainability, affordable housing, heritage conservation and/or land use planning.
• Nominations must be acknowledged by and provide contact information for a member of the students' school faculty.
• Nominations must clearly demonstrate a comprehensive evaluation of the project context, innovation in recommendations and/or conclusions, and alignment with our own policy framework.

This award may be given to an exceptional plan or study of a significant area within Kitchener that provides a development strategy for urban transformation.

Eligibility

• Anyone can nominate a project this award, such as residents, property owners, consultants, etc.
• Nominated projects must comply with our Official Plan, zoning bylaw and urban design manual.
• Projects entered into previous City of Kitchener awards program(s) in the same category are not eligible.
• Interior design projects are not eligible.
• Nominations must include the information requested through the nomination form including a digital representation of the project and other supporting material.
• The plan or study must clearly demonstrate comprehensive evaluation of the project context, innovation in recommendations and/or conclusions, and alignment with our own policy framework.
• Master planning projects can include approved urban design briefs and development strategies, such as subdivision or major infill master plans, site specific urban design briefs or master plans, infill property master plans, and streetscape master plans within Kitchener.
• The master plan must have received applicable approvals within the past four years, or since the last awards program call for nominations, whichever is greater.

Up to four awards may be presented in each of these categories:

1. Preservation/restoration of cultural heritage resource
• Preservation projects focus on protecting, maintaining and stabilizing the existing form, material and integrity of a cultural heritage resource, while protecting its heritage attributes and values. These projects generally relate to cultural heritage resources that are intact and do not require extensive repair or replacement, alterations or additions.
• Restoration projects focus on revealing, recovering or representing the state of either a cultural heritage resource or of an individual heritage attribute from a particular period in its history, as accurately as possible, while protecting its heritage value. These projects are based on physical and documentary, or oral evidence.
2. Rehabilitation/adaptive reuse of cultural heritage resources
• Rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects focus on the sensitive adaptation of either a cultural heritage resource or of an individual heritage attribute for a continuing or compatible contemporary use, while protecting its heritage value. This may be achieved through repairs, replacements, alterations and/or additions.
3. Individual contributions to the field of heritage conservation
• Awarded to individuals, businesses, organizations or institutions, who have made exceptional and/or long-lasting contributions to the conservation of our city's cultural heritage resources.

Eligibility

• Anyone can nominate a project this award, such as residents, property owners, consultants, etc.
• Projects that have been nominated for past Mike Wagner Heritage Award(s) are not eligible.
• Nominations must follow the currently approved program criteria.
• Interior design projects are not eligible.
• Nominations must include a written application and other supporting materials.
• Property must be a cultural heritage resource and be either designated under Part IV (individual) or Part V (heritage conservation district) under the Ontario Heritage Act, listed as a non-designated property on the municipal heritage register; or identified on the Heritage Kitchener Inventory of Historic Buildings.

Submission requirements

Nominations must include the information requested through the nomination form including supporting material.

This award may be given to an exceptional, approved and substantially built subdivision that includes our neighbourhood design objectives, which include walkability, variety, placemaking, conservation, connectivity, transit-supportive and safety.

Eligibility

• Anyone can nominate a project this award, such as residents, property owners, consultants, etc.
• Nominated projects must comply with our Official Plan, zoning bylaw and urban design manual.
• Projects that have been entered into previous City of Kitchener awards program(s) in the same category are not eligible.
• Interior design projects are not eligible.
• Nominations must include the information requested through the nomination form.
• The project must have all required approvals, and/or have been constructed or substantially completed within either the past four years or since the last awards program call for nominations, whichever is greater.

People's Choice

Voting for this award will open in the summer. Subscribe to this page using the green button on the left to be notified when voting opens.

This award may be given to a project that receives the most votes from the community through online polling and/or in person at select locations/times.

Eligibility

• Projects chosen for consideration will be selected from eligible nominees from the Affordable Housing Solutions, Urban Design, Neighbourhood Design, Placemaking, Mike & Pat Wagner Heritage and Sustainable Kitchener categories.
• Nominees must have a publicly visible and accessible component.

Placemaking

This award is given to a distinct feature(s) that makes a project or place outstanding, such as public art, landscape features, architectural elements and streetscape elements. They can range from a unique feature of a larger development project to a neighbourhood-initiated community project.

Eligibility

• Anyone can nominate a project this award, such as residents, property owners, consultants, etc.
• Nominated projects must comply with our Official Plan, zoning bylaw and urban design manual.
• Projects that have been entered into previous City of Kitchener awards program(s) in the same category are not eligible.
• Interior design projects are not eligible.
• Nominations must include the information requested through the nomination form.
• The project must have all required approvals, and/or have been constructed or substantially completed within either the past four years or since the last awards program call for nominations, whichever is greater.
• Projects that do not have a public realm component, such as private gardens or backyards, are not eligible.

Schmalz Award for Design Leadership

Named after W.H.E. Schmalz, the architect who designed Kitchener's first city hall, clock tower and many other local buildings, this award represents the best overall project of the program.

Eligibility

• Nominees must be the winning projects in the Affordable Housing Solutions, Urban Design, Neighbourhood Design, Mike & Pat Wagner Heritage and Sustainable Kitchener categories.

Sustainable Kitchener

This award may be given to either a civic or private-development project that demonstrates innovation and exceptional design with respect to sustainable development, water conservation, energy conservation and generation, air quality, waste reduction and management, supporting active transportation and transit-oriented development.

Eligibility

• Anyone can nominate a project this award, such as residents, property owners, consultants, etc.
• Nominated projects must comply with our Official Plan, zoning bylaw and urban design manual.
• Projects that have been entered into previous City of Kitchener awards program(s) in the same category are not eligible.
• Interior design projects are not eligible.
• Nominations must include the information requested through the nomination form.
• Projects must have one or more prominent sustainability components as per our Official Plan policies. These projects can be new developments, or adaptive reuse of existing buildings, building additions or renovations. Parks, open spaces, public utilities, street and site improvements and civic structures are also eligible.
• The project must have all required approvals, and/or have been constructed or substantially completed within either the past four years or since the last awards program call for nominations, whichever is greater.

Urban Design Excellence

These awards cover four categories, recognizing either civic or private projects that demonstrate urban design excellence and innovation in site and building design, which is context-sensitive, functional, engaging and memorable.

Categories

• low-rise development projects (one to three storeys)
• mid-rise development projects (four to eight storeys)
• high-rise development projects (nine storeys or more)
• civic projects
  
  

Eligibility

• Anyone can nominate a project this award, such as residents, property owners, consultants, etc.
• Nominated projects must comply with our Official Plan, zoning bylaw and urban design manual.
• Projects that have been entered into previous City of Kitchener awards program(s) in the same category are not eligible.
• Interior design projects are not eligible.
• Nominations must include the information requested through the nomination form.
• Projects can be new developments, or adaptive reuse of existing buildings, building additions or renovations. Parks, open spaces, public utilities, street and site improvements and civic structures are also eligible.
• The project must have all required approvals, and/or have been constructed or substantially completed within either the past four years or since the last awards program call for nominations, whichever is greater.
• Projects that do not have a public realm component, such as private gardens or backyards, are not eligible.

Affordable Housing Solutions Awards

This award category is open to projects that delivered on or supported the vision of affordable housing units. Project must include units that meet the definition of Affordable Housing per the City’s Official Plan and has received all required approvals, is constructed, and occupied.

Eligibility

• Anyone can nominate a project for this award, such as residents, property owners, consultants, etc.
• The project must have all required approvals, and/or have been constructed or substantially completed within either the past four years or since the last awards program call for nominations, whichever is greater.
• Project must demonstrate affordability to residents
• Demonstrate innovation of the housing project or plan including but not limited to partnerships, construction methods, financing or operations that support affordability, approaches to community-building, etc.
• Models and programming that could help address affordable housing and housing security in a sustainable manner.
• Design that provides a positive contribution to the community and shows how groups who face greater housing challenges have been supported.
• Nominations must include the information requested through the nomination form.

• Projects that have been entered into previous City of Kitchener awards program(s) in the same category are not eligible.