Plan with us, Kitchener!

“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.”