Digital Kitchener is building the foundation of our smart city. To realize our full potential, we must be brave. We must go where there are no best practices and create them.
On this page:
Digital Kitchener strategy
We are building a smart city that is inclusive, on-demand, connected and innovative. To realize the full potential of a Digital Kitchener, we are:
- investing in technologies, processes and initiatives that support our goals
- creating partnerships that strengthen and sustain our initiatives
- telling our story, bringing Digital Kitchener to life for every resident
Digital inclusion
We’re committed to promoting equity and inclusion, and an important part of that work is making sure everyone can access digital tools and the internet. We’re taking advantage of our network of facilities to do just that. Check out our public access technology map to see how you can access this service in your neighbourhood.
Free wi-fi
At our public buildings, community centres and arenas, you can connect your device to free wi-fi . We don’t require any personal information, simply agree to our standard terms of use and anyone can use the internet on any wi-fi enabled device.
Public access technology
To ensure that those with unreliable computer access can still access the internet, we offer public access computers and printers during dedicated hours at some of our community centres.
Check our community centre pages and public access technology map to find the public access computers near you.
Inclusion standards
Our long-term plan is to establish a service level standard for public access technology across the city, laying out how and where we’ll help people participate in the digital community.
Working with partners like the Kitchener Public Library and other local groups, we’re working to make it easier for everyone to access information.
Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab
The Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab lives in the Communitech Hub and brings new thinking to civic challenges. Kitchener is one of the first cities in Canada to open a lab dedicated to exploring how digital technologies can improve the lives of residents.
Our team explores how emerging technologies can improve city services like:
- climate and air quality monitoring
- multimodal traffic counting
- asset tracking
We experiment with new ways to deliver great service and empower the city with data-informed decision making. This allows Kitchener to constantly evolve and prepare for the city of the future.