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Introduction to land use planning and development

This introduction shows how your community is shaped, now and in the future. It gives an overview of the topics covered throughout our video explainer series.


Community Guide Video Explainer
Community Guide Video Explainer
This quick walk-through of the Growing Together Community Guide will provide context around the November 2023 draft Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment for Kitchener’s Major Transit Station Areas. The community guide, along with all other materials, is available at engagewr.ca/growingtogether, and is intended to help people navigate the Growing Together project update in an easy-to-understand format.
Introduction to land use planning and development
Introduction to land use planning and development
This introduction shows how your community is shaped, now and in the future. It gives an overview of the topics covered throughout our video explainer series.
Our vision for Kitchener
Our vision for Kitchener
Kitchener is growing fast. We’re building vibrant communities, fostering new experiences and creating a more compelling and dynamic city. The vision for land use and growth is set out in our Official Plan, a policy document that lays out the roadmap for how Kitchener will grow 20 years into the future.
Zoning bylaws and minor variances
Zoning bylaws and minor variances
If you think of city planning as a puzzle for a complete community, you can imagine how many pieces there could be. Zoning bylaws are pieces of that puzzle. If the Official Plan is the finished puzzle, the vision for how the city will grow, zoning bylaws are pieces of the puzzle that get us to the vision. If a property owner wants to change the zoning on their property, they can request a zoning bylaw amendment or a minor variance.
Tall buildings
Tall buildings
Kitchener is growing up. New tall buildings are being built in and around the downtown, near ION stations, along major roads and other strategic areas. These new buildings help us meet our growth targets while protecting our farmland from urban sprawl. It encourages public transit use and efficiently makes use of our existing infrastructure.