Growing Together East

A map of the boundaries of the Fairway, Block Line and Sportsworld Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs)

The City of Kitchener is growing, and a lot of that growth is happening in the areas around the ION LRT system.

On March 18, 2024, Kitchener City Council approved the first phase, Growing Together West. This included Official Plan Amendments and Zoning By-law amendments to introduce new Strategic Growth Area (SGA) land uses and zones and apply them within seven of Kitchener’s 10 Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs).

The final phase, Growing Together East, will update the planning framework for the remaining three MTSAs: Block Line, Fairway, and Sportsworld.

This project will enable and encourage responsible growth for many years to come. By participating, you will gain a greater understanding of the factors influencing growth and change in our city and Kitchener’s obligations to plan for this growth.

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A map of the boundaries of the Fairway, Block Line and Sportsworld Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs)

The City of Kitchener is growing, and a lot of that growth is happening in the areas around the ION LRT system.

The final phase, Growing Together East, will update the planning framework for the remaining three MTSAs: Block Line, Fairway, and Sportsworld.

Stay informed

If you would like to get email updates about this project, add your email to the Stay Informed section and click ‘Subscribe’.

Ask a question

Do you have a question about this project? Ask it here.

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If your question is urgent, call the City of Kitchener at 519-741-2345 (TTY: 1-866-969-9994)

Share I saw your group at the market but did not question the size of the towers further that were represented on the table as 40 stories. What height of buildings would you truely consider? 40 seems excessive. In my opinion 12 stories seems like a reasonable height. 40 should have mixed uses including schools, clinics, and commercial. on Facebook Share I saw your group at the market but did not question the size of the towers further that were represented on the table as 40 stories. What height of buildings would you truely consider? 40 seems excessive. In my opinion 12 stories seems like a reasonable height. 40 should have mixed uses including schools, clinics, and commercial. on Twitter Share I saw your group at the market but did not question the size of the towers further that were represented on the table as 40 stories. What height of buildings would you truely consider? 40 seems excessive. In my opinion 12 stories seems like a reasonable height. 40 should have mixed uses including schools, clinics, and commercial. on Linkedin Email I saw your group at the market but did not question the size of the towers further that were represented on the table as 40 stories. What height of buildings would you truely consider? 40 seems excessive. In my opinion 12 stories seems like a reasonable height. 40 should have mixed uses including schools, clinics, and commercial. link

I saw your group at the market but did not question the size of the towers further that were represented on the table as 40 stories. What height of buildings would you truely consider? 40 seems excessive. In my opinion 12 stories seems like a reasonable height. 40 should have mixed uses including schools, clinics, and commercial.

Msjcsiki asked 10 days ago

Thank you for your question! It is important to us that we present our engagement using realistic building typologies, so that our community understands that taller towers are going to be a part of how our station areas change and evolve moving forward. There are many approved tall buildings in Kitchener's station areas, ranging in height in the 20-50 storey range. Building height is only one of many factors that determine how large a building is and what it's impacts are; Kitchener's Growing Together zoning also regulates building length, floor plate area and the physical separation between buildings to ensure they are well designed. Tall buildings help to create a large percentage of housing supply more quickly than other forms, which enables us to meet our various density and housing targets.
While the yellow buildings used in the exercise represent housing growth we are required to plan for, we also usually mention that the larger buildings will include a mix of uses including commercial and community uses. A full mix of uses is permitted in all Strategic Growth Area zones, which are the zones developed for our Major Transit Station Areas. Along priority streets, these additional uses are not just permitted but required. Our apologies if we did not clarify this for you at the Market engagement.
Thank you again for the question and for sharing your thoughts with us!
Share Has consideration been given as to how active transportation connections will be improved and established in these areas? An increasing number of people who live in MTSAs will rely on active transportation options for an increasing number of trips, and yet I haven't seen sufficient plans to address gaps and fix key connections, especially those that cross major pieces of infrastructure (such as the highway, or Fairway) or the Grand River. I understand this is about encouraging responsible growth at MTSAs, but it is essential that this conversation is aligned with improved active transportation plans within these areas, and beyond. on Facebook Share Has consideration been given as to how active transportation connections will be improved and established in these areas? An increasing number of people who live in MTSAs will rely on active transportation options for an increasing number of trips, and yet I haven't seen sufficient plans to address gaps and fix key connections, especially those that cross major pieces of infrastructure (such as the highway, or Fairway) or the Grand River. I understand this is about encouraging responsible growth at MTSAs, but it is essential that this conversation is aligned with improved active transportation plans within these areas, and beyond. on Twitter Share Has consideration been given as to how active transportation connections will be improved and established in these areas? An increasing number of people who live in MTSAs will rely on active transportation options for an increasing number of trips, and yet I haven't seen sufficient plans to address gaps and fix key connections, especially those that cross major pieces of infrastructure (such as the highway, or Fairway) or the Grand River. I understand this is about encouraging responsible growth at MTSAs, but it is essential that this conversation is aligned with improved active transportation plans within these areas, and beyond. on Linkedin Email Has consideration been given as to how active transportation connections will be improved and established in these areas? An increasing number of people who live in MTSAs will rely on active transportation options for an increasing number of trips, and yet I haven't seen sufficient plans to address gaps and fix key connections, especially those that cross major pieces of infrastructure (such as the highway, or Fairway) or the Grand River. I understand this is about encouraging responsible growth at MTSAs, but it is essential that this conversation is aligned with improved active transportation plans within these areas, and beyond. link

Has consideration been given as to how active transportation connections will be improved and established in these areas? An increasing number of people who live in MTSAs will rely on active transportation options for an increasing number of trips, and yet I haven't seen sufficient plans to address gaps and fix key connections, especially those that cross major pieces of infrastructure (such as the highway, or Fairway) or the Grand River. I understand this is about encouraging responsible growth at MTSAs, but it is essential that this conversation is aligned with improved active transportation plans within these areas, and beyond.

ScottClark asked about 1 month ago

Thank you for your question. Growing Together works alongside our Cycling & Trails Master Plan and with our colleagues in Transportation and Parks to ensure that active transportation is a key consideration in these intensifying areas of the city. We also account for future Region of Waterloo trail connections. Further, Growing Together contains a "Priority Streets" framework that help us identify streets and street segments that can help make these areas more friendly to people who are walking, cycling and rolling to get to where they need to go. We would welcome your thoughts on active transportation-- particularly with respect to priority streets-- at one of our upcoming engagements.