Another milestone has been reached in the development of Kitchener 2051, our upcoming official plan that will guide how and where our community will grow. We have completed the detailed technical studies that outline land use, infrastructure and community assets needed to build Kitchener in the coming decades. They are now available for anyone who is interested.

These technical studies, together with community input received, are shaping a draft official plan that we are working on this summer. The draft is expected to be available this fall.

The technical studies include:

• The Population and Employment Forecast and Housing Needs Assessment: This report forecasts how many people we expect will live in Kitchener by 2051, and outlines the number and type of homes needed to meet Kitchener’s future needs. A detailed report as well as a summary ‘brief’ are available for review.
• The Commercial, Office, Future of Work and Mixed-Use Study: This study looks at how to best plan for shops, services and job opportunities within walking distance or an easy transit trip of most people's homes.
• The Industrial and Employment Land study: This study looks at how to ensure there are opportunities for manufacturing and other industries to grow and support a thriving economy.
• The Institutional and Community Infrastructure study: This study looks at how we plan for schools, libraries, parks, community centres, recreation and institutions that will continue to help make Kitchener’s neighbourhoods great places to live.
• The Climate and Energy Study: This study makes recommendations for how the official plan can help Kitchener accelerate its transition to a low-carbon future and be more resilient to climate change.

We will complete and share the Approaches to Growth report later this summer. It details technical considerations for how Kitchener can grow to 2051, including water, wastewater, transportation and financial planning.

Interested in reading more?

The completed studies can be found on the project page. If you haven't visited in a while, there’s more to explore beyond the technical studies. Learn more about official plans, review summaries of what we’ve heard from the public through our ongoing public consultation, or watch recordings of our speaker series sessions.

This doesn’t mean that engagement is over! Opportunities for feedback will continue over the summer. If you haven't already, be sure to visit the project page and click the 'Follow' button. You’ll get emails about all the latest opportunities to stay involved.