Places and Spaces: Kitchener's park and open space strategy

Did you miss our virtual webinar about the Spaces strategy? A recording of the presentation is now available. Watch the video at Places & Spaces: Spaces Public Meeting (May 12, 2022).

Join us May 12, 2022 starting at 6:00p.m. for a virtual webinar on the Spaces strategy and the proposed updates to the park dedication policy and by-law. Staff will give a presentation followed by a Q&A with attendees.

Please register in advance.

The Spaces strategy identifies where gaps in parks around the city are and updates the tools necessary to close those gaps with new park developments. Read a short summary of the strategy in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, or Serbian.

As a technically oriented document, the Spaces strategy is paired with changes to the Park Dedication By-Law and Policy that are based on the strategy’s findings. Spaces outlines how these documents are used and how they influence park development in Kitchener. For more information, read the summary of proposed changes to the by-law and policy.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our surveys, ideas boards, and information sessions last year! Your comments and feedback helped us to create the Spaces half of Places and Spaces.

Niall Lobley, Director of Parks and Cemeteries, just released a new video with an update on Places and Spaces. He describes the proposed Spaces strategy and how residents can contribute to the final version.

Included in Spaces is a look at the existing park inventory to establish what the City currently has and build an understanding of how those parks are created. Building on that foundation we can establish where gaps in parks around the city are and update the tools necessary to close those gaps with new park developments. The full draft is available. You can also read a shorter summary in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, or Serbian.

Spaces is a technical document at its core, being rooted in policy and legislation. We'd like to ask you a few questions about it to see if we're on the right track. Please answer our short 5-10 minute survey and tell us what you think.

Answer our survey by May 13, 2022.

We have just released a new factsheet about dogs and Kitchener parks! It answers questions like: How many dogs are licensed in Kitchener? What did we hear in our last survey? How do other communities create shared spaces for people and dogs?

Whether you use parks to gather, unwind, exercise, socialize, play, or celebrate, let us know how parks can be better for you!

The City of Kitchener is continuing public engagement to inform our Parks and Open Space Strategy through Places and Spaces. We are now looking for feedback on how pets use parks and how you feel about the sponsorship of parks to allow for external funding opportunities. We also want to know how you would like to see parks used as dedication and memorial spaces, and how you would like to use alternative spaces, like cemeteries and schoolyards. The survey is open until April 8.

In addition to online engagement through Engage Kitchener, in-person opportunities will be made available, when COVID restrictions allow. The Places and Spaces strategy will guide the City’s decision-making and future investment in park amenities, facilities, and infrastructure for the next 10 years or more.

Additional parks-related consultations on Engage Kitchener include:

• Places and Spaces: winter use and parks education (closes April 8)
• Shape your park network: Idlewood, Kinzie, Oaten, and Fergus Green (extended to March 14)
• Centreville Chicopee Community Centre outdoors pace upgrades (closes March 21)

In this video, Niall Lobley, Director of Parks and Cemeteries, shares his story of experiencing a Canadian winter for the first time. He also gives an update on the project and invites you to take part in the conversation. We want to hear from you on several topics this year, starting with winter use and parks education. How do parks and open spaces shape your life in the winter? What do you want to learn or know about parks? Watch the video

In Kitchener, we know parks aren’t just important – they’re essential. Parks are more than the sum of their parts. They are extensions of the communities they are placed in and contribute significantly to the community’s identity and individuals’ connections within it. Whether you use parks to gather, unwind, exercise, socialize, play, or celebrate, we want to hear from you. Let us know what a great park means to you!

The City of Kitchener kicked off our Parks and Open Space Strategy last year with our first phase of Places and Spaces engagement. The second phase of engagement is now open. Over the next 12 months, we are continuing to engage residents to better understand how parks are used, what barriers exist to using parks, and what you value most about parks. We want to know ‘how can parks be better for you?’ and want to learn what you need and want when it comes to the use of space, equipment, and amenities available, and how we can improve safety, accessibility, and inclusion in parks and open spaces across the city.

The current survey focuses on winter use and parks education and is open until April 8.

In addition to online engagement through Engage Kitchener in-person opportunities will be made available, when COVID restrictions allow. The Places and Spaces strategy will guide the City’s decision-making and future investment in park amenities, facilities, and infrastructure for the next 10 years or more.

The City of Kitchener will be hosting two question and answer periods, open to the public. Each session will have a 10 to 15 minute presentation by the Project Team, followed by an open opportunity to ask your questions about the Places and Spaces project.

The sessions will be held on Zoom with registration links below:

Places & Spaces Public Presentation & Q&A

• Open question and answer period about Places & Spaces and Parks in general
• Tuesday November 16, 2021 - 6:30PM to 7:30PM
• To register, click here

Places & Spaces Public Presentation & Q&A - Downtown Focus

• Open question and answer period about the current state and future of Downtown Parks in Kitchener.
• Tuesday November 17, 2021 - 6:30PM to 7:30PM
• To register, click here

In Kitchener, we know parks aren’t just important – they’re essential to our community. Whether you use our parks to gather, unwind, exercise, socialize, play, or celebrate, we want to hear from you. Let us know what a great park means to you!

Today marks the start of the first phase of community engagement for Places and Spaces, Kitchener’s park, and open space strategy. Resident feedback will help the City build the types of parks and open spaces that residents value most.

“Our parks and open spaces are such an important part of what makes Kitchener a great place to live, work and play,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “Whether you use parks to walk the dog, enjoy an outdoor activity, or gather with friends to celebrate culture together, we know that Kitchener parks enrich the lives of our residents and contribute to their sense of belonging. With input from the community, we can ensure future investment in our parks and open spaces reflect the needs and priorities of residents.”

Starting today, residents can share their views and ideas by completing an online survey and sharing their personal parks stories on Engage Kitchener. In addition, staff are working with stakeholder groups to ensure COVID-safe opportunities are available to equity deserving communities that may not be able to participate online.

Input will be used to develop a series of guidelines for what makes a great park and open space and will guide the City’s decision-making and future investment in park amenities, facilities, and infrastructure for the next 10-years or more. It will also be used to shape the City’s approach to supporting, maintaining, and developing new and reinvesting in older parks and open spaces.

“Parks really do provide the backdrop for building community,” said Niall Lobley, director of parks and cemeteries at the City of Kitchener. “I look forward to hearing what the community would like to see the city focus on as we work through the phases of our community engagement and look toward the next decade of parks and open spaces at the City of Kitchener.”

This is the first of many conversations the City will have with the community as Places and Spaces takes shape. Subscribe to Engage Kitchener to stay up to date and informed of upcoming engagement opportunities as this project progresses.

For more information or to complete the survey, visit www.engagewr.ca/placesandspaces. The online survey closes on Jan. 7, 2022.

For more information contact:
Shawn Falcao
Manager, Corporate Communications
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca