All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes

Wazhma Frogh

City/Township Council · Kitchener

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All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes

Growth & Planning

How should councils weigh the long-term cost of maintaining existing infrastructure when making decisions about outward growth and expansion?ranked from highest to lowest importance
No response
How should councils balance provincial and regional mandates for increased housing density with neighbourhood opposition and local infrastructure constraints?select up to 3 per part
A. Planning & zoning tools
  • Expand as-of-right zoning to reduce case-by-case political decisions on housing forms
  • Focus incremental density near transit, schools, and commercial areas
  • Allow small-scale housing forms city-wide as-of-right (e.g. up to four units per lot)
  • Eliminate parking minimum requirements
B. Managing neighbourhood opposition
  • Use public engagement to inform design, not to veto density
  • Defer to neighbourhood opposition and reduce or stop contested density
  • Phase or adjust density in response to neighbourhood concerns about design or servicing capacity
C. Infrastructure & servicing
  • Pair density approvals with targeted infrastructure upgrades
  • Use development charges or conditions to fund needed upgrades
  • Accept short-term constraints in order to meet housing demand

Describe one concrete zoning, planning, or development decision you would support (or oppose) that reflects how you would balance these priorities.candidate's own words

I would support more housing density along major transit corridors and around existing transit hubs, while protecting established neighbourhoods and environmentally sensitive areas from inappropriate development. This allows Kitchener to accommodate growth and expand housing choices while making better use of existing infrastructure and limiting unnecessary urban sprawl.

Please describe one concrete example of a growth or infrastructure decision you would support or oppose using this approach.candidate's own words

I would support prioritizing higher-density, mixed-use development along Kitchener’s existing ION and major transit corridors before expanding development outward onto agricultural or environmentally sensitive lands. This directs growth toward areas where infrastructure already exists while protecting farmland and reducing the long-term cost of urban sprawl.

What can the municipality/region do, if anything, about land which sits vacant for years because it is being used as an investment (land banking)?candidate's own words

Municipalities can discourage long-term land banking through tools such as appropriate taxation of vacant land, time-limited development approvals, and stronger monitoring of approved projects that remain undeveloped. I would also support working with the Province to strengthen municipal tools where necessary, while ensuring legitimate development delays or productive agricultural land are not unfairly penalized.