Planning in Motion: Insights from the Integrated Planning Symposium & Walking Tour

On September 18 & 19 OPPI held 2-day event, Integrated Planning in Kitchener at the historic Walper Hotel.  Over 200 registrants came together to learn and discuss vital topics of land use planning.

Day 1 - Symposium 


 
Day 1 started off with a warm welcome from the Mayor of Kitchener, the Honourable Berry Vrbanovic, MPP Laura Smith, and a video message from Housing Minster Robert Flack.  



This was followed by a keynote fireside chat with Matti Siemiatycki and Claire Basinki.  Matti is a professor at the University of Toronto and has a newly launched podcast, Good for Cities. Claire is the former of chair of OPPI (2023-2025) and founder of Take Consulting Inc. They spoke about sustainable planning, the state of planning, and Claire’s reflection on her time on council.


 
The first panel of day, Integrated Planning & Transportation, featured planners from Kitchener and Waterloo and recognized the ION LRT as the 2024 PlanON Project of the Year "City of Kitchener: Growing Together". The panel emphasized how integrated planning ties together all modes of transportation, public transit, driving, biking, and walking, to create livable, connected communities. Transportation is the other side of the housing coin, critical to quality of life and central to the success of community development. Panelists highlighted the province’s challenges, including 16,000 km of roads, many that are in disrepair, overburdened transit systems, and ongoing recovery struggles since the pandemic. They also discussed the growing importance of active transportation of biking and walking and how tools such as bike lines and speed cameras help with road safety. They noted that these hot-button issues require thoughtful, coordinated planning to support both current and future needs of Ontario.



The second panel, Integrated Planning & Indigenous Consultation & Engagement looked at the role of indigenous consultation in Canada. The panel included a member from the Shared Path board, a member from the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation and an Environmental lawyer. The panelists conversed new ways of building relationships and consulting. They also discussed what it means to challenge the colonial processes and practices of planning to re-focus on shared ownership of the land. 



The third panel, Integrated Planning & Community Planning Permit System (CPPS), featured representatives from municipalities across Ontario including Innisfil, Guelph, Oakville, Huntsville, and Waterloo. These municipalities have either implemented CPPS or are in the process of doing so. Panelists shared their experiences and lessons learned, using their journeys as case studies to inform others. They discussed that the CPPS, introduced in 2007, as a land use planning tool designed to better streamline and regulate development. They reflected on how it consolidates multiple applications such as zoning amendments and site plan approvals into a single, integrated process by combining zoning and site planning in one application, CPPS shortens timelines and improves efficiency. Also, how it provides municipalities with flexibility through guided discretion, helping them manage land use more effectively while supporting the development of complete, well-designed communities.



The day concluded with an update from OPPI’s Government and Public Relations (GPR) team on their efforts to advocate for better planning in Ontario. They shared updates on ongoing engagement with the province, including discussions with Minister Flack on official plans. They discussed what they are doing to advocate for updates on terms of reference, streamlining reports and studies, and updates of key resources and educational tools.
 


After a full day of learning, participants headed over to the THEMUSEUM for the PlanON Awards & Soiree.

Day 2 – Guided Excursion



On second day, over sixty participants participated in an excursion exploring downtown Kitchener using the ION LRT and on foot. The excursion began at the Walper Hotel and highlighted key urban design and planning initiatives throughout downtown Kitchener. The first stop at Queen Street highlighted placemaking efforts, including integrated heritage features and staff-designed street prints at the iconic King/Queen crossroads. From there, the tour moved to Vogelsang Green, where participants learned about the initiative-taking placemaking master plan, park-streetscape integration, and art installations recognizing homelessness. At the Young Condos site, the group saw how the city consolidated land to support development, with a privately owned public space (POPS) across from the ION stop and preserved heritage elements.


 
Next was 40 College, a skinny infill development built post-Bill 23 with no parking and no site plan approval, highlighting modern urban intensification. At City Hall’s Carl Zehr Square, the tour explored how community engagement informed the redesign of this civic space, which now features a barrier-free stage, water feature, and portable shade structures.

The group continued to Charlie West, a 2023 award-winning project that saw rapid development due to a DC exemption and the ION's arrival, along with a small public art gallery enhancing the space. At the Gaukel Block, attendees saw a community-driven, federally funded project born from the pandemic, transforming a former bus terminal into a flexible, event-ready space used for public engagement, including a large-scale OP Block Party.



At Victoria Park, the tour highlighted Every Child Matters crosswalk, a permanent sacred fire space, and updates from the park’s master plan. Participants then took the LRT from Victoria Station to Market Station, stopping at a bicycle sculpture near new and planned developments, including rental housing, a grocery store, and a future fire hall with integrated housing. The morning concluded with lunch at the Kitchener Market.

 
The second leg of the tour began at the intersection of Victoria and Joseph Streets, highlighting the growing innovation district anchored by the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, the EDIF building, the Tannery, the upcoming Innovation Arena, and major employers like Deloitte. From there, the group walked to 100 Victoria Street to explore Glovebox, a mixed-use development featuring a privately owned public space (POPS), active retail frontage, and adaptive reuse of a heritage building.

Cutting through the Bramm Yards, the tour continued along Joseph Street, where key discussions focused on the downtown cycling grid and the Google parking garage, emphasizing the integration of active transportation infrastructure. A multi-use pathway led the group toward King Street and into Station Park, where participants received a rooftop tour and an overview of existing and future POPS features within the development.


The stop also included insights into the adjacent Breithaupt Block (Phases 1 and 2), the midblock laneway, and Moore Street streetscaping improvements. The segment concluded with an LRT ride from Central Station back to Victoria Park Station. Participants could not have asked for better weather!

We are excited to share that recordings of all sessions are now available for registered attendees. To watch the videos, simply log in to the 2025 OPPI Symposium: Integrated Planning Virtual Portal or PheedLoop GO ap using the same email and password you used to register.