'15 minute neighbourhoods' key to sustainability as region grows, suggests report

Waterloo Region is expected to see the population jump to nearly one million people over the next 30 years. To grow sustainably, staff suggest developing neighbourhoods where people can live, eat and work within a 15 minute radius. 

The plan is part of a draft amendment for the Waterloo Region official plan, presented June 29 at the planning and works committee. It proposes communities that would rely less on automobiles and more on cycling, walking and alternative transportation modes. 

"One of the most significant ways that we generate carbon is through transportation," Rod Regier, commissioner of planning, development and legislative services for the region, told CBC's Craig Norris. 

"A lot of that is embedded in the way that we move around the cities," he added. "The commutes that we make to work, the journeys that we take to the grocery store, the places that we go to get services, medical offices and so on, are often inconvenient and require us to use single-occupancy vehicles to get there, generating carbon in the process." 

According to the region, Kitchener is expected to grow by over 140,000 residents in the next 30 years, followed by Cambridge that will see over 68,000 newcomers and Waterloo with 57,000 new people. The proposed amendments try to accommodate both sustainable and equitable growth to create what regional staff call a "thriving" region.

Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo are also projected to see more than 59,000, 42,000 and 40,000 new jobs respectively over the same time period. 

Although the idea is to rely less on motor vehicles, the plan is not expecting to eradicate them altogether. Regier suggests that families living in a 15 minute neighbourhood could go down to one automobile versus owning two. 

"I'm very fortunate, I happen to live in downtown Kitchener," he said, using himself as an example. "And it's about a 10 minute walk to a grocery store, and five minutes to work and all the services I need." 

He acknowledges that this isn't plausible for all neighbourhoods in the region currently, but with some long term planning and investments in things such transportation options, it becomes more so. 

Regier says this model also promotes physical wellbeing and creates local communities that are more socially and economically connected, while making things accessible and affordable since motor vehicles aren't a significant part of the equation. 

"We need to be ambitious in Waterloo Region," said Stephanie Goertz, a delegate at the June 29 meeting who supports the recommendations put forward. 

"The community must come first. Our regional official plan should be a grand, future vision. Something we strive for." 

Council will decide this and other recommendations in the draft amendment for the Waterloo Region official plan on Aug. 18, following public engagement sessions during the month of July.