June 26, 2012

After 18 months of  hard work and broad consultation, Council adopted a new plan for the Northdale neighbourhood last night.

Last year, on the advice of our consulting team and a Northdale Special Project Committee made up of community members and other important stakeholders, Council adopted the following as the new vision for Northdale:

“By 2029, Northdale is revitalized and reurbanized into a diverse, vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood, integrated with educational, residential, commercial, cultural, heritage and recreational functions, and improved open space, pedestrian, cycling and transit networks.”

The plan brought forward by the consulting team last night was broadly endorsed by the special project committee, who called the extensive consultation process “inclusive” noting it “support(ed) the plan”. Council made one adjustment to the amended final report that came before it; specifically, it focused the preference in the plan for encouraging heritage considerations in future redevelopment to Veteran’s Green and the adjacent row housing owned by the federal government, recognizing the broad consensus in the community on the matter.

This plan will take time to work. Careful ongoing attention by residents and the City is needed to allow for a more diverse neighbourhood that includes students in a broader community. It will also take investment by local governments to leverage a redirecting of private sector investment to create a neighbourhood that inspires a people rather than one that just houses them.   

To read more about the plan and the process, visit http://waterloo.ca/northdale