General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[westwardloo]

I think a lot of people still think that way

It still has that reputation...but I feel now it's more so because there is still just really no reason to go downtown. There are very few shops that offer anything you can't get elsewhere in the city. There isn't even a grocery store. There is a pretty meh farmers market once a week. There is no "nightlife". In fact there is almost no street activity past 8PM in the summer. It's like there is nothing to do but walk around without aim like the transient population does.

Granted, if you live downtown, then there is a bit more because that is your neighbourhood 365 days a week and so you make do. But what incentive is there for someone to drive from - say the areas around Stanley Park or Homer Watson? Nothing at all, unless they are running to the market or there is some one-off event going on.

I work as an architect in Waterloo Region but I just cannot live here, because for someone like me, there is very little to do. I stay in Toronto where I have more friends, where I can visit architecture conferences, I can go to art galleries, I can see music by the most obscure noise band that bangs on tin cans or pop music, I can go to a dozen niche, indie cinemas, I can go to a plethora of restaurants, bars, I can see the water, I can go to the bluffs. There is always something to do. Kitchener-Waterloo? I come here to work and once a month, check out the new art exhibits.

Waterloo Region has done almost nothing to improve the downtown cores here. You can't just plop down an expensive mass transit line and hope condo developers start making condos and that ground level shopping is going to be enough to make people care. There is more to a city than shopping, and easily getting from shop to shop.

All great points. Kitchener needs to start reinvesting in arts and culture with a focus point downtown. It's great that we built a theatre 30 years ago. But what has been done since then? The museum is a great addition. I am hoping that there is a large expansion I  the works and possibly a completely new built space for it. I would love to see more small theatre spaces/ concert venue. Having said this. Getting people to luve and work downtown is step #1 and kitchener has been doing a good job for the last decade. There is still a lot of work to be done, but it is a step in the right direction. 
I lived and worked at an architectural firm in Toronto. Personally I wasn't in love with the city. There is lots to do, but by the time I finished paying for rent I had no disposable income to enjoy what the city had to offer. Kitchener isn't that far from Toronto, so if I really want to see a concert or sporting event it's not a far drive/train. Hopefully as 2-way all day go comes into effect it will feel even closer.
I will admit that Toronto has a plethora of amazing little nieghbourhood, each with so many unique restaurants. Its something kitchener never developed. We have the downtown's and maybe Belmont village then strip malls,  with generic Kelsey's and chucks roadhouse. Unfortunately I think People in the suburbs love stripmalls and big box stores for what ever reason. Those people are never going to shop downtown no matter what it has to offer. The main focus should be density. Keep adding condo towers and office towers. The downtown's will slowly shift to become a more urban centre. With that I believe the cultural scene will follow.