Downtown Kitchener Tall Building Urban Design Guideline.

[darts]

When we bring up the bad King experience in Waterloo, from University to Columbia, bear in mind that The BUDGie actually cements one of its main failings. Walking up King, the buildings are set so far back from the roadway and sidewalk that you feel vulnerable, stranded, and disconnected (albeit from buildings which largely don't seek your attention). In Kitchener, while we're pushing for ground floor activity, one of the guidelines as currently stands requires buildings to be set back by the podium height. So if you have a relatively innocuous four floor podium, your setback is now fairly massive, and you feel stranded just like in Waterloo.

I have to say whenever I walk that stretch I never feel disconnected, stranded or vulnerable. I just walk.