What does DTK need?

[bravado]

I’m not suggesting a conspiracy, I just mean that a huge chunk of our leadership believes that downtown = undesirables and has been that way for all of human history. There’s no comprehension of downtowns possibly being great places, unless it’s some European city they are travelling to for a holiday.

Once you get into the suburban castle mindset with the isolation, the fear and cynicism becomes really ingrained and you can’t even imagine anything ever being better or improving.

[Kodra24]

Recenly drove through DTK all the way up King around 5pm on a nice sunny day and it was quite polarizing - new developments seemingly at every corner yet quite a few homeless on the streets

DTK isn't safe - I had a run-in with a person last time I was downtown, and I'm rarely there, just relieved I wasn't there with my kids because it could have ended differently

Many on here are advocating for 3BDR+ apartments/condos and while I agree more of these units are needed I cannot see families wanting to raise their kids near DTK

[tomh009]

I cannot see families wanting to raise their kids near DTK

Shockingly, many people do actually want to do that.

[Kodra24]

I cannot see families wanting to raise their kids near DTK

Shockingly, many people do actually want to do that.

Have at it

[danbrotherston]

I cannot see families wanting to raise their kids near DTK

Shockingly, many people do actually want to do that.

Many people (including myself 2 years ago) actually DO that.

But that's only one of many features of myself that are erased by the typical story.

[ac3r]

Recenly drove through DTK all the way up King around 5pm on a nice sunny day and it was quite polarizing - new developments seemingly at every corner yet quite a few homeless on the streets

DTK isn't safe - I had a run-in with a person last time I was downtown, and I'm rarely there, just relieved I wasn't there with my kids because it could have ended differently

Many on here are advocating for 3BDR+ apartments/condos and while I agree more of these units are needed I cannot see families wanting to raise their kids near DTK

Far outside of downtown, too. The other day I was at Rockway Park as the Eastwood high school was getting out. All those poor 15-17 year old kids having to walk past that shithole that used to be the German club has them shook. Walked to the end of Rockway to find an ambulance crew responding to one overdose. As we decided "yeah fuck this" and went back towards Weber, another ambulance was there for another overdose closer to the intersection.

People. Do. Not. Want. To. Be. Around. This. Our government ought to get its head out of its ass, sink 500'000'000 into rounding these people up, stick em all in rehab facilities and sort it out once and for all.

[the_conestoga_guy]

Shockingly, many people do actually want to do that.

Have at it

I'm having a hard time determining what point you're trying to make. Are you saying that you don't want DTK to improve itself by making it nicer and more hospitable for families? Or are you saying you disagree with the concept of having a family in general?

Despite the many anecdotes provided by you and others, DTK is actually quite safe when compared to other downtowns in other cities in Canada. If we wanted to compare DTK's safety to cities in other countries, the gap widens. Are you saying that people should stop having families in all of those countries, too?

Now, if you'd prefer to raise kids in the suburbs or in a rural setting, that's totally fine. But it's distasteful to judge others for wanting to raise their kids in a different setting than what you think is desirable.

[Kodra24]

Have at it

I'm having a hard time determining what point you're trying to make. Are you saying that you don't want DTK to improve itself by making it nicer and more hospitable for families? Or are you saying you disagree with the concept of having a family in general?

Despite the many anecdotes provided by you and others, DTK is actually quite safe when compared to other downtowns in other cities in Canada. If we wanted to compare DTK's safety to cities in other countries, the gap widens. Are you saying that people should stop having families in all of those countries, too?

Now, if you'd prefer to raise kids in the suburbs or in a rural setting, that's totally fine. But it's distasteful to judge others for wanting to raise their kids in a different setting than what you think is desirable.

I want DTK to improve, it needs to clearly - I also want people to have kids, if they want kids that is

I personally would not want to raise a family in DTK given its current state - many people also think this way, this should not come as a surprise to anyone

I know of several couples that sold their condos (they had young kids) once they realized it was not a place for children given the issues at hand

Having said all that if people want to raise families near addicts/homeless/crime that is their choice, hence my reply to the previous poster above

[bravado]

Shockingly, many people do actually want to do that.

Have at it

suburban councillors continue to make it really fucking hard to do, fun fact

[Kodra24]

Have at it

suburban councillors continue to make it really fucking hard to do, fun fact

Suburban councillors are preventing families from living downtown?

[bravado]

Obviously, who do you think is against all construction proposals and zoning + parking changes needed to make >1br apartments normal again? People like our suburbanite-in-chief Doug Ford who regularly out-vote urban councillors in the name of "cost", "neighbourhood character", and "traffic".

[ZEBuilder]

Sure downtown is "rough" but it isn't a product of Kitchener itself, the reality is that the bad decisions that have been made by countless people in the last 30 years allowed us to get into a situation that we are in, think of the consistent under funding of critical services like affordable housing, mental health supports etc. The problem itself can not be blamed solely on todays policy makers but they are certainly not all doing their part to rectify the issues at hand, some love to pretend the issues don't exist like the goon running the province.

The largest group to blame at the end the of day is voters and policy makers from the last 30-40 years, the voters consistently want low taxes, wanting urban sprawl and SFH living, now we don't have the supports in place because of a lack of funding but that can easily be seen as a failure of the last 50 years of provincal and regional policy. The reality is the problems we presently face are issues that the last two generations (boomers, gen X) have caused whether directly or indirectly through their politcal votes and now everyones stuck dealing with them, with Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha having to take the brunt of those issues.

[tomh009]

Having said all that if people want to raise families near addicts/homeless/crime that is their choice, hence my reply to the previous poster above

If you think all the crime is downtown I have some news for you. Take a look at the WRPS GIS map, and filter on thefts, or assaults, for example (homicides are thankfully rare enough that the map does not provide meaningful data):
https://gismaps.policereporting.ca/verti...b0a72804d2

And I should note that addicts are found in the suburbs, too, although often inside their own homes.

[neonjoe]

We brought our kids downtown for dinner a few weekends ago. There were homeless people but they were harmless and kind. There were many people around . Last Saturday we went to St Jacob’s for dinner. No one around expect two homeless individuals. They tried to talk to the kids, they were harmless but still with no one else around it’s much worse. Strangely I didn’t mind walking past the encampment to go to the train station not ever feel uncomfortable in Toronto with the kids but the st Jacob’s incident was one that stirred us the most. It’s definitely the ratio of people around that defines comfort.

[Rainrider22]

Recenly drove through DTK all the way up King around 5pm on a nice sunny day and it was quite polarizing - new developments seemingly at every corner yet quite a few homeless on the streets

DTK isn't safe - I had a run-in with a person last time I was downtown, and I'm rarely there, just relieved I wasn't there with my kids because it could have ended differently

Many on here are advocating for 3BDR+ apartments/condos and while I agree more of these units are needed I cannot see families wanting to raise their kids near DTK

Everyone is different on their personal level of comfort however, I take my young kids often DTK and have felt safe.  Sure there are some people you need to not look into their eyes lol.  Seriously though, what I see lacking when I am DTK is officers on foot patrol or bikes. It goes a long way to ensuring safety.  And the need the same officers over time to get to know the people who cause the issues so they can encourage them to get the help they need and build up trust.