A hard stop to new development in heritage areas

Lonely Planet recommends to its readers to “just pass through (Kitchener) on your way to Elora and Fergus, St Jacobs or Stratford” (1). Why not visit Kitchener? What do people want to see? When we look at Paris, France, Lonely Planet first mentions “Paris’ monument-lined boulevards, museums, classical bistros and boutiques…” (2). Its heritage architecture and charm is how Paris has become the world’s second most visited city in the world (3). Of course, the city didn’t get there overnight. For one-and-a-half centuries, it has strictly regulated its Hausmanian architecture, requiring owners to keep up their buildings and to renovate them according to stringent guidelines. Likewise, if Kitchener wants to be recommended as more than a “pass through” for visitors, Kitchener should put a hard stop to new development in heritage areas — going so far as to require owners to keep up their houses and to even expand heritage areas.

Economically, heritage features are attractions for visitors, bringing in financial benefit to communities. According to U.S. News, 18 of the top 20 sights in Paris were historical sites. (4) Overall, in France, “9.7% of the GDP is contributed by the travel and tourism sector” (5). Here in Kitchener, we have a golden opportunity to develop these opportunities for our economic benefit. Our historic downtown and Victoria Park neighbourhoods are the milieu for the “best time to visit…festival time” (6) It is not just the festivals that can draw people here, but the historic character of our downtown neighbourhoods. But how do we maintain them?

In Paris, people fall in love with the Hausmanian architecture: 5-6 stories, limestone buildings, mansard roofs, period features, and consistency across the city. Considering these buildings were built from 1853 to 1870, we have to ask how the city has preserved these buildings so well as to attract so many visitors? The city has strict building codes requiring owners to keep up their buildings as well as renovate them according to heritage features and requirements.

Likewise, Kitchener should uphold strict preservation criteria for its heritage neighbourhoods and downtown districts. In contrast to current trends, where the city allows properties at the fringes of heritage areas to be torn down and rebuilt in whichever fashion, the city should be demanding that property owners rebuild to the standards of the era (where, of course, choice was and should continue to be allowed: queen anne, victorian, edwardian, berlin vernacular,…) Currently, properties at the edges of the Victoria Park heritage district are being torn down and modern developments are being allowed to be build, encroaching upon our historic neighbourhood. This is not preservation! This is not heritage! Rather, delinquent owners need to be required to rebuild  buildings in the style of the era…the two houses recently torn down on David St., Bara castle, the current proposal on Mill St. (the current houses should stay!), Joseph & Water. Modern developments should not be encroaching into our heritage areas, but instead have their place everywhere else in the city.

If we have the vision and the courage of our convictions, we can improve upon and even expand our heritage area by protecting our properties and enforcing historical architecture. Instead of our heritage areas getting squeezed by modern buildings, we could push to expand current heritage areas. At the very least, if we can’t save them because of their beauty or their defining contribution to our identity, we could at least save them for the economic benefits they will help attract to our city.

References:

(1) https://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/kitchener-waterloo

(2) https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/paris

(3) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/09/these-are-the-worlds-top-5-most-visited-cities/

(4) https://travel.usnews.com/Paris_France/Things_To_Do/

(5) https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/10-most-visited-countries-in-the-world.html

(6) https://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/kitchener-waterloo