The City of Waterloo is looking at ways to keep the uptown vibrant for years to come. A new report presented to council this week, titled “A Vision of Uptown Waterloo as a Showcase in Sustainability,” focused on improving initiatives the city already has in place. The main pillars were pedestrianization, parking, buildings and nature-positive infrastructure. One suggestion from the Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC) was to bar vehicles from Willis Way to make it more pedestrian-friendly. “I can definitely see some temporary closures,” councillor Julie Wright said. “I don’t think we’re in a position at the moment to fully pedestrianize it.” Another was to create pedestrian connections to local parks and trails. The report also addressed underutilized parking lots and spaces, suggesting the city could transform them into temporary parks or patios for businesses. A more sustainable approach would be solar carports. New buildings, meantime, could be sustainably-focused with green roofs and living walls incorporated into the design. Bringing nature into the cityscape was also part of the committee’s proposed plan. They suggested the cenotaph and city hall as two locations to consider, noting it would highlight the proximity of Laurel Creek. “Make sure that we’re supporting biodiversity, which the SAC report calls for or, in some cases, we just need more resting spots for people to just be surrounded by a little pocket of nature,” Wright said. The committee said the goal is to create a stronger sense of belonging and encourage people to live, work and spend time in Uptown Waterloo. More to come.
