Council endorses future growth scenario for Kelowna

Kelowna City Council met on Monday where they endorsed a growth scenario that will help guide where new homes will be built by 2040 when 50,000 more people are expected to live in the city.

The scenario, which proposes an accelerated and deliberate shift towards a more complete and compact community, will be used to help develop the 2040 Official Community Plan, 20 Year Servicing Plan, and Transportation Master Plan.

"This is a significant step toward planning for how our city will grow over the next 20 years,” said project manager Robert Miles. “The endorsed growth scenario aligns with the principles and goals set out in Imagine Kelowna, which envisions a Kelowna with vibrant urban centres and diverse transportation options.”

The scenario sees 2040 Kelowna having an overall housing split of 52% multi-family housing (apartments and townhouses), and 48% single and two-family homes. It also forecasts 19% of future housing being located in the suburban area and 81% distributed throughout the city's core, which includes Rutland Urban Areas, Midtown, South Pandosy, Capri-Landmark, and the City Centre. Infrastructure and transportation investments are expected to be concentrated in the urban core, which would reduce infrastructure investment costs.

Next steps include developing a draft Future Land Use Plan to be brought to the council next spring, as well as a collaboration between city staff, residents, Council, and community stakeholders. The Land Use Plan will provide a big picture overview of the types of activities and use that can take place in different areas of the city.

"With the foundation set for what Kelowna could look like by 2040, the question facing us today is, how do we get there? We can now move forward with setting some of the actionable steps and policies needed to achieve the endorsed growth scenario and, ultimately, the Imagine Kelowna vision.”

For more information about any of Council's upcoming plans, click here.