Kelowna is becoming a more urban city, faster than anticipated.
The first annual progress report on the city’s Official Community Plan (OCP) and Master Transportation Plan (MTP) says it makes the development of urban centre plans more important in order to accommodate the growth.
Other key themes include a need for more middle-infill housing and a demand for office space and industrial lands.
“Managing growth requires continuous assessment,” the report states. “While it can be tempting to zero in on one or two
indicators, the long-term success in advancing and adapting the OCP and TMP requires understanding the multitude of factors that influence growth and mobility trends.”
The report also found that people are driving more, but they are also walking, biking and using transit more.
As well, inflation is impacting project delivery timelines.
“After the OCP and TMP were adopted in January 2022, inflation began to rise quickly. This is increasing the costs of
delivering the transportation infrastructure needed to support our growing community.”
The city has created two online dashboards for OCP/TMP progress. They provide an interactive opportunity for the
public and council.
Each indicator outlines why it is important, how the community is performing, what actions the city is taking and the next steps.
The OCP and TMP dashboards are available on the City of Kelowna website.
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@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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