Rideau Heights Regeneration Strategy, City of Kingston

The City of Kingston, in collaboration with the Kingston Frontenac Housing Corporation, wishes to pursue the renewal of the Rideau Heights community through a sustainable neighbourhood action plan framework that will incorporate sustainable building and infrastructure technologies to assist in the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the community. Located within Kingston’s urban area, yet isolated from the downtown core, Rideau Heights is an urban neighborhood with a central concentration of 500 social housing units, primarily row houses and low-rise buildings, surrounded by common green spaces and parking areas. Facing social challenges resulting from the concentration of economically disadvantaged households, Rideau Heights is hindered by a poor initial community design, and aging buildings and servicing infrastructure. As part of the Regeneration Strategy, Kingston will develop a sustainability vision for the neighbourhood through in-depth consultations to identify the needs of residents. The city will then explore innovative technologies, alternative development standards, and creative financing scenarios to propose sustainable solutions for community design, energy conservation, waste systems, stormwater and wastewater treatment, transportation, social development, community wellness and health, and the longer-term ongoing functioning and operation of the neighborhood. Preliminary options to renew the housing stock will be vetted through a community design event and a Technical Steering Committee, composed of City staff, utilities and other stakeholders. The final action plan will include strategies to create a more diverse neighbourhood, including affordable and market rental housing and affordable home ownership, and recommendations to offset redevelopment costs as much as possible through operational savings and local economic development. The Rideau Heights Regeneration Strategy is aligned with the city’s Municipal Housing Strategy and Sustainable Kingston Plan (GMF 10200), which established the city’s commitment to sustainable community development. Through previous partnerships with the province of Ontario, Kingston has already built some new apartment and affordable housing units in the city including sustainability features such as geoexchange and wall mounted solar power systems. The city is looking forward on continuing this work through the implementation phases of this plan. (Project description from original funding application)