Queen Street Placemaking

/ Landscape Architecture

GSP Group led the multi-disciplinary team to realize an established vision for Queen Street in Downtown Kitchener. This portion of Queen Street is well-traveled with increased pedestrian traffic due to the ION light rail transit system with stations located on Duke and Charles Streets. A pedestrian-first approach led the redesign of the street corridor.

A challenging site with the narrow right-of-way on Queen, the space now has wider sidewalks, narrower vehicular travel lanes, upgraded surface treatments, and new street lighting. Road profiles have been adjusted to ensure the streetscape is barrier free and accommodating for all users. Under the surface, the project was also an opportunity to install trench drains and storm connections.

Through the redevelopment of Vogelsang Green into a tiered patio and open lawn space, plaza seating and signage at Goudies Lane, street art and heritage panels into the right-of-way, and upgrades to the lighting along the two-block area, the Queen Street corridor offers pedestrians a distinguished and identifiable urban space within the downtown core. Enhancements to Cenotaph Green, including the expansion and regrading of the paved plaza space, enhanced lighting and themed planting around the periphery help to further emphasize the cenotaph memorial, better accommodate gatherings on Remembrance Day, and encourage daily pedestrian use as an open and inviting urban green space.