Lakeshore Council To Consider Partnership With UWindsor’s Centre For Cities

Lakeshore Council has directed the administration to bring back a report on developing a formal partnership with the University of Windsor’s Centre for Cities.

The Centre for Cities at Windsor Law supports collaborative research, teaching and public engagement on the most pressing legal and policy issues for municipalities and local institutions.

In December of 2023, the Centre for Cities announced the launch of its Housing Systems and Innovation Lab with initial financial support provided by Libro Credit Union. The Lab is organized around a singular systems approach to efficient and appropriate housing production. Tools such as target market analysis, efficient and early public consultation, and financial incentives for developers to build within the established footprint of the city all form part of the Lab’s systems approach.

The say that the goal of such a partnership would be the creation and implementation of a Housing Production Systems Approach. This comprehensive and community-centric approach would see residents engaged in a bottom-up process to determine how Lakeshore’s housing sector develops. Feedback from residents would be incorporated into Lakeshore’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law.

“This initiative will make it easier for builders to build by cutting red tape while ensuring our communities develop in ways that reflect what our residents want,” said Mayor Tracey Bailey. “We are lucky to have an incredible local asset in the Centre of Cities, and I look forward to seeing this partnership develop so Lakeshore can lead the way in improved planning processes throughout the region, as well as how we can work with the University to improve how we serve our residents.”

The memorandum of understanding, which will be presented to Council for approval at a future meeting, would be the first of its kind in the region.