2040 Official Community Plan - Form & Character
Design Foundations
Urban design is the comprehensive and cohesive combination of buildings, streets, and open spaces. Good urban design is primarily determined by the relationship between the public and private realm at the street level. Pedestrian-oriented and human-scaled streets, squares, and plazas are essential elements to the making of a functional, aesthetic, and vibrant place. The design foundations are applicable to all development projects and are the foundation for supporting creativity, innovation and design excellence in Kelowna.
Facilitate active mobility
Site and building design should ensure connectivity, safety and comfort for people walking and cycling, both within the site and to/from the surrounding neighbourhood.
Use placemaking to strengthen neighbourhood identity
Development should contribute to a local sense of place by considering neighbourhood context, linkages, and future land uses at each scale of design – from site layout to landscaping to building details.
Create lively and attractive streets and public spaces
Development should define and activate streets and public spaces to support their intended use and encourage human interaction.
Design buildings to the human scale
Buildings and site features should be designed to the human scale – optimized to be used by people and oriented towards pedestrian activity.
Strive for design excellence
Development projects should look beyond current trends and consider best practices and innovation for issues such as parking, energy efficiency, and building design to create a positive and lasting legacy.
