Kitchener, ON — January 15, 2026— The Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BESTWR) today released Version 1 of the Vision 1 Million Scorecard, an updated and evidence-based tool designed to assess Waterloo Region’s readiness to grow to one million residents over the coming decades.
With population growth projections indicating an increase of more than 300,000 residents within the next 25 years, the Scorecard provides a shared, public view of progress across the systems that matter most to regional readiness — including housing, transportation, healthcare, employment lands, and community livability.
The Vision 1 Million Scorecard was first introduced in 2025 to establish a common framework for tracking preparedness. Version 1 represents a significant evolution of that work. Developed in collaboration with the Future Cities Institute at the University of Waterloo, the updated Scorecard reflects extensive research, expert interviews, and community consultation. Metrics have been refined, background context has been added, and each score is accompanied by a clear explanation of the rationale behind it.
“This Scorecard is about asking — and answering — a hard but necessary question: are we truly ready for the growth ahead?” said Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce and Chair of BESTWR. “Version 1 strengthens the credibility of this tool and reinforces its purpose — to support informed decision-making, transparent accountability, and proactive action across our region.”
While some metrics and scores evolved, the core focus of the Scorecard remains unchanged. The same priority initiatives are being tracked over time, allowing the region to measure progress, identify persistent gaps, and course-correct where necessary. This continuity is intentional and essential to ensuring the Scorecard functions as a meaningful tracking tool rather than a one-time report.
The Scorecard is designed as a living document, with updates planned at regular intervals. Its goal is not to assign blame, but to align effort, inform advocacy with governments and partners, and focus attention on the areas where action is most urgently needed.
“Growth pressures are not unique to Waterloo Region, but how communities respond to them matters,” said Dr. Leia Minaker, Director of the Future Cities Institute and Professor in
the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo. “This Scorecard reflects a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to understanding readiness and risk, and it creates a foundation for more coordinated, future-focused decision-making.”
The Vision 1 Million Scorecard underscores that accountability for regional readiness extends beyond governments alone. Business, post-secondary institutions, community organizations, and residents all play a role in shaping a region that remains competitive, inclusive, and livable as it grows. Many of the assessment shifts that will be observed between version 0 and version 1 are due to the tightening of the metrics and targets based on the work of Future Cities Institute. A key positive change since the release in June has been on expanding rail and transit infrastructure. Significant progress has been made to advance the 2/3 key projects being tracked in this initiative (Two Way All Day GO, Downtown Kitchener Transit Hub and Breslau GO) causing a move from being assessed as Needs Attention to In Progress.
Community members are encouraged to explore the full Scorecard and engage with the findings at bestwr.org.
The Scorecard represents a collaborative effort among BESTWR’s five member organizations: the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, Communitech, the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, Explore Waterloo Region, and the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation.
The Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BestWR) is comprised of five leading business organizations working as partners for economic prosperity and community needs. Currently chaired by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, BestWR includes: Communitech, the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, Explore Waterloo Region, and the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation.
The Future Cities Institute founded by CAIVAN at the University of Waterloo conducts research, builds tools, and trains future city builders with a focus on data-driven decision making. The institute brings together global thinkers, industry leaders, and researchers to tackle urban challenges across housing, transportation, infrastructure, and beyond, supporting healthy, prosperous cities built for the future.
Ian McLean, Chair of BestWR
IMcLean@greaterkwchamber.com | 519.897.1029
