Waterloo students build mapping tool to guide Kitchener library planning and equity-based service decisions

Over summer 2026, planning students Miki Zheng and Alexa Rigonan, mentored by Dr. Leia Minaker and Dr. Rob Feick at the Future Cities Institute (FCI), developed an interactive overlay-analysis prototype for Kitchener Public Library and the City’s GIS team. The tool combines geographic access to branches, projected population growth, and equity measures (Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation and EQAO reading scores) to identify neighbourhoods where need and access gaps overlap. KPL can use these visual matrices to compare service models, including automated library lockers, against transparent data-driven criteria.