When we talk about "design", we typically think apps, screens or wearables. But everything that is experienced is at some point designed, and cities and urban landscapes are no exception.

The way in which citizens interact with their community is a direct result of the way in which it was designed: park locations, street sizes, and building heights all play a vital role in shaping this relationship.

The City of Kitchener, a long time supporter of Fluxible, knows this better than most. A tremendous amount of design thinking goes into every new building, structure, road, or piece of infrastructure. The city's initiatives are coordinated to take into account bylaws, plans, policies and strategies. Their goal is to ensure that each development complements the quality of life of citizens, fits within Kitchener's civic vision, and preserves cultural heritage.

And it's paying off. The open square in front of City Hall, for example, has won numerous awards. Moreover, the number of new tenants — both business and residential — flocking to the city centre reinforces that this holistic approach to urban design is working.

We caught up with Kitchener's Executive Director of Economic Development, Rod Regier, to talk about what makes good urban design and how those principles are reflected in the city. Here's a bit of our conversation.