Does Ottawa need a new university campus?

The Ontario election is over which means our attention must now turn to seeing whether the winning party will actually deliver on its promises. Of course, now that the McGuinty Liberals will only have a minority government, the first in 26 years, delivering on promises won’t be so cut and dry.

One of the most intriguing promises I saw from Dalton McGuinty was to add three new undergraduate campuses in the province. Some media personalities and analysts have assumed these new campuses would be in the Golden Horseshoe. Although it’s the most densely populated region in Canada, this could be seen as a slap in the face to Northern and Eastern Ontario.

As the province’s second largest city, whose two universities are quickly running out of space, I wonder whether there’s demand from our universities for a new campus in light of the Premier’s promise. 

Ottawa could make a case for being home to one of those new campuses. In Toronto both the University of Toronto and York University have multiple campuses so it’s not so far off to think that the University of Ottawa or Carleton could have another location in the city or region.

If there's demand from our universities, Kanata, especially the March Road area, home to Research in Motion, Ericsson and Huawei, would be an interesting location being a hub for the city’s knowledge-based industries. 

Going back decades universities have located campuses geographically close to knowledge-based industries and the trend continues today.

After being integral in the growth of Silicon Valley, Stanford University recently submitted a bid to open a New York City campus. 

The university says of its bid, “Stanford seeks to launch a new hub of innovation in New York City through the creation of an applied sciences center for teaching and research.”

The University of Waterloo and companies like Research and Motion also provide a great example of the advantages of locating knowledge-based companies near universities. 

Closer to home, seemingly inspired by the Stanford Research Park, Queen’s University acquired a 49-acre property next to Novelis Inc.’s research and development centre in Kingston to build Innovation Park at Queen’s University.

“Queen's has also reached an agreement to lease approximately 7,900 square metres (85,000 sq ft) of the Novelis R&D facilities to accommodate both faculty-led research projects that have industrial partners and small and medium-size companies with a research focus and a desire to interact with Queen's researchers.”

Although undergraduate campuses aren’t as research focused as graduate level campuses, when located close to enterprise they could help both our universities and Kanata-based companies with recruitment and retention as seen in Waterloo. Also, an undergraduate campus in Kanata could eventually lead to an even greater university presence in the area including graduate level programs and research.

Our universities may not be looking for additional space. There may not be the political will to bring another campus to the Ottawa area. Dalton McGuinty may not deliver on this promise after all. But I can’t help but salivate at the thought of a university campus in the midst of our knowledge-based companies in Kanata and what that could do for the local economy. Local entrepreneur Bruce Firestone recently called for the creation of a high school for the technological arts in the area so it can't be that far-fetched.

Kanata is an important research and technology centre for both the city and province, and it would benefit our universities, both of levels of government, and the local tech scene to at least consider locating a university campus in Ottawa’s west end in light of Mr. McGuinty’s election promise.

Our other alternative? Sitting idly by while the Golden Horseshoe potentially attracts three new undergrad campuses. In this case the decision to not do anything could be more costly than taking action.

Kevin Bourne

reinventingottawa.blogspot.com

Ottawa a Quality of Life leader in the Americas: FDI Intelligence report

Today I stumbled onto the American Cities of the Future 2011/2012 report by fDi Intelligence published in April/May 2011 which ranks cities within the Americas in a variety of economic categories including Economic Potential, Cost Effectiveness, Human Resources, Infrastructure, Business Friendliness, and Quality of Life.

The report also gives us a summary of fDi's methodology: "Cities of the Future shortlists are created by an independent collection of data by the fDi Intelligence division on 405 cities across North and South America."

Although Ottawa is only mentioned in one category there's reason to be optmistic.

The tables are broken down into four further categories- Major Cities, Large Cities, Small Cities and Micro Cities. Although Ottawa is sometimes referred to as a small town it's included in the Major Cities section reserved for the biggest cities in the Americas. Other cities included in the Major Cities section include New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Mexico City. Canadian cities in this category include Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

Ottawa placed fifth in Quality of Life in the Americas behind Washington DC, San Francisco, Calgary and Vancouver.

To download the full report click on the link or image above.

Kevin Bourne

reinventingottawa.blogspot.com

DOCKSIDE GREEN: What Lebreton could've been (Part 2)

After publishing a blog post yesterday about the Dockside Green development in Victoria I read an article by Kaid Benfield of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) about the same project. He raised some interesting points that I didn't cover in my post that showed its magnitude as well as the work of Windmill Developments.

Now let me say that my quoting and referring to this blog post doesn't necessarily mean I share the views of NRDC and the author.

I must say that this blog post left me with a lot of respect for Ottawa's Windmill Development Group. They demonstrated a lot of vision on this project. Kaid wrote:

"...when NRDC, the US Green Building Council and the Congress for the New Urbanism first announced the LEED for Neighbourhood Development pilot program to honor smart growth, the developers of Dockside Green [Windmill Development Group] made a point of being the program’s very first applicant...its two completed residential phases have also earned platinum ratings under the LEED green building programs, in one case setting a new world record for the highest LEED building score ever achieved and in the second case tying their own record."

Windmill seems to be keen on being a forerunner in applying for new sustainability programs and breaking world records for LEED developments. 

Kaid has given us more reasons to be impressed with Windmill.

"Dockside Green is being built by the financial institution Vancity, which launched the project with its partner, Windmill Developments, a firm committed to sustainability that persuaded the city of Victoria to approve a bold green concept for the site.  (All of Windmill's projects have achieved LEED platinum certification.)"

Other impressive points about the projects raised by the writer are:

• Dockside Green is on its way to becoming a 26-building redevelopment of a 15-acre, former brownfield industrial site (cleanup alone reportedly cost $20 million), being built in phases as an eventual mixed-use community of 1.3 million square feet and some 2500 residents.  
• The project is being developed in12 phases, comprising three neighborhoods, over seven years.
• Dockside Green is host to a biomass gasification plant that, along with additional renewable energy technology including on-building windmills and solar panels, enables the development to be carbon-neutral. 

I have to say I'm impressed with Windmill so far and look forward to seeing more of their work in Ottawa (even though they're using a different architect for Cathedral Hill).

After reading an Ottawa Citizen article called "Drafting a new blueprint" NCC CEO Marie Lemay stated that the Claridge development is only four hectares of a 37-hectare area slated for mixed use development in the Lebreton area. She is also sure that down the line Lebreton Flats will be something Ottawa will be proud of. They appear to have a plan for the area so let's give them the benefit of the doubt.

With a developer like Windmill in Ottawa I long to see such a beautiful and award-winning development in our city. This isn't the case of Ottawa wanting to be like another city; it's Ottawa leveraging award-winning expertise that's already here.

To read the full article by Kaid Benfield visit http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/a_close_look_at_what_may_be_th.html. He has a number of pictures, renderings, videos and information about Dockside Green. Enjoy!

Kevin Bourne

reinventingottawa.blogspot.com

Creating Positive Brand Value for your city

I’ve written before about city branding but lately I’ve began to revisit the topic with inspiration from events in my city- Ottawa. The most recent economic development strategy talked about the need to rebrand the city from being just a government town, but unfortunately it didn’t actually include a brand strategy. I think the economic development strategy was being modest; Ottawa is known as a sleepy and boring small town.

Over the next seven years our city will undergo major changes that will positively impact the image of the city, but it’s more due to random projects than to a well thought out brand strategy. There are cities that communicate well and whose identities are well-known, like New York, Paris, Toronto and Montréal, and there are cities like Ottawa that don’t communicate as well and whose identities are still being figured out.

Every action that a local government, large corporation, college and university, or other significant group does communicates something and affects the city’s brand. This means that most decisions made by these local institutions have brand value. The new LED screen that will be erected at the Ottawa Convention Centre, our new segregated bike lanes, and our fairly new purchase of double-decker buses all have brand value.

When it comes to cities there’s what I call Positive Brand Value and Negative Brand Value. I define Positive Brand Value as “an action or decision undertaken by a local government, corporation, or any significant group that reinforces their city’s brand”. I define Negative Brand Value as “an action or decision undertaken by a local government, corporation, or any other significant group that hurts their city’s brand.”

With every action that is undertaken, these local institutions should not only focus on monetary value or value-added through efficiency but brand value. Double-decker buses have monetary and efficiency value but they also have brand value; they communicate that Ottawa is an international city. Even though I don’t cycle (but I’m strongly considering it) and I often get upset with cyclists, I think bike lanes are good for our city because they have brand value which is good for the overall economic development of the city.

Looking at the private sector, the design that a condo builder chooses for their next development can either have positive or negative brand value.

Local groups, businesses, and institutions, especially local governments, need to be made aware of whether their actions or decisions are creating positive or negative brand value for their city. This kind of awareness helps these groups and institutions to unify around a collective city vision and avoid behaviours that will tarnish their city’s image. Unfortunately there are many cities out there, like Ottawa, which lack a cohesive vision to unify around in the first place.

Kevin Bourne

reinventingottawa.blogspot.com

Airport Cities on the rise...just not in Canada

There's a new urban form emerging around the world that's changing the way cities are built. There is also a race to implement this urban form that's sparking global competition. This concept in known as "airport cities" or the "aerotropolis" as coined by Dr. John Kasarda.

As railway and transit stations have become centres of economic, urban and social activity, airports, some having more citizens than small cities, are increasingly being seen as economic, urban and social centres to the point where small cities and business districts are forming around them. Amenities include leisure, entertainment, retail and business centres directly connected to terminals, and similar amenities located on surrounding airport lands. In this emerging urban form the terminals themselves act as public squares or shopping centres. The belief is that all the amenities found in a downtown core should be available either at the airport or on the lands surrounding the airport, and that people shouldn't have to leave the airport lands to experience these amenities.

In the United States, Europe and Asia cities are racing to complete aerotropolis projects in order to become more competitive in the global economy.

One of the main examples is the Songdo International Business District (IBD) in South Korea. Amenities include Central Park, the Riverstone Mall, residential development, office buildings, the Songdo Convensia Convention Center, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, as well as mixed-use retail, an international school, international hospital, and hotels. Similar projects in Asia and Europe are planned or in the works in Dubai, Hong Kong and Amsterdam. Closer to home Detroit, Memphis, St. Louis, and Washington DC.

So where is Canada in all of this? No where. Although we are the home of aerospace and rail juggernaut Bombardier, Canada has been an underachiever when it comes to transportation infrastructure and our air and rail travels industries. Our federal governments have not seen the value of transportation in the local and national economy; as a result the air and train travel industries are very small in Canada relative to other countries. Although the development of airport lands is the responsbility of airport authorities, our airports continue to pay some of the highest fees in the world making them uncompetitive.

Ottawa is the cheapest place to live in CanadaIs that a good thing?

I’m torn. Last week we learned that Ottawa is the cheapest place to live in Canada. The Mercer report considered the costs of housing, transport, food, clothing and entertainment. Toronto is the most expensive followed by Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. It’s no surprise that the “Big 3” are at the top followed by Calgary, the list almost follows the order of Canada’s largest cities; the only difference being Montreal is Canada’s second largest economic centre.

As a consumer and Ottawa resident I’m excited that our cost of living is lower than other cities, and that things are affordable for families, but we need to look deeper into these kinds of reports asking why we’re the cheapest place to live in Canada.

What's in a name?Naming a city's public spaces

I just realized something about myself with my last blog post. I’m really particular about how things are named, especially public spaces.

The very first task God gave Adam in the Garden of Eden was naming the animals. I imagine the names he came up with were based on their attributes and functions like how we’ve named dinosaurs today.

Names give life to ideas, create perceptions, and build emotional attachments, like a couple expecting a child who calls the baby by name instead of calling the baby “it”. Something happens when you name a thing.

I have a group of friends in Toronto where all of us are entrepreneurial. Whenever we get together we end up getting out a credit card and registering five to ten domain names for ideas we have, not only to secure the virtual real estate but to give life to the ideas. Again, something happens when you name a thing.

Earlier this year I read the book Blackberry by Rod McQueen. In one chapter they explained how they came up with the name Blackberry. They hired a naming firm who proposed hundreds of names for the device and narrowed them down through analysis. They assessed how the name sounded phonetically and what the name communicated. Other companies hire naming firms whether to name a shade of paint or a car model. A name that’s good phonetically and that communicates the right things can help a product to catch on with consumers and will influence sales. Apple does a great job of naming their products.

Closer to home we see the opposite. With the construction of the new Ottawa Convention Centre a decision was made to change the name from the Ottawa “Congress” Centre. According to the Chair, the word “Congress” was confusing to American event planners. Here we see that one word, that means something different in another jurisdiction, can lead to miscommunication and potentially hurt business.

In my previous post I questioned whether the name “Arts Court” would continue to communicate the significance of the facility to the city if used to name the whole complex. I questioned whether it would communicate well to people outside of our city, whether nationally or internationally. A few people acted like I had touched the Holy Grail; how dare I suggest such a thing. The Congress Centre situation shows that it wasn't exactly a far fetched observation.

What Ottawa can learn from Calgary and Winnipeg

Ottawa, I feel a sense of urgency. More than ever I believe that our city needs a real vision for its future. The soon-to-be released economic development strategy seems like a great place to start, attracting investment to emerging industries that have great growth potential. The arts and culture also seem to be increasingly on the City's radar in this term of council. I'm actually impressed with what's been happening during the term of Mayor Watson; I'm seeing vision from different players in the city. Nevertheless I still wonder if Ottawa is maximizing its potential as a major national centre in Canada.

This morning I read an article from Friday's Globe & Mail about the $215-million expansion of Canada Olympic Park in Calgary which WinSport CEO, Dan O’Neill envisions as a “One-stop shop for our [Canada’s] athletes.” The plan includes four new arenas, a high-performance sports institute, a new office space for Hockey Canada, new homes for Alpine Canada and the National Sports School, and a new home for the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame which will be relocating from Toronto’s exhibition grounds. Lastly, dirt from the construction of Calgary’s latest LRT project will be used to turn a hill in the park into a 180-metre high mountain for slalom skiers. All this on top of their current facilities and attractions. The goal is to make Canada into a winter sport powerhouse on the international stage by providing our athletes with a state-of-the-art place to train together and share ideas. At the same time it will make Calgary Canada’s undisputed centre for national sport, diversifying its local economy which is known primarily for oil. This is good news for Calgary which in 2009 surpassed the Ottawa-Gatineau area as the fourth largest metropolitan area despite the fact that we Ottawans still call ourselves Canada’s fourth largest city.

Also in the prairies, Winnipeg is experiencing tremendous growth as $460 million is being invested to build CentrePort, a 20,000 acre inland port being marketed as "Canada's Centre for Global Trade" and "Canada's First Foreign Trade Zone", as a part of the Mid-Continental Trade Corridor and the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative (APGCI). Built next to Winnipeg's James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, the site will include warehousing, distribution, and manufacturing facilities. The vision also includes a high-speed transportation corridor including a four-lane expressway to the site. Also of note, downtown Winnipeg will soon be graced with Canada’s first national museum outside of the National Capital Region with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Adding a new NHL franchise and gentrification of their downtown due to increased condo development and expansion of their university doesn’t hurt. With the growth of CentrePort, Winnipeg will soon be Canada's centre for shipping.

The level of vision being displayed here is tremendous. They aren't simply looking to diversify their local economies, they are carving out a niche for themselves in the Canadian economy, increasing their roles as national centres. 

Construction underway at CE Centre

First, I would like to apologize for not posting as frequently as I used to. Since my wife's return to work from maternity leave I have become full-time dad for a bit which doesn't leave much time to write. Today I have a little free time and I'm due for another post so here we go.

A project that I hoped to be following more closely is the Capital Exhibition Centre, now officially known as the CE Centre, on Uplands Drive. The project website and renderings have been updated with the new branding which makes the design more polished. After a winter spent clear the land, construction underway. Unfortunately I haven't been to the site in a while so I don't have any new pictures, but I was told that last weekend they started to erect steel beems on the north side of the site.

Here are a few of the new and existing renderings for the project. In exactly 218 days Ottawa will have another world-class meeting facility!

Kevin

reinventingottawa.blogspot.com

Is Ottawa a City of Design?

Over the past few weeks, since reading the City's economic development strategy, I have had even more of an interest in economic development and city branding. More and more I'm seeing why they are so important.

This morning I watched a video marketing Montréal as a UNESCO City of Design. This intrigued me because I had never heard of this designation before.

I discovered that aside from the UNESCO City of Design designation others include: Cities of Literature, Cities of Film, Cities of Music, Cities of Craft & Folk Art, Cities of Media Arts, and Cities of Gastronomy. Once a city receives the designation they become a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

With Ottawa marketing itself as Canada's Creative Economy Capital, should we be pursuing this designation and membership in this network?

According to the website "UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network is developing a fundamental concept of ‘Creative Economy’ and ‘Creative Industries’ which the UK Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) define as ‘those industries which have their origin in individual creativity skill and talent and which, have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property."

This sounds like Ottawa.

One of the main advantages of joining the network is that, "The cities which apply to the network seek to promote their local creative scene...Once the city is appointed to the network, it can share experiences and create new opportunities for itself and others on a global platform, notably for activities based on the notion of creative tourism."

Should cities function more like countries?

In the 21st century, cities are becoming increasingly powerful. Man once lived in the age of city-states, then the age of empires, then the age of nations, and now we are back into an age of cities. Sixty-percent of the world's population will be living in urban areas by 2030, up from fifty-percent at the moment.

There are some cities like Mumbai and Beijing that have more residents and economic capacity than many countries, regions and continents.  It's almost like we are going back to the days of Rome, Troy and Sparta where cities operated like countries.

So here's the question. Should cities function more like countries in order to stimulate growth? 

We are starting to see more countries forming joint chambers of commerce with other countries, for example the Nigeria/Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Commerce. As cities become more powerful would it be worthwhile to form joint chambers of commerce with other cities, for example the Ottawa-Beijing Chamber of Commerce? Perhaps even a three way chamber spanning multiple continents- the Ottawa-Mumbai-Melbourne (OMM) Chamber of Commerce. Perhaps there could be chambers for specific purposes- the San Francisco-Ottawa-Seoul (SOS) Chamber of Technology or the Ottawa-Sydney Chamber for the Arts. These kinds of networks would provide an international platform for local artists, professionals and entrepreneurs.

Another way in which countries interact is through diplomatic relations. Should cities appoint ambassasors to other cities? Should cities have embassies or high commissions in other cities in order to promote diplomatic and economic relations on a municipal level the same way countries do on a national level? If your city took $5 million of your tax dollars to have a full-time representative in Beijing, New York, or Prague would you think that was good use of your money?

Of course there would be huge legalities and technicalities involved. For example, would the City of Ottawa's embassy in Mumbai be Ottawa, Canadian or Indian soil? To avoid the legalities, a city like Ottawa could appoint an ambassador to Mumbai who is originally from Mumbai or India and is living here in the city, and task them with creating diplomatic and economic ties with the City of Mumbai. With some cities having the capacity of countries, whether in population, talent or economics, it's not that far out there. Again, this would bring us back to the days of Rome, Sparta and Troy.

Cities are becoming increasingly interesting. I regret that cities in Canada aren't as respected by the provinces and federal government as they are in other countries. With the exception of Toronto, our mayor and cities don't have the same powers they have in other countries. We don't get as much investment from high levels of government as cities in other countries.  Urban infrastructure, like high speed rail, light rail, and airports, aren't given the same level of funding. As a result, our cities are constantly in need of cash and handouts.

As time unfolds countries will have to alter how they relate to their major urban centres and in turn these urban centres will have to alter how they relate to other urban centres around the world. It will be interesting to see how the future unfolds.

Kevin Bourne

reinventingottawa.blogspot.com

Self-preservation in the Capital, Canada & Caribbean

Self-preservation- it's a basic human reaction.  When we humans feel threatened we go into self-preservation mode.  This reaction, rooted in fear, is a reality from the family to the international community.

Three places that are very important to me are my city, my country, and the Caribbean.  Every day I try to stay informed on what's happening in those three places.  What I noticed is that self-preservation can be seen everyday in Ottawa, Canadian, and Caribbean news.

Commitment

At the regional or supranational level we talk about "Integration".  At the national level we talk about "Confederation".  At the municipal level we talk about "Amalgamation".  At the family level we talk about "Marriage".  At their core they all mean the same thing; they are the bringing together of individual or single units to make a whole or bigger unit.

Whether you're talking about Integration, Confederation, Amalgamation, or Marriage there is sometimes a tendency to go into self-preservation mode where any one of the members doesn't fully commit to the union out of a fear, whether legitimate or illegitimate, of losing their identity and individuality. 

As we speak Caribbean integration is being held back by fear that some CARICOM members have of losing their indentity and individuality.  Quebec leaders haven't fully committed to Confederation because of this same fear.  At the family level, the same can be said in marriages.  I could be wrong, but I think that's why so many women hyphenate their names or keep their maiden names (for some people it's culture and for others they want their old friends to find them on Facebook), and some men hold onto their old black books or pictures of their ex.  Again, these fears can be legitimate or illegitimate.

OTTAWA IS THE NEW NIAGARA: Capital becomes Canada's newest wine region

You're probably asking, “Wait! When did that happen?”  Well it didn’t, but it’s happening in my head.  Lately I’ve been asking myself how Ottawa can leverage its vast rural land as an asset.

On a Saturday drive through Navan, Ontario in East Ottawa my wife and I saw a sign, not a spiritual epiphany, a literal sign.  It said “Winery”.  We followed the sign and ended up at the Domaine Perrault winery where we met local wine producer, Denis Perrault, and his family.  In talking to Denis I didn’t just see a wine producer but an artist who loves his craft.  He schooled me on his agricultural consulting work in Africa and let me know there were ten more wineries in the area with one more opening in Richmond.  His wine was some of the best wine I've tasted in years!

That’s when I started asking myself whether Ottawa had what it takes to develop its own wine region.  Could that be a solution for leveraging our miles of rural land (and protecting it against sprawl)?  Could that be another plank in our tourism and economic development strategies?  What would happen if the ten wineries in the area were all located in one place?  There are a few factors working in our favour.  

Why Ottawa should bid for the 2017 World University Games

So Canada's 150th birthday is coming and Ottawa is positioning itself to be Canada's gathering place for 2017.  To help with that effort we have already placed a bid for the 2017 World Police and Fire Games and have been shortlisted with five other cities including Toronto and Montreal.

For those who don't know, the World Police and Fire Games is the second largest athletics event in the world with 10,000 athletes; that is slightly less than the Summer Olympic Games and more than the Commonwealth Games.  You can see that landing this kind of event would be a huge stimulus for our local economy.  What's more is that organizers have told the federation they wouldn't need to build any new facilities which would save a lot of money.

So what about the rest of the year?  That brings me to the World University Games, also known as Universiade; essentially an Olympics for university students.  This past September the bidding process for the 2017 Summer and Winter World University Games was opened.  Potential host cities have until May 2, 2001 to submit a Letter of Intention.  Although not as large as the World Police and Fire Games, this event would bring 9,000 student athletes and coaches, over 1,000 judges, as well as supportive family members into our city.

So the question is, should we bid for the Winter or Summer games?