Scaledown believes and knows W.E. CAN
In fact, thats the entire reason behind Scaledown, we have always believed that Windsor Essex Can and will make the shift that is required to be a successful mid sized city that is a key part of what Richard Florida calls one of the worlds “Mega-Regions” of the future.
We have all the key assets that we need, our world class Riverfront, our new engineering school, a College with a strong leader, a city that has invested in diversification.
W.E. CAN addresses head the issues of the miasma of negative self image that has not only affected our city in the past but has been identified in meetings of the Brookings Institute backed Great Lakes Urban Exchange as the single biggest obstacle of many of the Great Lakes Cities.
W.E. CAN and We Will
Tune into Scaledown Radio every Tuesday at noon starting April 29th to hear more or go to CJAM`s website to hear the first two shows on April 8th and 15th from noon `til 1pm
Tags: economic development, local economic development, revitalization, scaledown
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Calgary Can..or is attempting to: From the Calgary Herald:
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/newhomes/story.html?id=19c784d4-4f37-4313-827c-aa6d98a3e60f
“Bold actions needed for sustainable growth
Calgary initiative must join regional planning efforts
Jim Dewald and Bev Sandalack, For the Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Our recent series of articles focused on the inherent opportunities available to land developers who embrace the City of Calgary’s Plan It initiative.
Plan It is a comprehensive study of Calgary’s future, aimed at finding ways to minimize our city’s ecological footprint, while maximizing the vitality and social attributes of living in a cosmopolitan centre.”
and..”Plan It runs the real risk of being another pretty book on a shelf.
The first priority is a total commitment, at all levels of city hall, to exploring and adopting more sustainable patterns of growth — sustainability when measured on the basis of social, ecological, and fiscal impact.
Unfortunately, we hear all too often that developers receive support from one corner, but resistance in others fiefdoms within city hall.
The first supporters of higher density mixed-use patterns of growth were the city planners (although there are some hold-outs even within this group).
City planners have over the past few years successfully educated the majority of aldermen, but even though the politicians are onside, resistance in other departments continues to severely undermine some tremendously positive initiatives.
Our research indicates that the primary culprits are roads and parks staff…”
and…”To build a great city, we desperately need an attitude of “we can do it” over “we’re stuck and refuse to change.”
Support of bold developer initiatives, including those in line with the objectives of Plan It, could be a very positive and inspiring shift for city staff.
But it would require more support, encouragement, incentives and direction than what currently occurs in the city.
Unfortunately, city hall has been famous for rewarding those who are the best at maintaining the status quo and who resist change over those who champion change……”
…..”There is a very real danger that goals to achieve greater vitality and sustainability championed in Plan It will be threatened by surrounding municipalities if they continue to permit sprawl patterns of growth, transferring much of the downstream impacts (such as transportation needs) onto the shoulders of the region’s primary employment districts, all of which are within Calgary’s boundaries…”
Sounds like the situation of Windsor and the surrounding communities, EH!
And finally from the article:
“This past week, the provincial government introduced the notion of once again formalizing regional planning, and Bronconnier has indicated his support.
Without more details, it is premature for us to throw our support behind this plan, but we certainly like the concept of returning to institutionalized regional planning.
Still, as a provincial initiative, one would expect to see more say given to rural municipalities than would be preferred by city hall.
This will demand full engagement of Bronconnier’s collaborative leadership skills, and council’s intestinal fortitude to support a collaborative regional approach that would recognize that we live, work and play within a regional context.
We will all suffer the economic, social and environment costs of another failure in establishing a regional planning framework.
We are long overdue for the Calgary (sic Windsor) region to follow a new paradigm in co-operation that recognizes the omnipresent nature of regional issues, and the desperate need for regional solutions.”
Can W.E. ?
Plan It Calgary
Links to Plan It:
http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_104_0_0_35/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Development+and+Building+Approvals+and+Land+Use+Planning+and+Policy/Land+Use+Planning/Plan+It/Plan+It.htm
How much money did this so-called branding cost us? I believe in the mentality of cleaning house first, recognizing what you are second before any branding can take place. Besides, the best champion of any branding is the residents themselves. Maybe Eddie might start to listen to RESIDENTS FIRST to understand that not everything is as rosey as he would like it to be….straight from the horse’s mouth.
Dave, thats the beauty of it, the vast majority of the money has been donated generously by woodslee credit union, the Windsor star with the WEDC all volunteer board overseeing the campaign.
This is truly community coming together.
Look, this isn’t branding. This is looking at all the issues that you and I both talk about and approaching them from a can do attitude.
Its moving beyond talking about it to actual action. As much as I think about this internet site, you could categorize it amongst others as
“W.E. TALK”. Scaledown has always wanted to move beyond that to “W.E. CAN”, and then finally to “W.E. WILL” and “W.E. DID IT”
THe residents association represents the movement from “W.E. TALK” To “W.E. CAN”. I can’t wait to see it prioritize its goals and then work towards them arm and arm with not only the BIA but the Arts Council, the WEDC, the Council, the Administration, Windsor South Festival Network.
WE’ve never coordinated our efforts, we’ve never rowed in the same direction. W.E. Can do that now
I agree Mark. I just don’t think we need a multitude of W.E. Can banners to do it. What we need is fo rcoucnil to recognize what we are trying to acheive, approve it and make administration follow through on the recommendations. I know W.E. can, we just don’t need to dump taxpayers dollars into a fire pit to say W.E. Can. Because W.E. Will!