Canadian Municipal Cultural Planning and Economic Development Part 3
It is in the cities and towns across Canada that the innovation is taking place, the wealth is being created, the art is being produced, the world-leading research is happening in laboratories, that medical and scientific achievements are being celebrated, the new generation of sculptors and musicians are being developed, and that new neighbourhoods are being built.
It is an enormously exciting time for local governments to show their leadership and to create the cities of tomorrow. We won’t do this by thinking small, by allowing Council debates to focus on minor flaps instead of major projects, by having small minds elected to do small things.
Municipalities must assert themselves with the senior levels of government that too often are obstructive, patronizing and self-absorbed. The real action for prosperity and for strong communities is happening at the local level.
Municipal Cultural Planning is a battle for our towns and cities, where people live, work and play. It is a fight to create the kinds of communities where companies want to create jobs, where the creative class chooses to live and where municipalities want to rejuvenate our downtowns. We need to change how municipalities think and do business, to focus how cities will grow and if they will prosper in the future.
Strong, robust local economies are fundamental to strong communities. If they don’t offer interesting jobs to skilled workers, communities will deteriorate. If there isn’t a certain ‘buzz’ about the city, it will be left behind.
The global economy is more demanding and tougher than we’ve ever seen before. Canadian municipalities have to have the tools, courage and vision to compete on the national and international stage. It is a whole new way of thinking for most Council members.
From a strong arts and cultural scene to providing contemporary recreational facilities for families, from an environmentally sensitive community that offers walking and bike paths and provides a high quality of life, from a vibrant downtown to a diversified economy, these are challenges facing Canadian communities today.
Developing a Creative City strategy today offers a powerful tool to develop the strategies and plans for a robust local economy in a thriving, prosperous community. That’s why Municipal Cultural Planning is now an integral part of how Canadian cities and towns have to do business.