The Innovation Lab Ideas

"Reduce and/or eliminate waste so that savings can be diverted to other innovative ideas brought about by this challenge that address critical issues.
Easier contact between residents and their city council.
Timely release of critical information like storm warnings, census feedback, traffic hazards and security alerts in specified areas.
Create an efficient municipal across departments.
Improved security and a central location for residents to communicate their concerns with each other, which will provide a platform to suggest meaningful and mindful solutions towards reducing crime.
Council can save more on marketing, paper mail drops and external training programs.
Better analytics from more accurate user data, so our council will be able to deliver better services accordingly.
Better service delivery will attract more businesses and jobs to Calgary and we can continue to improve on other aspects that will exploit innovations to make Calgary the best city. "

"This mobile application can be updated and coupled with our custom CRM, LMS, Facial Recognition and Automation software tool to improve or compliment elements identified in the previous Zero Based Review plus evolve with the Calgary Community to put all residents, businesses and other stakeholders on the same track to make Calgary better.
The technology is customized to improve community engagements no matter where residents are in the world.
We can incorporate a system to improve city employee efficiency and satisfaction be easing the workload and letting the technology work for us.
The city can automate processes and create more efficient practices to reduce turnover times and monitor processes efficiently.
Local businesses and the City of Calgary can support community growth in innovative ways through the mobile application.
Improve community safety and wellbeing by linking systems with specified functions in departments like the Police, Fire and Municipal by-laws.
The platform will maintain its flexibility to integrate with other services so that Calgary grows as community where everyone can participate to keep it safe, clean and promote a positive experience.
More details are included in the attachment and the possibilities are limitless of how we can apply these technologies with existing and future technology and accurate data. "

The more connected a community is:

a) the greater the variety of services
b) the lower the cost of services
c) the higher the quality of life

To date, modern infrastructure services aimed at connecting citizens have focused on physical things like roads, airports, electrical lines and so on. From time to time new technologies are invented, and a community must introduce new kinds of infrastructure to enable new types of services, just like we did with the introduction of electricity, telecommunications, and internet.

Building this infrastructure will enable new kinds of services while reducing the cost of delivery and management of existing of existing se​rvices. Like all good infrastructure, it opens endless new possibilities, some which are easy to see while others cannot be forecasted.

Improved CITIZEN - CITIZEN Communication
- Address-based communication: (optional to block or restrict)
- Send a neighbour an invite to an event
- File a complaint directly to a neighbour (without disclosing your id, not a written message just a multi-select like mow-lawn, shovel snow etc.) If the issue is not resolved, then it can escalate to the city
- Share an emergency response data set with a neighbour. No one can the see details unless they open it and when they do you get a notification but now if something happens they have means to help meaningfully
- coordinate community initiatives, collect qualified feedback and votes etc

Improved CITIZEN - BUSINESS Communication
- Businesses can connect their service offerings to a property, and building occupants/owners can see them in an app store type interface. The service """"app store"""" simplifies finding and managing services for consumers
- Local business could be highlighted in the app store like service listings to help them grow
- Citizens can opt into promotional offerings from vendors which allows them to see specials and promotions
- Once you've added a service provider, you have a real-time chat and a full history of all orders, information and communications
- Business has improved visibility with simple tools to help customers consume their services which means lower costs and higher revenues
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Improved CITIZEN - GOVERNMENT Communication
- Government services and representatives can link to each property similar to the business services
- Once citizen or business connects to a property, they would instantly be connected to all their government representatives and could easily see/create events, chats, and so on
- Governments would now have a mechanism with the required level of security and authentication to enable a digital option for voters. Voting could start with use on small issues and overtime, as people become familiar and comfortable could be scaled up for every type of voting
- Census information could be easily collected as it could be part of a person's profile and an option is granted to use the data for Census. Census collectors could skip homes which use the digital option saving thousands of hours of labour
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Improved EMERGENCY SERVICES
- Each resident can create an emergency response data set which includes whatever data they deem important. This could range from relatives and their phone numbers to medications to pets to names, ages and bedroom locations of children. This data is cryptographically locked and is not visible until it is accessed. The creator gives emergency services a digital key if needed the department uses it to view the data. If this happens, the owner of the data gets a notification with details about who looks at it and when.
- Emergency service groups can also send out notifications to a geographic area and know that messages will also be delivered to people who may not currently be in the area. For instance, a fire is occurring, and emergency services can transmit a recorded call or text the """"Occupants"""" of neighbouring homes. If someone is across town, they still get the call because of their relationship to the property
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Improved BUSINESS - GOVERNMENT communication
- Getting a permit is often complex and costly as it requires research into who to even contact. By Government departments to connect their services to a property simplifies everything for them and business. Now a company will be able to select a property and instantly connect to all the right departments and people
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LET'S MAKE CALGARY THE MOST CONNECTED CITY IN THE WORLD!

These are only a few of the measurable outcomes. What is exciting is it all comes from connecting buildings and lots to a social network like structure, and using relationships between the property and people, government and business to simplify how we connect as a community.

This is the future. Let's take the lead and put our city on the world stage for technology innovation and rachet even higher on the quality of life rankings!

This application requires technology that has already been developed but not yet implemented for a city.

Ideally, data about buildings and lots would be connected directly i​n the network.

Calgary's economy has been dependent on oil and gas resulting in fluctuations in economic prosperity. Calgary Economic Development is strengthening the diversity of Calgary's economy by attracting the technology industry. For technology industries to prosper they need rich connectivity and opportunities to innovate and municipalities can help accelerate that process. IoT, remote sensing, big data, autonomous vehicles, connected vehicles etc. are a growing industry dependent on pervasive connectivity. Today wireless carriers can take 12 - 24 months to gain access to specific assets for the deployment of wireless infrastructure. These barriers limit the growth of the connectivity ecosystem and thus slow the progress of technology development. By recognizing these barriers and working in collaboration with the wireless providers, streamlined processes can be developed that balances the needs of the municipalities and wireless providers.

Three wireless carriers will have access to over 50 sites (poles or facilities) to deploy wireless infrastructure - Small Cell (4G/5G) by 2020 with a streamlined process that takes no longer than 45 days for permitting. Accessible connectivity and living lab zones will drive technology talent to Calgary and set the foundation for new product and industry development in a variety of fields.

Through principles of ""inclusion"" and ""empowerment"" an environment whereby a variety of actors can equally participate will strengthen the digital ecosystem, resulting in new opportunities for the community to develop applications. A living lab is an example of this opportunity in action. When zones around the city have been identified as areas to test new technologies it accelerates product development.

If we wait five years to invest in AI graduates, it'll be too late. Don't leave it to the schools to come up with the program fees. Tell them to start the programs and have the city pay for most of it, charging the students a nominal fee. Keep the standards high allowing only the best and brightest students to be accepted. The AI program is different from any other programs in that it needs to be singled out and given more funding. The bottom line is the program needs to be affordable for most Canadians.
Calgary cannot wait or we'll be left behind as other cities worldwide are already investing in AI education for its citizens.

Calgary can study other cities to find out how they are measuring the effectiveness of their AI education. Do this quick and start implementing a strategy as the "golden opportunity" is going to pass soon.

Technology will be a collaborative effort between the city and the education centers to provide state-of-the-art facilities whereby students can thrive in innovating AI. Students will have to utilize cutting-edge technology create the most advanced AI possible.

Not only are we aiming to revitalize the economy, but we are looking to regain that momentum from Amazon's bid and grab another large scale company. We NEED DENSITY in Calgary, we NEED TRAFFIC in Calgary. These are signs of a vibrant city when people are constantly moving across the city to do a variety of things and not just stuck in our low density suburbs. Bringing in a large company to integrate a smart city development in the Downtown core (using existing or new infrastructure) not only helps to create a more effective, efficient, smart city, but also boosts tech investment as other companies will see the larger company exploring new cities. This would be a great opportunity to integrate with the new Green Line as well.

Create a similar proposal to that of Amazon to lure a company/companies that are looking for a test site for their technology. Make sure to have a clause that they have to hire X amount of Full timers and X amount of interns. We will know if its effective if a technology company decides to come up and take the offer. If they do thats great and we can measure effectiveness more so when they hire Albertans (looking for work and students), when we see other companies being created or coming up to the tech district in Calgary, regain density downtown, and there is an increase in STEM applications at our post-secondary institutions. If people want to move back to Downtown, especially in this region, then we know it's working.

There are countless ideas that can be integrated with technology and data, but we need to have density to have Big chunks of Data to actually make it valuable. Technology is just an arm of what we want it to do, but we need people to collect data from. We can build the perfect "smart" city, but if there are no people ready to move in or that want to go there, there is no data to truly make it into a smart city. We need density, we need a technology district, we need diversification. This is a great opportunity to truly rebuild Calgary as a city of the future and bring in a technology company that is well-funded and well-established to help build a smart city ground up with Albertan employees and students and give people a reason to want to live, play, and spend more time in Downtown Calgary.

"The results of collecting environmental data at this resolution will provide an ever-growing dataset that will enable an enormous amount of data-backed analysis and work optimization that simply isn't possible today. For example, climate scientists can build data models of how weather varies across the city. These models will empower both public and private organizations to optimize both public services and private business endeavours.

City workers will be able to efficiently and effectively water city parks where and when its most needed. Winter snow ploughs can be dispatched to where snow is deepest and snow fences can be planned and set up where its snowy and windiest. New public parks, playgrounds and outdoor ice rinks can be placed where wind and weather is most favourable. The wind impact of new highrise buildings can be more accurately modeled and predicted based on real data, thereby minimizing negative impacts on surrounding communities.

Wind doesn't just move in one direction, it is a dynamic fluid that makes responding to airborne threats almost impossible. With the implementation of a high-density, live model of wind movement, emergency services will be able to immediately know where dangerous fumes and smoke is located and moving to when fires and disaster strikes (remember the Hub Oil fire?). Air polluters who use the cover of darkness to avoid detection will no longer be able poison our environment undetected.

Weather forecasters will be able to improve their predictions of weather both in and around the city and city planners will be able to better understand and measure the effect and intensity of heat islands and cold canyons around the variety of proposed urban designs, thereby being able to avoid such outcomes in the future.

The data repository will provide a new and novel resource for commercial application against a wide variety of challenges. This will help to create new economic opportunities for Calgarians, further strengthening and diversifying our economy away from our historical dependence on the oil and gas sector."

This suggestion is all about technology and data. I am suggesting the creation of a network of hundreds of sensors to be placed all over the city of Calgary to report on wind, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure and pollution levels of common urban pollutants like CO2, CO, N2S and O3. These sensors would provide a constant stream of live and historic, publicly accessible data for use by both government and private industry in the provision and optimization of public services and private industry invention.

It will streamline & cut costs in the affordable housing initiative process by:
- Focusing on smart phone use & going paperless using it to communicate directly with residents and key stakeholders to inform/bring motions forward, allow for voting and collect feedback in a timely manner.
- Use mobile phones as a tool to help assure communities that their security and safety needs won't be neglected, by adding a Neighbourhood Watch function, they have access to cameras and at the swipe of a button can share information with locals or the police depending on the nature of the concern. This ensures that more residents are aware of any criminal activity in their community and gives them a simple tool to participate more in the protection of their property.
- The application can help increase productivity in the council which will allow existing residents and new residents to get better service delivery.
- Learning Functions can be added to induct new residents via video and a quiz prior to moving into their new home and new residents can request to meet a local volunteer(s) or browse through the community board from their mobile phone so they can get familiarized by existing locals and find their own ways of getting involved in their new community.

- We can measure its effectiveness by running a comparison of the costs we can reduce or eliminate using the mobile applications functionalities as an alternative to existing systems and determining how best those savings can be put towards the affordable housing initiative.
We can use the mobile application to measure and determine the type of feedback we get from different communities concerning the different initiatives and this can help decision makers when it comes to addressing major concerns with such projects.
-The mobile applications will demonstrate its resilience, inclusive and accessibility for communities by providing a platform for other innovators in our ecosystem to bring forward more ideas and allow our city to partner with them so we can integrate more smart city technologies and data into affordable housing initiatives, we can continue to transform our communities creating more jobs and opportunities.
- If we take into account the satisfaction the existing residents feel during and after these initiatives and match it with the new residents via the mobile application, we can get a better sense of the needs that we met and the other needs we are yet to meet using this type of a platform.

The idea is easy to attain because we have technology already and its only a matter of engaging everyone our communities to determine what types of functions they will require for them to appreciate the platform.
- A workshop is always the first step to meeting with the existing communities and other stakeholders involved with the affordable housing initiative. We can then bring forward the critical questions that will help us determine exactly what we need to make the application successful for both the City of Calgary, its residents, the businesses and all our stakeholders.
- The process is simple and with the support of the city we can use this platform to create opportunities for us to exploit new technologies and detailed data to address issues related to the affordable housing initiative more effectively.

www.buildtech.io

The will have a reliable network for future urban technology developments that is secure and that they can rely on.

We can make it happen by integrating the network into the electrical grid using internet over power lines. By having this network separated and secure using new technology we can better manage and monitor infrastructure needs. This will require partnerships with new industry and business, but will bring a wealth of new industries and jobs related to the network, but also businesses that are enticed by the convince of an urban smart city network.

Through the use of technology and art alone we could transform Calgary into a desirable city for young people, students and immigrants both national and international, and increase tourism, art&tech entrepreneurship and diversification. In my view, technology and art does not necessarily require huge amounts of money to transform a place in unimaginable ways.

Montreal is one of the most interesting and appealing cities in Canada, at least in regard to tourism, festivals, young people wanting to live there. If we analyze most of the things they do in terms of creativity, we realize that it is an attainable thing for Calgary that could not only transform how the city is perceived, but also attract talent and create diversification. Calgary already has many good sides; watch the videos below to see what else could be possible.

- Use of software, projections, sound, lights, concert equipment
- Giving opportunities to tech entrepreneurs that want to create companies related to art
- Asking for help to entrepreneurs, artists, tech startups, volunteers who desire to transform Calgary
- Attracting video games, visual art companies and artists to the city

Montreal seems to know how to combine art and technology to create amazement in its population and visitors; and knows how to produce magnetism. I have lived in Montreal and visited the city in many occasions, and that feeling of amazement when you are there is real, regardless of the season of the year. Here are a few examples of things we could do like Montreal:

City & Art:

- Outdoor Video Projection - Cite Memoire

- Montreal Mural Festival

- Igloofest

- Montreal en lumiere

- Montreal Pink Balls - Sainte-Catherine Street East
http://www.claudecormier.com/en/projet/pink-balls/

- Fireworks Festival

Music & Art:

- Osheaga Festival

- Montreal Jazz Festival

- Just for laughs festival

• Reactions of tourists experiencing Montreal:
  

Other links:

Why we should turn Calgary's empty office towers over to the creative economy
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/why-we-should-turn-calgary-s-empty-office-towers-over-to-the-creative-economy-1.4540775

Practical example of something that the city of Calgary could start doing:
- fill the +15 with art, see Montreal Art Souterrain (https://goo.gl/G5iGaM)
- use art inside ctrain cars
- use artistic projections instead of advertisement when possible
https://www.artsouterrain.com/en