The Innovation Lab Phase 3 Share your ideas! (Completed) March 19 - April 2

According to numerous economic indicators, Calgary is one of the most business-friendly cities in Canada. However, the city does not appear on key rankings related to dynamics and innovation (e.g. JLL City Momentum Index 2017; which measure both short and long-term growth) and entrepreneurial behaviour.

The oil and gas sector has loomed large for decades and has been poaching great entrepreneurial talent by offering high income salaries. The current economic downturn and ambiguous estimates as to how many jobs will return to the city if/when oil prices rebound, invite us to consider the long-term sustainability of Calgary’s economy. This is where innovation and entrepreneurship matter most.

Recent research comparing Calgary’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to Waterloo, Ontario indicates that the city lacks a) a diversified economy, b) social relations supportive of entrepreneurial behaviour, c) citizens who access/are aware of available networked support, and d) an entrepreneurial mindset for business development beyond quick buyouts and short-term profits.

Without addressing this concern, the city’s supportive business climate (i.e. competitive tax environment, newly completed and several in-progress infrastructure projects, high-skilled knowledge era workforce, youngest median age in Canada, available low-cost commercial real estate, etc.) will not be leveraged and fall short of creating the kind of networked innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This is especially disappointing given Calgary’s long history of more startups per capita than almost anywhere else in the country. This is a task our city can lead on.

We will be able to meet key targets that we have already outlined:

• ImagineCALGARY: By 2036, Calgary is ranked as the most favourable Canadian city in which to establish businesses that support sustainability practices (p. 39)
• Action Plan 2015-2018: P1; P2 (p. 43)
• Building on our energy: Entrepreneurial energy (pp. 22-32); Innovative energy (pp. 33-40).

The City of Calgary facilitates entrepreneurial/innovative activities for youth in tandem with private partners and social institutions through an existing city-wide ICT channel (like the public library card or myID) or a new platform that is either built (through competitive grant funding) or licensed (like LRNG cities do -- https://www.lrng.org). Could be accessed and utilized through all mobile and web-enabled devices (e.g. app)

Advantages:
• Aligns with Strategy 2, Action 3 of the “entrepreneurial energy” section of the Building on our energy document (p. 32; i.e. Develop pathways to entrepreneurship for future leaders and youth).

• Wealth of stakeholder interest that could support programming and networking from high school through postsecondary education.

• Federal Government and Government of Alberta could support proposal through incremental funding (aligned with their Framework for Student Learning’s aim in fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in students)

• Would be the first city in Canada to pursue a youth policy of this scale that not only serves a clear need, but ensures that long-term fostering of entrepreneurship (in all sectors) is actively cultivated.

• Expand on existing initiatives to cultivate youth entrepreneurship in Indigenous communities.

• City could make much of the data openly accessible to assess trends in work, volunteering, and social cohesion.

Case Studies: Digital Badging in Philadelphia, Providence and Chicago and LRNG cities(like Kansas City). All of these cities embraced long-term culture shifts. Calgary can aggregate some existing programs under a new banner (i.e. The Hackathon) and forward to the community.

• Link 1: https://nycfuture.org/pdf/Innovation-and-the-City.pdf (p. 14)
• Link 2: https://www.lrng.org/about
• Link 3: https://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/Youth%20entrepreneurship%20policy%20brief%20EN_FINAL.pdf (pp. 12-16)

PAAVAA's primary purpose is to create a platform of entrepreneurs and local businesses that are easily accessible through a convenient, digital infrastructure.

The application fits well within the economic trend of using smartphones and mobile applications to get things done quickly and affordably. It also fits into the social trend of convenience, coupled with facilitations provided by technology: people are at home more than before and want quick solutions that are cheap and easy to use.

The market niche, of mobile applications, that PAAVAA currently operates within, is growing to become less niche and more widely adapted as a front or interface for many businesses. Further, the service leverages the fact that employment is becoming increasingly more competitive, and aims to capture people that want to start their own business (entrepreneurs) by providing them with a platform for operations and facilitation.

By the number of users on the application- both service providers and customers looking for services. The number of registered businesses is a testament to the number of people that have taken the risk of opening up businesses in Calgary, and that are looking to service the city and its inhabitants and visitors effectively and affordably.

Technology is the foundation for this idea and application; leveraging mobile connectivity to keep everyone connected and provide businesses and entrepreneurs with opportunities to demonstrate their professionalism, experience and customer service proactivity.

This is an ambitious idea because of the positive impact it can have on the environment and employment. Normally container farming requires less space to produce a far greater yield. to feed the entire population of Calgary many building would be needed thus more work and potentially sell the produce to other cities.
the standard green house does not work in Calgary or there would be a great number of green houses around. that is why this is ambitious.
If Calgarians know where their vegetables are coming from and grown naturally maybe we would eat more vegetables and be a healthier city. this would also benefit the AHS.

By Yield of produce.
By employment numbers
By lower co2 emissions
By Financial data. Profit.

The use of computers could create the perfect environment for plants to thrive.
Data can help to determine the most beneficial and financial rewarding produce to grow.
Create the demand for renewable energy. the Buildings themselves could be used as power plants to collect and store wind and solar power to self sustain.

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

The development of downtown’s East village has proved that, it is important to have a great mix of new and old in order to retain the cultural richness of city. It also authorizes cleansing of space which traditionally has stereotypical sentiments attached to it. Similar to Simmon’s block which houses businesses and allows a shared space for businesses; it is important to look into developing areas that surround Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre as well.

Repurposing historical buildings into cultural spaces will allow the use of pathway’s, bike lanes and slowly divert the inherent issues that an area surrounding rehab’s and drop in’s face and eliminate stereotypical fears that citizens have for areas surrounding Drop-In centres. It helps develop the East village further, supporting downtown living and growth of businesses in surrounding areas creating more jobs and opportunities. It also permits use of technology new and existing to flourish hand in hand as city repurposes it old with new.

There are various examples all over North America which used similar idea, which proved to be successful to create the creative, economical and entreprenurial richness of the city.One such example is linked below:

https://epicureandculture.com/historical-buildings-accommdation-cultural-spaces/

The increased used of pathways, bike lanes, development of areas with more cultural richness, more shared spaces eliminating crime in and around Drop- In centre. the most direct effect of this could be measured by the amount of jobs and business opportunities that the reinvention of this space will permit.

Use of technology, architecture, newer construction methods, creative collaboration and public input are the most important aspects of projects like such. The redevelopment of spaces with historical significance requires use of technology, IT, newer and ecological methods of construction and creative collaboration which can be used from local artists. All these simple factors constitutes the scope of technology that is required to reinvent and redevelop and re use this space into something more meaningful.