Ken Gray
The Ottawa Citizen
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=eae0b0f7-c294-4b95-a51c-66ca170d6570&p=2
Friday, June 20, 2008
If you apply the conclusions of Richard Florida's book Who's Your City? to Ottawa, this municipality looks extremely successful. However, columnist Ken Gray says the community is not getting that message out to the creative people the city needs to prosper.
If you apply the conclusions of Richard Florida's book Who's Your City? to Ottawa, this municipality looks extremely successful. However, columnist Ken Gray says the community is not getting that message out to the creative people the city needs to prosper.
Cities do not consist of freeways, buildings, transit systems, houses, malls, sidewalks, hydro wires, sewers, water mains, snowplows, corporations or government.
Good cities consist of good people. Like a vibrant company, they tap their best people -- those with intelligence, energy, integrity, goodwill and a large well of experience -- to do the best things. With a critical mass of good people, all the other elements of urban living -- transit, wealth, a healthy environment ... the list goes on and on -- fall into place.
The key to successful cities in this age of increasingly specialized labour demand and a slowly eroding petroleum economy is to attract topnotch people who can adapt to the fundamental changes occurring in our community now.
Thus the key is to get creative people to come to your company, government department, hospital, university and community. This idea didn't originate with Richard Florida, it's as old as the hills. But Mr. Florida has certainly advanced, popularized it and shown its importance.
<snip>
go to
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=eae0b0f7-c294-4b95-a51c-66ca170d6570&p=2
for the full article
In the competition to get the best people, the city fails itself. Get those talented individuals -- the artists, the businesspeople, the innovators, the academics, the intellectuals, the superb public servants -- and they not only take care of themselves, they take care of the life of the city. Those creative souls generate business, entertainment and innovation so that Ottawa will grow imaginatively by itself. That's what a great metropolis does.
Ottawa has most of the characteristics that make up Mr. Florida's criteria for the best places to live. Ottawans just don't sell this place very well. Promote this city properly and creative people will flock here. It's that fine and smart a place to dwell.
Then creativity would come from the hundreds of thousands of people who live here rather than a few elites. That's when this city's leadership will have got it. And Ottawa will have arrived on the international stage.
Ken Gray is the city editorial page editor and a Citizen editorial board member. His column runs on Fridays.
go to
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=eae0b0f7-c294-4b95-a51c-66ca170d6570&p=2
for the full article
E-mail: kgray@thecitizen.canwest.com
The Ottawa Citizen
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=eae0b0f7-c294-4b95-a51c-66ca170d6570&p=2
Friday, June 20, 2008
If you apply the conclusions of Richard Florida's book Who's Your City? to Ottawa, this municipality looks extremely successful. However, columnist Ken Gray says the community is not getting that message out to the creative people the city needs to prosper.
If you apply the conclusions of Richard Florida's book Who's Your City? to Ottawa, this municipality looks extremely successful. However, columnist Ken Gray says the community is not getting that message out to the creative people the city needs to prosper.
Cities do not consist of freeways, buildings, transit systems, houses, malls, sidewalks, hydro wires, sewers, water mains, snowplows, corporations or government.
Good cities consist of good people. Like a vibrant company, they tap their best people -- those with intelligence, energy, integrity, goodwill and a large well of experience -- to do the best things. With a critical mass of good people, all the other elements of urban living -- transit, wealth, a healthy environment ... the list goes on and on -- fall into place.
The key to successful cities in this age of increasingly specialized labour demand and a slowly eroding petroleum economy is to attract topnotch people who can adapt to the fundamental changes occurring in our community now.
Thus the key is to get creative people to come to your company, government department, hospital, university and community. This idea didn't originate with Richard Florida, it's as old as the hills. But Mr. Florida has certainly advanced, popularized it and shown its importance.
<snip>
go to
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=eae0b0f7-c294-4b95-a51c-66ca170d6570&p=2
for the full article
In the competition to get the best people, the city fails itself. Get those talented individuals -- the artists, the businesspeople, the innovators, the academics, the intellectuals, the superb public servants -- and they not only take care of themselves, they take care of the life of the city. Those creative souls generate business, entertainment and innovation so that Ottawa will grow imaginatively by itself. That's what a great metropolis does.
Ottawa has most of the characteristics that make up Mr. Florida's criteria for the best places to live. Ottawans just don't sell this place very well. Promote this city properly and creative people will flock here. It's that fine and smart a place to dwell.
Then creativity would come from the hundreds of thousands of people who live here rather than a few elites. That's when this city's leadership will have got it. And Ottawa will have arrived on the international stage.
Ken Gray is the city editorial page editor and a Citizen editorial board member. His column runs on Fridays.
go to
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=eae0b0f7-c294-4b95-a51c-66ca170d6570&p=2
for the full article
E-mail: kgray@thecitizen.canwest.com
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