Urban Municipalities Providing Leadership in Regional Economic Development: New Wine in Old Bottles? Old Wine in New Bottles? Just Stop Whining and Do It?! MNL Urban Summit, St. John’s, March 1-2, 2013 Rob Greenwood, Ph.D. Executive Director, Harris Centre

Outline Strategy vs Structure Moving forward Your role? Discussion 2

Regional Development: Strategy vs. Structure Strategies: Infrastructure Human resource development Social Development / Healthy Communities Investment attraction Entrepreneurship / SMEs / Innovation Creative Class / Place Making Clusters / Learning Regions Community/Regional Development: place based; capacity building

Regional Development Strategies Place Making: an integrated approach – driven from the local / regional (?) level  Identity, Civic Engagement, Public Space, Amenities matter – a culture of planning?  your identity / narrative: “insulates you from selling out”  “make a covenant with your place”  build on what you value; discover it; be true to it: what do you want to hug?! 4

Regional Development Strategies: no “place” without economic drivers You’ll have nothing to hug if you don’t have products or services to export (except as cottage country) There are products and services that can be successfully produced in our regions Labour market shortages = high productivity is job one Functional regions enable pooling of labour, business, markets, governance capacity 5

Regional Development: Strategy vs. Structure Structures: Federal and Provincial governments: departments / agencies Municipal / County / Voluntary Regional Collaboration Industry Associations / Cluster Organizations Community / Regional “Third Sector” organizations

Organizational Structures for Development: Political Power vs. Political Will Political Power Political Will Regional Provincial Federal Denzil Doyle

8 Specialized Knowledge vs. Local Knowledge Specialized Knowledge Local Knowledge Regional Provincial Federal

9 Check list of Organizational Capacity for Regional Development Fiscal Resources Human Resources Leadership Skilled Staff Community Participation Legal Authority Local Democratic Accountability/Legitimacy Geographic Area Time

Moving Forward Firms learn to manage transaction costs  what do you do by yourself?  what to you “buy” from others?  what do you partner on: strategic alliances, consortia, long-term supply chain relationships? Are communities the same as firms?  “urban” municipalities don’t match functional regions (can’t do everything in house)  you are partnering with neighbours now  are there opportunities being missed that new partnering “tools” would help with?  esp. with changed landscape of gov’t. support 10

Charters? Accords? Covenants? Remember the Viking Trail Tourism Accord? Inter-municipal joints councils, coalitions, joint service arrangements  MNL surveys of shared services: lots!  Fredericton  Alberta: Brooks & County of Newell; Palliser Economic Partnership Formalized: BC Regional Districts; Quebec MRCs (Municipal Regional Councils) 11

Charters? Accords? Covenants? Confirm who is at the table Clarify purpose; being deliberate Establish operating principles Not establishing a formal structure, but a vehicle for collective action Driven by the members (not by fed./prov. government(s); they may help facilitate; sustainable without them) Build – more – trust Commit: sign your name, for your community, matters 12

Priority Matrix: start with achieveable common needs Impact High Low Ease of Implementation HardEasy

Do you want to make history, while we still can? The demographic reality is looming; we have 15 years to work with We have major projects generating opportunities We are rich in resources, that can be managed sustainably We love this place If our urban municipalities don’t show leadership, it’s not going to happen 14

15 Can you do it? Will you do it? If not you, who?