Featured Guest
You’ll find this guest among our growing roll of Urban Champions.
Nigel Jacob
Co-founder of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics
Naheed Nenshi
Former Mayor of Calgary
Andrea Reimer
Adjunct Professor of Practice, UBC’s School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
5 Key
Takeaways
A roundup of the most compelling ideas, themes and quotes from this candid conversation
1. Urban issues are human issues
With the majority of people living in cities worldwide, urban issues are human issues. Nigel Jacob, Co-Founder of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics in the City of Boston, emphasizes the importance of starting conversations about municipal service innovation with a resident-first mindset. Bureaucratic considerations should come after: “When you go [first] to the impact on someone’s life, you’re required to re-order the machinery.”
2. 21st century problems require 21st century powers
The pandemic has thrown into sharp relief the challenges facing local governments in the Canadian federation. As “creatures of the province”, they are not recognized constitutionally and derive all of their powers from the will of the provinces. As a result, Canadian municipalities lack the powers, financial tools, and autonomy to meet the needs of their residents. Andrea Reimer, Practitioner Lead at the Global Policy Project, warns that cities face 21st century problems and need 21st century tools to solve them. Mayor Naheed Nenshi agrees, but also adds that constitutional conversations must not distract from immediate, on-the-ground priorities of getting money into the hands of municipalities.
3. Creating room for experimentation
All of the speakers agree that fostering a culture of innovation in local government is critical. Transformative agile governance requires the flexibility to try, succeed, fail, and iterate. Says Mayor Nenshi, “If we want government to innovate, we have to be prepared to celebrate the failures [of public servants] in addition to their successes.” While there are real consequences to public sector decisions, adds an attendee in the chat, “we can’t treat every decision like faulty steel on a bridge.” Reimer identifies three kinds of actors that need to buy into a project or decision: the public, the staff, and elected officials. When one of these players wants to do something, it is an idea. When two agree to do something, it becomes a pilot. And when all three are on board, that’s when transformative change happens. Often, she argues, pilots are designed to secure the buy-in of a reluctant third player.
4. Livability and legibility must be front and centre
Citizens often do not know which level of government is in charge of providing a particular service. According to Jacob, city staff and processes must make themselves and their decisions radically accessible and legible to everyday people. When it comes to public engagement, bringing our whole selves to conversations with the public means setting aside departmental responsibilities and listening to residents’ concerns, even if they are the responsibility of a different division or order of government.
5. An opportunity to redesign the city
COVID and the greater public awareness of anti-black racism have been important and disruptive forces through the last eight months—with windows for change that we must not squander. For example, whereas questions about defunding the police are thought of in binary terms—you either do it or you do not—Jacob warns that this is a false binary. This is a design question—how do we redesign policing so that we have a new set of criteria that better serve the needs of the public?
Additional Resources
City of Calgary – Transforming Government
City of Boston – New Urban Mechanics
Full Panel
Transcript
Note to readers: This video session was transcribed using auto-transcribing software. Manual editing was undertaken in an effort to improve readability and clarity. Questions or concerns with the transcription can be directed to events@canurb.org with “transcription” in the subject line.
Full Audience
Chatroom Transcript
Note to reader: Chat comments have been edited for ease of readability. The text has not been edited for spelling or grammar. For questions or concerns, please contact events@canurb.org with “Chat Comments” in the subject lin
From Canadian Urban Institute: You can find transcripts and recordings of today’s and all our webinars at https://canurb.org/citytalk
12:02:32 From Canadian Urban Institute : Welcome! Folks, please change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees” so everyone can see your comments.
12:03:37 From Karen Levitt to All panelists : Are the participants invisible?
12:03:44 From Karen Levitt to All panelists : Hi Andrea!!
12:03:57 From Andrea Reimer to Karen Levitt and all panelists : Hey! How are you??
12:04:12 From Canadian Urban Institute to Karen Levitt and all panelists : Karen, Can you not see our panelists?
12:04:17 From Karen Levitt to All panelists : Great, thanks! So nice to see you.
12:04:22 From Karen Levitt to All panelists : Yes can see four of you.
12:04:28 From Canadian Urban Institute to Karen Levitt and all panelists : Mayor Naheed Nenshi
linkedin.com/in/nenshi
@nenshi
Nigel Jacob
linkedin.com/in/nsjacob
@nsjacob
Andrea Reimer
linkedin.com/in/andreareimer
@andreareimer
12:04:34 From Andrea Reimer to Karen Levitt and all panelists : And congrats on the new position
12:04:50 From Canadian Urban Institute : Mayor Naheed Nenshi
linkedin.com/in/nenshi
@nenshi
Nigel Jacob
linkedin.com/in/nsjacob
@nsjacob
Andrea Reimer
linkedin.com/in/andreareimer
@andreareimer
12:05:03 From Karen Levitt to All panelists : thanks, having a blast.
12:05:29 From Canadian Urban Institute : You can find transcripts and recordings of today’s and all our sessions at https://www.canurb.org/citytalk
12:06:16 From Branislav Henselmann : Hello from Vancouver!
12:06:25 From Alison Carlyle : Hello from Halifax, NS!
12:06:27 From Alain Gonthier to All panelists : Hello everyone from Ottawa. Looking forward to an engaging forum.
12:06:28 From Malithi Fernando : Hello from Paris! (ex-Calgary!)
12:06:31 From Kim Goodall : good morning from Kamloops, BC!
12:06:32 From Kirsten Frankish to All panelists : Hello from Oshawa, Ontario!
12:06:32 From Emeka Ekwosimba Ekwosimba : Hello from Edmonton
12:06:39 From Beverley Bradnam to All panelists : Hello from Fort Erie!
12:06:40 From Martin Boulianne : Montréal here!
12:06:40 From Andrea Reimer to Branislav Henselmann and all panelists : Hey Branislav! How are you?
12:06:41 From David Crenna : Watching from Gatineau, Quebec…
12:06:45 From Jocelyne Turner to All panelists : Good afternoon from Ottawa 
12:06:45 From Gillian Mason : Hi from Scarborough — eastern part of the City of Toronto — pop’n 630,000
12:06:46 From Pam Hine : Good morning from Whitehorse
12:06:47 From Sarah Smith : Hello from Calgary!
12:06:52 From Irena Nikolova to All panelists : Hello from Toronto!
12:06:55 From Mark Garner : Hello from Toronto
12:06:55 From Alan Kasperski : Greetings from Stratford, ON
12:06:56 From Alex Popovic to All panelists : Good morning from Vancouver!
12:07:02 From Cheryl Blackman to All panelists : Good afternoon from Whitby, On. 60 km east of Toronto
12:07:03 From Kate Wilcott : Listening in from Saint John New Brunswick!
12:07:03 From Andrea Davidson to All panelists : Andrea Davidson (she/her/hers), I am an uninvited, white colonial settler who acknowledges and respects the traditional, ancestral, and occupied territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, including those of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), shíshálh (Sechelt), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, on which I live, learn and work.
12:07:05 From Anna Babicz to All panelists : good morning from Victoria
12:07:07 From Kirsten Frankish : Hello again from Oshawa, Ontario (didn’t change my settings earlier.)!
12:07:07 From Karolina Gajewska to All panelists : Hi from Calgary, AB!
12:07:09 From James LaPierre : Greeting from Toronto
12:07:11 From Rhiannon Stromberg : Good Morning! Hello from Edmonton with the Municipal Leadership Forum. Excited to be here.
12:07:12 From Marie-Pierre Rouette : Bonjour tout le monde!
12:07:20 From Sandro Pampallona : Hello from Italy!
12:07:21 From P Reddy : Hello, from Durban, South Africa
12:07:22 From Alex Popovic : Good morning from Vancouver!
12:07:24 From Karen Sveinunggaard to All panelists : Greetings from Calgary!
12:07:24 From Max Brookman to All panelists : Hello from London
12:07:30 From Nada Peters : hello from Prince George
12:07:33 From Branislav Henselmann : Hi Andrea!!! So great to see you on here.
12:07:34 From Alain Larrivee to All panelists : Hello from Montréal
12:07:34 From Leandro Santos : Hello from Mississauga, Ontario!
12:07:36 From Lisa Sierra to All panelists : Lisa Sierra MLF Cohort proudly representing Calgary. www.linkedin.com/in/lisajsierra
12:07:40 From Stuart Filson to All panelists : Good morning from London, Ontario!
12:07:49 From Alexandra Flynn : Good morning from Vancouver, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil Waututh) Coast Salish peoples
12:07:52 From Bridget MacIntosh : Hello from Toronto everyone!
12:08:03 From Pascale Ladouceur to All panelists : Bonjour and good morning from Edmonton
12:08:04 From John Fleming to All panelists : Good morning from London……Ontario
12:08:12 From Brian Pincott : Hi From the Traditional Territory if the Treaty 1 Nations & the Homeland of the Métis
12:08:16 From Sandra Nikolic to All panelists : Hello from Vancouver. Nice to see your face again, Andrea.
12:08:18 From Jayne Engle : Bonjour / hello de Montreal!
12:08:19 From Karen Redman to All panelists : Hello from Region of Waterloo
12:08:30 From Tina Conlon to All panelists : hello from Toronto
12:08:43 From Don Herweyer to All panelists : Good afternoon from the City of Ottawa!
12:08:50 From Canadian Urban Institute : Reminding attendees to please change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees” so everyone can see your comments.
12:09:26 From Natalia Diaz-Insense to All panelists : Hi from Halifax!
12:09:37 From Vivian Forssman : Hello from Vancouver
12:10:08 From michael mcclelland : Good afternoon from Toronto!
12:10:29 From Canadian Urban Institute : CUI extends a big thank you to our partners for today’s session: Apolitical, Institute of Public Administration of Canada, Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School, and the Canadian Municipal Barometer.
https://apolitical.co/home
https://www.ipac.ca/
https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/
Canadian Municipal Barometer
12:10:50 From Don Herweyer : Good afternoon from the City of Ottawa!
12:11:00 From Gloria Venczel : Hello from North Vancouver! So very grateful to CUI to have created such a collaborative forum and joint covid recovery resources for cities + communities! Big part of Canadian democratic resiliency….
12:11:02 From Mary W Rowe to Gillian Mason and all panelists :
12:12:23 From Clara Freire : Hello from Ottawa with thanks to the Algonquin Anishinaabe people for their hospitality.
12:12:28 From Norm Connolly : Good morning from City of Richmond in Greater Vancouver. Thanks for organizing this!
12:13:39 From Colleen Bawn to All panelists : Hello from Summerside PEI
12:13:45 From Mary W Rowe to Gloria Venczel and all panelists : thanks Gloria
12:15:20 From Godwin Chan : Mental Health crisis, right on, Mayor!
12:15:24 From Valerie Miller to All panelists : Howdy from Dallas, Texas
12:15:55 From Karen Levitt : QUESTION: LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE (STAFF AND ELECTED OFFICIALS) HAVE A VERY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DIFFERENT DEF’N OF WHAT IT MEANS TO “MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR OUR CITIZENS RIGHT NOW.” YOUR THOUGHTS ON BRIDGING THESE DIVIDES/POLARISATIONS?
12:18:18 From Ralph Cipolla : hello from Orillia Ontario the sunshine city thank you for doing this
12:18:25 From Leya Behra : Good morning from the City of New Westminster on the unceded territories of the Qayqayt, Katzie, Tsawwassen, Tsleil-Waututh, Stó:lō, Kwantlen, Musqueam, Squamish.
12:18:41 From Natalia Diaz-Insense : Hi from Halifax!
12:19:11 From Brian Moss : MOST MUNICIPAL LEADERS TO NOT WISH TO DISCUSS LONG TERM CARE .. GOOD FOR YOU ..
12:19:41 From Gillian Mason : “People we never think about building a city for….” How simple, how profound.
12:19:51 From Valerie Miller to All panelists : I think it is important to make relationships with your public, through organizations, churches, activists to see what making life better means to them. It also helps create conversations across the community, to let them help shape and rank needs together. I feel we are facilitators to help put into action what the community, by showing how to verbalize their needs and we help maneuver within the local government
12:19:57 From Mary W Rowe : hey folks – easier for me to read your questions if they’re not ALL CAPS thanls
12:20:41 From Canadian Urban Institute : We love your comments and questions in the chat! Share them with everyone by changing your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees”. Thanks!
12:20:54 From Sarah Ellis : Hi from Vancouver! As City staff working in Vancouver, we’re constantly grappling with issues like housing and climate change whose solutions push the boundaries of traditional municipal authority (and budgets). It’s feeling like we need to start thinking bigger in terms of the role of big cities. Do any of our panelists have any concrete ideas/asks on this?
12:21:01 From Mary W Rowe : also can you all adjust your settings to panelists and attendees? best that everyone see what you’re offering thanks
12:21:33 From Brian Pincott : Damn Right, Naheed!!!
12:21:37 From Canadian Urban Institute to Valerie Miller and all panelists : Hi, Valerie! Your comment only went to panelists – do you want to change your chat settings to include attendees and repost? Thanks!
12:21:42 From David Katz : https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkatzsustainable1
12:21:51 From Alain Gonthier : I love the frankness of Mayor Nenshi!
12:22:04 From Karen Redman : There is a debate at Waterloo Region whether public transit needs to be an essential service or an enterprise that helps pay for costs? The exact people Mayo Nenshi is referring (essential workers like PSWs, grocery clerks, etc) to are the ones who depend on public transit. Waterloo Region has lost $17 M through running transit for free for several weeks due to Covid 19 and now have a greatly reduced ridership.
12:22:04 From David Katz : Helping cities to be more sustainable.
12:22:32 From Alan Kasperski : @ Sarah Ellis … www.masseycitiessummit.ca
12:22:45 From Cheryl Blackman to All panelists : Mayor Nenshi thank you for speaking frankly…breath of fresh air!
12:22:55 From Keren Tang : So much respect (from Edmonton) to this Calgary mayor
12:23:00 From Shari Austin : Hello from Toronto. Mayor Nenshi is a national treasure. So wonderful to hear from him.
12:23:02 From Joe Mihevc to All panelists : I appreciate your comments Mayor Nemshi, especially your willingness to speak to the human issues facing your city in a self-critical way
12:23:03 From Andrea Davidson to All panelists : Does the City of Calgary plan to accelerate innovation – remove barriers that slow experimentation, and instead embrace rapid cycles of experimentation (prototype, pilot and quickly implement?
12:23:24 From Michael Diplock to All panelists : https://twitter.com/DiplockMichael
12:23:54 From Canadian Urban Institute : Reminding attendees to please change your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees” so everyone can see your comments.
12:23:55 From Karolina Gajewska : IT’S KILLING SMALL BUSINESS.
12:24:31 From David Walsh to All panelists : How do we work together to stop the Federal government’s $19 billion new fighter jets so this money can be redirected to the needs Mayor Nenshi outlines.
12:24:39 From Gloria Venczel : Bravo Mayor Nenshi on all points!! Gender equity may need more attention as well.
12:25:34 From Brian Pincott : Such a great project.
12:25:59 From Kimberley Nelson : And launched so many things because of the variety of voices given a platform
12:26:02 From Mary W Rowe to Brian Pincott and all panelists : Brian is there a web link that archived that?
12:26:03 From Ralph Cipolla : from Ralph Cipolla orillia has recommended that for 2021 0 tax increase
12:26:07 From Gillian Mason : … and where I have a sense of belonging…
12:26:29 From Brian Pincott : Here’s the current link at the City….https://www.calgary.ca/pda/pd/office-of-sustainability/imaginecalgary.html
12:26:41 From Mary W Rowe to Brian Pincott and all panelists : thx
12:26:51 From Brian Pincott : (Ha… I left you guys behind… I don’t need the reminder of why!)
12:27:39 From Gillian Mason : Agreed: how we think, yes … and how we act while we are learning. We cannot wait until we’ve figured it all out, as it were.
12:27:42 From Andrea Reimer to Brian Pincott and all panelists : hahahaha
12:30:01 From Kjeld-Mizpah Conyers-Steede : I would be interested in hearing more of your vision for tax reform.
12:31:24 From Gillian Mason : Thank you Mayor.
12:31:37 From Thiago Braga : Thank you, very inspiring!
12:31:38 From Cheryl Blackman to All panelists : I would be interested in the Mayor has any thoughts about Transformative economic development?
12:31:45 From Gloria Venczel : So very proud to be a Canadian with such a civic minded and dedicated municipal leader, Mayor Nenshi!
12:31:49 From Sandro Pampallona : Thank you very much Mr. Nenshi
12:31:49 From Lorne Cappe : Inspirational! Thanks so much Mayor
12:31:50 From Cibele Donato : One of Canada’s biggest assets is its diverse set of people, unfortunetely new canadians are largely under represented in urban planning and landscape architecture, which means we are missing out from different perspectives of what makes cities great places to grow and live! WE NEED TO START WALKING THE WALK!
12:31:58 From Cheryl Blackman to All panelists : Thank you Mr. Mayor!
12:32:27 From Julie MacIsaac to All panelists : You are truly inspiring Mr. Mayor. Thank you – from the bottom of my heart. I needed to hear that today.
12:32:38 From JIM SIMOS to All panelists : Can you please give some details on tax reform? consumption taxation? user fees?
12:32:40 From Ralph Cipolla : thank you mayor from orillia
12:33:01 From Heather Kathol : Thank you for your inspirational leadership Mayor Nenshi
12:33:06 From Canadian Urban Institute : CUI extends a big thank you to our partners for today’s session: Apolitical, Institute of Public Administration of Canada, Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School, and the Canadian Municipal Barometer.
https://apolitical.co/home
https://www.ipac.ca/
https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/
Canadian Municipal Barometer
12:33:41 From David Katz : How does your vision compare to the TO Transform that is addressing the climate change commitments
12:33:49 From Canadian Urban Institute : Mayor Naheed Nenshi
linkedin.com/in/nenshi
@nenshi
Nigel Jacob
linkedin.com/in/nsjacob
@nsjacob
Andrea Reimer
linkedin.com/in/andreareimer
@andreareimer
12:34:07 From Godwin Chan : A caring Municipal Leader! Wholeheartedly support his views on the importance of the order of government that deliver public services with only 8-10% overall taxes in Canada. From the vibrant City of Richmond Hill, ON!
12:35:47 From KRISTYNA NG : Mayor Nenshi, thank you for inspiring us at The City of Calgary to do our best to make life better everyday. Your commitment to the “promise” is very meaningful.
12:36:01 From Allison Ashcroft to All panelists : love andrea reimer, she always articulates exactly how i’m feeling. how can the results in the US even be close indeed.
12:37:14 From Pamela Haskell : QE JH/SH represent!
12:40:23 From Abby S : If voting comes from outside cities, how to we make it in the Provinces’ interest to cede power?
12:40:50 From Stephen Crozier : Vancouver has a charter that would have allowed it to respond to the housing crisis, doesn’t it?
12:40:54 From Asif Kurji : Question – Innovation is such a vague term – What are some tactical strategies to encourage colleagues to think differently and embrace and act on change? How can we encourage this when local governments have traditionally been resistant to change?
12:41:38 From Andrea Reimer : Vancouver’s Charter did not give it the ability to respond to the housing crisis. It does not allow for any rules or ability to enforce around rentals for example
12:41:40 From Sandro Pampallona : @Asif Kurji +1
12:42:27 From Alan Kasperski : A city charter that can be overruled or ignored by a province is no charter at all … and makes local autonomy a whom of a province.
12:42:50 From Lisa Sierra to All panelists : @Asif This work has some great research and practical steps https://failforward.centreforpublicimpact.org/p/2
12:42:50 From Alan Kasperski : whim, Siri … whim
12:43:16 From Andrea Reimer : @Asif Kurji and @Sandro – agree on innovation in cities but Vancouver staff has shown it’s possible to take risks and innovate when there is a Mayor and Council prepared to go there consistently with them
12:43:43 From Canadian Urban Institute to Lisa Sierra and all panelists : Can you change your chat settings and re-post? Your comment only went to panelists. Thanks!
12:44:58 From Andrea Reimer : Its also worth considering that the primary function of city governments is to provide stable, predictable, replicable services so the vast majority of staff are people who are good at stable, predictable and replicable. That’s OK (important actually) but you need to find ways for the two approaches to live together in one organizations
12:45:11 From Keren Tang : Yes to the much needed conversation everywhere about redesigning community safety and policing – will be keen to hear how and when Boston approaches it (Hi Nigel!)
12:45:11 From Kjeld-Mizpah Conyers-Steede : The city of Halifax has asked for a the charter change to take over housing but so far its been a no go
12:45:44 From Lisa Sierra : @Asif This work has some great research and practical steps https://failforward.centreforpublicimpact.org/p
12:46:46 From Brian Moss : Can you check the URL on fail forward ..
12:46:53 From Brian Pincott : Hi to all my friends on this who work for the City of Calgary. Nice to see your names pop up!
12:47:06 From Anna Babicz to All panelists : one reason why is probably focus on expectations vs opportunities of local government
12:47:39 From Asif Kurji : Hi @Brian Pincott!
12:47:48 From Brian Pincott : Georgist Taxation!!!
12:47:49 From Sandro Pampallona : @Andrea Reimer – thanks ! would be useful nonetheless to clarify how to develop a sense of change and how to curb resistance (@Asif Kurji talks from an administration perspective and I speak from a practitioner/citizen perspective)
12:47:57 From Canadian Urban Institute : URL Correction: https://failforward.centreforpublicimpact.org/p/1
12:48:30 From Guido Rodriguez to All panelists : Hi Brian!
12:49:21 From Canadian Urban Institute : We love your comments and questions in the chat! Share them with everyone by changing your chat settings to “all panelists and attendees”. Thanks!
12:49:57 From Brian Pincott : Municipalities in Canada only receive 8 cents of every tax dollar collected.
12:50:15 From Andrea Reimer : @Sandro – happy to connect more. it’s what I teach about at UBC! you will never curb resistance but you can have it co-exist with relentless innovation. they are good bedfellows if you design for it
12:50:15 From Abby S : @MayorNenshi this is very sad to hear….(re Charter)
12:50:16 From David Crenna : How do we address the large disparities in wealth among municipalities, which in the US are arguably among the reasons for the inequalities there?
12:50:23 From Lisa Sierra : Thanks for fixing the url – missed grabbing the last characters. We have a Municipal Innovators Community that has resources and support – open to all municipalities in Canada
12:50:53 From Mary W Rowe to David Crenna and all panelists : within or between?
12:50:56 From Kimberley Nelson : Sounds to me like a lot of this comes down to provincial election reform – both Naheed’s concerns with taxation and Andrea’s comments about provincial MLAs not understanding the urban issues but trying to create solutions for cities out of context when 82% are in urban settings
12:51:11 From Godwin Chan : U of T’s Munk Centre has published studies on municipal taxes reforms- broaden the sources of revenue is key. The ratio of commercial vs. residential share of property taxes is another issue.
12:51:52 From Alain Gonthier : Brian, those 8 cents provide Canadians with the most value for money. Imagine if cities had access to a more equitable share!
12:51:59 From Sandro Pampallona : @Andrea – with pleasure, really ! Very relevant for some work we are doing with several communities in Kerala, India – how to reach you ?
12:52:39 From Stephen Crozier : Isn’t the inaccurate term “defund the police” what makes it such a divisive issue? Language I important and this term doesn’t accurately reflect what is needed to address social problems.
12:52:43 From Andrea Reimer : @Sandro – right! andrea.reimer@citizenandrea.ca
12:52:48 From Lisa Sierra : And talk about what you learned from those experiments
12:53:20 From Michael Diplock to All panelists : what are some pilot projects that you have found successful / would like to try?
12:53:50 From Sandro Pampallona : @Andrea – Thanks, very grateful !
12:53:57 From Martin Banach : Just want to say this was a really informative discussion so far. I have to jump off early but enjoyed Mayor Nenshi’s opening. Very romantic view of municipal public service. I like the pragmatic approach- “it’s all about the money”. Thanks all
12:55:00 From Brian Pincott : Naheed is speaking about a failure of governance at the political level.
12:55:05 From Abby S : How do we deal with people that don’t trust the experts? Whatever “experts” mean….
12:55:08 From Gloria Venczel : Cities are where democratic theory meets practice. Cities are the economic engines of Canada. Cities are the engines of innovation. Cities need a New Green Deal that includes tax reform, climate friendly policy authority and covid recovery equity tools for economic resiliency, social resiliency through walkable urban design + public spaces for social connectedness.
12:55:34 From Allison Ashcroft to All panelists : @Reimer, it shouldn’t be necessary but can you take a big one for the team and move to Ottawa and fix this already
12:56:00 From Andrea Reimer : Nigel wrote the book on try, learn, build, test and repeat for cities!
12:56:12 From Brian Pincott : Politics can and does get in the way of good governance. And it does it in the guise of governance.
12:56:44 From Kimberley Nelson : Too often, the “experts” appear to be framing their reports not to the actual data, but to the palatability of council – what will be excepted vs what is right
12:56:57 From Brian Moss : I wonder what role energy, timber, agriculture, fish play in exports .. cities are not everything ..
12:57:52 From Andrea Reimer : @BrianMoss – that’s true. I wonder how much the webinars about those things talk about cities and the role they play is ensuring the success of resource-based economies?
12:57:59 From Tobin Postma to All panelists : innovation in muni govt is about designing programs and processes for the people who actually need/use them rather than designing them to make the lives of those working in government easier
12:58:07 From David Katz : In light of the move to twitter to go directly to the occupant as shown in US election, how do cities use this approach?
12:58:22 From Canadian Urban Institute to Tobin Postma and all panelists : Can you change your chat settings and re-post? Your comment only went to panelists. Thanks!
12:58:35 From Andrea Reimer : Check out Nigel’s work >> https://www.boston.gov/departments/new-urban-mechanics Got a good chance to get to know it in Boston and it is an amazing example
12:58:36 From Tobin Postma : innovation in muni govt is about designing programs and processes for the people who actually need/use them rather than designing them to make the lives of those working in government easier
12:58:38 From Alan Kasperski : @Naheed … there have been 11 constitutional amendments since 1982. Albeit of the single province variety.
12:58:54 From Asif Kurji : @Nigel – interesting comment on differentiating between pilot and experiment
12:59:04 From Allison Ashcroft to All panelists : Agree with Nigel, pilots that are designed for the limitations of our capacity or resources wont be transformative. we need to design for the scale of the impact we require, if you can design for scale and manage to do a pilot, fine, but I think we should be willing to roll an outcomes-based program at a scale and ongoing timeline that can drive the long term impacts we are pursuing and just continuously evolve the program, not start and stop with small funds and no chance to deliver real impact.
12:59:20 From Allison Ashcroft : Agree with Nigel, pilots that are designed for the limitations of our capacity or resources wont be transformative. we need to design for the scale of the impact we require, if you can design for scale and manage to do a pilot, fine, but I think we should be willing to roll an outcomes-based program at a scale and ongoing timeline that can drive the long term impacts we are pursuing and just continuously evolve the program, not start and stop with small funds and no chance to deliver real impact.
13:00:18 From Keren Tang : Pilot vs. prototyping. Pilot just gets people’s back up. Prototyping really is about culture change.
13:00:40 From Lisa Sierra : Yes! @Andrea great point
13:01:27 From Sandro Pampallona : Yes ! Great point @Andrea : there is actually no failure when people and administrations make mistakes “together” !
13:03:45 From Allison Ashcroft : exactly a long game, stop with the small time-limited project grants that build capacity with consultants rather than within local govt with permanent fulltime positions that enable relationship-building, bring and deliver innovation, etc.
13:03:52 From Andrea Reimer : The garbage won
13:04:05 From Lisa Sierra : Coaching and teaching people to prototype and experiment is important as it opens up their thinking and ability to try things in an appropriate scale to @Nigel’s point
13:04:12 From Andrea Reimer : The garbage won’t get picked up on Monday is actually one of the worst disasters to befall a municipal government
13:05:07 From Allison Ashcroft : yes – time/capacity/resources for learning, sharing learning, and utilization-focused developmental evaluation
13:06:32 From Alan Kasperski :
13:07:12 From Sidney Ribaux to All panelists : Wether we talk about pilots or experiments, isn’t there a danger that we spend all our time on these and too little time on system changers like revenu diversification for example.
13:07:41 From Olga Messinis : Recognizing the need to be nimble around trying new things (from pilots to experimentations) , we have risked great ideas and trial becoming political fodder. Nigel, you mentioned being radically available and dissolving the walls of city council. How do you manage that within governance structures? Advice?
13:07:44 From Canadian Urban Institute to Sidney Ribaux and all panelists : Can you change your chat settings and re-post? Your comment only went to panelists. Thanks!
13:08:20 From Allison Ashcroft : with respect, we can
13:09:27 From Allison Ashcroft : with respect, we can’t treat every decision like it is as risky as faulty steel of a bridge. we need to manage risk not avoid it completely.
13:09:34 From Gloria Venczel : In terms of community buy-in for municipal experiments/pilots, if at all possible, create a process where the community perceives that they are the initiators/authors of innovation.
13:09:46 From Lisa Sierra : How do we talk about our failures as learning? Example we use is that WD40 is named because the first 39 were failures but the learning was there
13:10:06 From Brian Pincott : It is one of the true joys of municipal.. that there isn’t (for most of us) a party system!
13:10:14 From Andrea Reimer : ^^ great example @LisaSierra
13:10:15 From Irena Nikolova : As a public servants in the Public Service of Canada I understand aversion to risk. But we also benefit the most from pilot projects, which have been initiated at the grassroots level.Innovation has always been driven by new, sometimes very unconventional and crazy ideas. This is how science and technology have advanced throughout history.
13:11:13 From Branislav Henselmann : To Andrea’s Point around the “three big buckets” and the notion of transformation as we reexamine the current and future role of the cities, it seems to me that it’s incredibly important to assess – and then reestablish – the new notions of democratic, civic duty for all those living in our cities. All this to say, true transformation of any kind dictates that work is required by all involved.
13:11:20 From David Katz : Why not share with FCM?
13:12:01 From Brian Pincott : The Council Innovation Fund supported a project in my ward that essentially was a participatory budgeting process. Very successful
13:12:43 From Tobin Postma : there is a good analogy here between how local governments use incremental budgeting vs zero-based budgeting when it comes to prototyping…we look at how we can create and implement new policies/processes/programs whereas we should really be looking at our current policies/processes/programs
13:12:50 From Natalia Diaz-Insense : I’d very much agree with Mayor Nenshi. Risk aversion is there, but fear of accountability should not prevent folks to try things. The main problem in my view is what Nigel was saying about the fact that a lot of pilots (or experiments, it doesn’t really matter) don’t get much follow-up. Proper follow-up would provide the transformative changes that Andrea is talking about. Nova Scotia is often called the land of pilots…
13:14:11 From Olga Messinis : Great correlation Tobin.
13:15:25 From Brian Pincott : ORDER!!!!!
13:16:46 From Lisa Sierra : I can’t post it but I have a great diagram from an Ivey School course on the types of failure that I am happy to share
13:17:17 From David Katz : Mixed use like Regent Park so that there is all kinds of rebuilding older neighbourhoods?
13:17:22 From Asif Kurji : @Lisa Sierra – i’d be interested in looking at that
13:17:32 From Brian Pincott : US Municipalities have a lot more levers, especially funding levers, to pull to make housing work. Cities in Canada are much more limited
13:18:09 From Abby S : I hate to say that rational thought seems to have disappeared recently…
13:19:37 From Lisa Sierra : @Asif its the best representation that I have seen that applies to our context
13:20:00 From Gloria Venczel : Municipalities understand governance and its responsibilities where as companies with sometimes Gatsby amount of cash to cover up mistakes are rewarded for high risks and have no concept/experience in governance. Municipalities, with deep governance capacity that could figure out how to enhance/encourage innovation and walk the talk, will set the pace for covid recovery and reap the benefits of leadership, grasp the brass ring.
13:20:17 From Abby S : @Nigel I don’t think it is a small thing at all responding in this way…and not passing the buck. So important
13:20:28 From Abby S : When people are heard…
13:21:29 From Allison Ashcroft : yes greater legibility and more custom/concierge service absolutely, that just requires capacity and latitude something local gov staff have very little of in most divisions and levels.
13:23:14 From Carrie Hotton-MacDonald : COVID is providing us with really great opportunities to rethink how we address these issues. Great points by Mayor Nenshi about addressing homelessness and providing stable supportive housing. We need to do a collective rethink & seize the moment.
13:23:18 From Abby S : you have to ask yourself, Mayor Nenshi…what is the government afraid of … in terms of ending homelessness.
13:23:22 From Abby S : YES will.
13:23:47 From Abby S : That is so cynical…and awful…
13:23:54 From Olga Messinis : It’s dark
13:24:08 From Abby S : I don’t mean cynical on your part…cynical on the part of the government
13:24:09 From Pablo Orozco to All panelists : Well said Mayor Nenshi!
13:24:27 From Keren Tang : Love the frankness of this conversation – like all Citytalks!
13:24:41 From Allison Ashcroft : I’m working with folks in our encampment in VIcotria right now to help them come current with taxes and benefit applications. many, obviously not all, but many are entitled to refunds and benefits they’ve not claimed because as Nigel says these sysetms and processes are illegible and daunting particularly if someone is marginalized by those systems and needing to seek shelter, food, hygiene and safety on a daily basis.
13:25:00 From Canadian Urban Institute : You can find transcripts and recordings of today’s and all our sessions at https://www.canurb.org/citytalk
Keep the conversation going #citytalk @canurb
To support CityTalk and the Canadian Urban Institute’s other city building initiatives, please donate at www.canurb.org/donate.
What did you think of today’s conversation? Help us improve our programming with a short post-webinar survey – https://bit.ly/362jCeV
13:25:24 From Abby S : amazing conversation. yes thank you for openess.
13:27:51 From Stephen Crozier : Absolutely, Andrea!
13:28:19 From David Chaney : +1 on Andrea’s points
13:28:44 From David Crenna : Great conversation on innovation in cities!
13:29:09 From Canadian Urban Institute : Mayor Naheed Nenshi
linkedin.com/in/nenshi
@nenshi
Nigel Jacob
linkedin.com/in/nsjacob
@nsjacob
Andrea Reimer
linkedin.com/in/andreareimer
@andreareimer
13:29:22 From David Katz : Hopefully the Infrastructure Bank will provide the funds for the housing in the recovery. Instead of the developers getting rich, we get the pension funds and others to fund the housing while making the low interest rates that are currently available.
13:29:23 From Gloria Venczel : Deinstitutionalization of mental health patients in MetroVancouver from Riverview without community supports is a big part of local homelessness. Income appropriate housing typologies are lacking- not only condos + the single family house. Canada has a long history of a diversity of housing types pre WW2. After WW2, SROs and inner cities in Canada were also redlined by banks + other institutions. The BC Community Land Trust is making great headway in non-market, non-subsidized co-op housing!
13:29:43 From Sandro Pampallona : Thank you all for being so genuinely generous during this talk ! Very much appreciated.
13:29:58 From Natalia Diaz-Insense : Great points about the need to act on the issue of affordable housing, and work with other orders of government.
13:30:04 From Andrea Reimer : +1 on Nigel’s points on innovation >> values neutral innovation is my equivalent to Mayor Nenshi’s dislike of levels of government
13:30:48 From Lisa Sierra : Great conversation – thank you for that insight and call to action @nenshi Thanks everyone
13:31:04 From Canadian Urban Institute : CUI extends a big thank you to our partners for today’s session: Apolitical, Institute of Public Administration of Canada, Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School, and the Canadian Municipal Barometer.
https://apolitical.co/home
https://www.ipac.ca/
https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership/
Canadian Municipal Barometer
13:31:11 From Abby S : how do we move beyond talk???
13:31:29 From Tobin Postma : thanks all, very inspiring and yes the challenge is how to move from talk to action, from policy to operation!
13:31:31 From Allison Ashcroft : with provincial funding for additional rent supplements, Victoria’s mayor is having convos with affordable market rental landlords to find 200 units to move 200 more people indoors into existing market rental. but with moratorium on evictions as of sept 1st, those same landlords are issuing 10day eviction notices for nonpayment of rent. we need to watch what’s happening at the back door too as precariously housed folks are going to be pushed on to the street or on to someone’s couch faster than we find additional rent supplements and units to be offered by landlords. let’s use cda infr bank to buy these buildings and place them in community land trusts or nonprofit hoysing providers hands and retrofit them, build on their parking lots, etc. and let’s buy these buildings by offering cap gains tax exmeptions because otherwise we are just driving up the price of the buildings as we compete with REITs to buy them.
13:31:37 From Brian Moss : We are speaking about the Canadian social safety net, at all levels .. having spent $350 Billion or more this year, there will be limits to all these aspirations ..
13:31:46 From Alan Kasperski : Thank you, panel. An excellent use of 90 minutes …
13:31:52 From Canadian Urban Institute : themayor@calgary.ca
13:31:54 From John Fleming : Great conversation folks – lots of great insight and interesting points to “chew on”
13:32:08 From Brian Pincott : Thanks All!!
13:32:12 From Andrea Davidson to All panelists : Thank you for all your time and insight!
13:32:17 From Bridget MacIntosh : Thanks for organizing! Great discussion!
13:32:19 From Abby S : thank you.
13:32:25 From Godwin Chan : Thanks
13:32:27 From Julie Jodoin : a great call to ACTION ! Merci beaucoup
13:32:32 From Andrea Reimer : Thanks everyone! Have loved the chat and the comments from fellow panellists. If you want to be in touch andrea.reimer@citizenandrea.ca
13:32:36 From Allison Ashcroft : thank you, so great as always Mary!!!!
13:32:50 From Mayor Naheed Nenshi to Allison Ashcroft and all panelists : thank you everyone!
13:33:00 From James LaPierre to All panelists : Thanks everyone. Excellent discussion. Let’s get the action part going!
13:33:09 From Mayor Naheed Nenshi to Allison Ashcroft and all panelists : thank you everyone!
13:33:17 From Gloria Venczel : Thank you to CUI for this very important convening of the best of munis! Thank you to the speakers!
13:33:21 From Emeka Ekwosimba Ekwosimba : Thank you all
