Transitioning to the Creative Age

Oct. 19 2008, 12:00-12:50 pm

Is the information age economy at an end and are we entering a new and very different age (economy)?

Agricultural age-->Industrial age--> information age--> creative age

Dennis Dowker's Session 2b (notes taken by David Hanna)
"WHERE DO INDUSTRIES LOCATE?"   Where are the jobs?



Image problem: some say that Ontario ends at London?
no one here believes that or that it is even a popular notion, stated as a starting point for discussion
of how to change Windsor's image.
-Do jobs go where people are or people go where jobs are?
-marketing an authentic city image required or sometimes to create a new image
-people are more important than infrastructure, relative to the health and economy of a city
(but proper infrastructure of course helps)
-need to protect and advance local business mono-culture franchises just don't cut it
-need a strategic plan, 'radical' ideas
-soft infrastructure
-utilize 'uniqueness', ie. live work, main street approach, heritage loft aspect,
-affordable housing in for creative sector brings many spin offs
-preserve and utilize heritage resources
-identify ' sense of place'
Windsor's former rail landscape an asset put to new use with respect for the past
-some business's complain 'too much regulation'  in zoning uses, parking requirements etc.
-others say more enforceable regulation necessary with noise areas
-need for heritage master plan, Heritage Conservation District, Innovation precincts
-need citizens to take ownership, need visionary leadership
Why come to Windsor? Why stay?
-weather, affordable housing, proximity to major city and to the USA, riverfront and lake proximity
negative: currently lack of jobs
-business needs to work with the academics
-new economy the creative sectors Univ. of Windsor should work along with St. Clair College to
do something downtown ie. creative precinct - former Windsor Armouries, Bus Station, Top Hat site
or the land assembly near the AGW for new UW Dramatic Arts centre
- the Industrial age has come to an end
_true, but there is potential for new green industry
Windsor as a destination where people want to stay
-push the creative people to work together
-collect past plans, dust them off and make them available to all for discussion and potenial
implementation of the best (alter and evolve where necessary)
Windsor - a good place to invest
 

Where do industries locate?

-negative image of this area is not really justified

Industries tend to follow those locations where creative and innovative people live

The Industrial Age has passed and the Information Age is transitioning to a new Age of Innovation and Creativity.  This doesn't mean that our economy doesn't have manufacturing jobs or knowledge workers.  It simply means that these are no longer the important generators of jobs.  The Age of Creativity and Innovation means that the job focus is on different areas such as the arts, literature, culture and design; those areas where creativity is paramount. 

social cultural infrastructure of a location is critical in order to attract jobs.  People want to enjoy a high quality of life and expect to find it where they live.

We should recognise our own distinct heritage: we need a passion to preserve the essence of our past

build on our own strengths

don't deny our history

make it a positive

-these three things = authenticity

there is a loss of local independant business

fostering the creativty and innovation of our local economy is critical

identify and support innovative ideas

fostering the individual character of each of our communities will develop that authentic personality.  The current discussions relating to downtown revitalization is really this same issue.  The location downtown is superlative but what is needed are the social and cultural aspects that add to the quality of life: the reason we want to live downtown.

This area has a growing population of retirees many of whom have the financial ability to enjoy a rich social and cultural life and who would enjoy the amenities of a vibrant downtown.

make downtown attractive to live in (Windsor and area)

build a master plan for local action

bring creative people together to discuss this

 make downtown a people-friendly place

 foster creative-oriented edication and training

 infratsructire and supports to foster distinctive creative jobs and city

 economic devlopment should link to educators as well as manufacturing sector

October 29, 2008

Looking for a way to boil down this content and open it up to further conversation without being too interventionist. Does this table help? I'm thinkiing the list of 'to dos' will be easy, the 'who' may be apparent but-willing? The 'how' may present the most challenges. The when will depend on convincing the who the how is the best part.

Perhaps if this model or another makes sense, somebody could try it with the content from another session. 

David Hawkins