City Centre geospatial analysis. 4. Census Tract 9380014 Vancouver Island University − Bowen Park

Nanaimo Census Tract 9380014, Vancouver Island University − Bowen Park, is 4.6 km² in land area with a population of 6,719. 3,032 households in 3,203 dwellings, 1,385 rent and 1,650 own. Average age : 38.2 years. Average after-tax household income (2015): $50,713. Population density is 1,468 per km². Demographic data :
Census Profile, 2016 Census9380014.00 [Census tract], British Columbia and Nanaimo [Census agglomeration], British Columbia 

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City Centre geospatial analysis. 3. Census Tract 9380016 Harewood − Vancouver Island University

Nanaimo Census Tract 9380016, Harewood − Vancouver Island University, is 5.2 km² in land area with a population of 7,039. 2,864 households in 2,969 dwellings, 1,065 rent and 1,800 own. Average age : 39.2 years. Average after-tax household income (2015): $57,506. Population density is 1,369 per km². Demographic data : Statistics Canada, Census Profile,9380016.00 [Census tract], British Columbia and Nanaimo [Census agglomeration], British Columbia

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City Centre geospatial analysis. 2. The South End

 

These five Census Dissemination Areas (the smaller levels that make up the large Census Tract, in this case 9380017.02) are 2.3 km² in land area with a population of 2,2754. 1,289 households in 1,359 dwellings, 490 rent and 765 own. Average age : 43.3 years. Average after-tax household income (2015) $45,954. Population density is about 1,200 per km². Demographic data : Statistics Canada, 2016 Census.

 

Nanaimo Census Profile 59210416 [Dissemination area], 2016 Census 

Nanaimo Census Profile, 59210417 [Dissemination area], 2016 Census 

Nanaimo Census Profile, 59210419 [Dissemination area], 2016 Census

Nanaimo Census Profile, 59210420 [Dissemination area], 2016 Census

Nanaimo Census Profile, 59210434 [Dissemination area], 2016 Census

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City Centre geospatial analysis. 1. The study area

Five Nanaimo Census Tracts and five Census Dissemination Areas within the larger Census Tract 9380017.02 make up this City Centre geospatial analysis. Data sources are the City of Nanaimo’s Open Data Catalogue and Statistics Canada 2016 Census data, variables searched and downloaded via #CensusMapper.

Brechin Hill, Townsite−Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Bowen Park−Vancouver Island University, Harewood−South End, and the downtown urban core.

Population of the study area : 29,910. Land area (adjusted for Saysutshun and Protection Islands) : 17.3 km². 33% of Nanaimo population, 17% of Nanaimo land area. Population density per km² approximately 1.9x greater than city-wide (1,949 / 997). Households : 14,182, 33% of city total. 7,455 own and 6,725 rent. Demographic data : Census Profile, 2016 Census Nanaimo, City [Census subdivision], British Columbia and Nanaimo, Regional district [Census division], British Columbia

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Our finest example of public art is Supernatural Eagle Bringing the Sun Back to the World, by William and Joel Wood. pic.twitter.com/R90OuNoyAb

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) August 12, 2020

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The by-design, vertically integrated, local and regional food economy. Part one

"We need to view cities as the complex, adaptive systems they are—and when we do, we gain insight into how to address today's pressing challenges.” recent Strong Towns Tweet.

“Cities happen to be problems in organized complexity, like the life sciences… The variables are many, but they are not helter-skelter; they are interrelated into an organic whole.” Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Ch22 The Kind of Problem a City Is.

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This post, the first in a series on how Nanaimo can best emerge from the crises, the health crisis here now and the economic crisis to come, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, proposes a by-design, vertically integrated local and regional food economy.

Local and regional food security has been on a lot of people's minds the last few years. And all the more so the last few months. We can emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a secure local and regional food economy ecosystem.

This chart from the 2016 Nanaimo Census Profile offers a snapshot of the local economy. We're a population centre, a transportation hub and we're the urban centre most important to our region. As in other small regional cities, the large payrolls are public sector (about 20% of the labour force are employed in the health, education and related sectors) and retail related services employ more people than any of the other sectors (almost 30%).

These are family-supporting incomes and we're fortunate to have them. They shouldn't however make us complacent about growing and strengthening our local economy, about the creation of local value. Many cities across North America are looking at import-replacement principles as a way to grow and make more resilient their local economies.

The supply and distribution of locally grown and produced food can only be as secure as it is fully integrated into the local mainstream economy. Creating family-supporting jobs at every point in the new economic sector. Here’s how, in these incremental steps, we can do that.

By Design.  Building on current strengths, and with an understanding of how cities are made up of complex, interconnected systems, the City of Nanaimo's economic development arm can begin to design the vertically integrated local and regional food ecosystem. This is incremental development within an ambitious plan that builds on the strengths of each proceeding element. The growing and producing of local and regional foods is the place to start.

Import replacement. We’re fortunate to have a strong base from which to grow and develop a secure local and regional food economy. Farmers’ Markets, community gardens, Vancouver Island University and others have acquired a key knowledge base in the growing and production of food and also in distribution, marketing and administration.

In To Combat Widespread Job Loss, Stay Local and Look to Import Replacement, journalist Valerie Vande Panne describes innovative ways some cities have successfully re-localized their economies. Some of these examples could serve us well here in Nanaimo as a way forward.

"In Cleveland, Evergreen Cooperatives has brought home multiple businesses and millions of dollars through enterprises including Evergreen Cooperative Laundry and Green City Growers. In the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, Wellspring Cooperative meets local food needs through their Wellspring Harvest Greenhouse."

Partnering with local anchor institutions, as detailed in the above nextcity.org article, beginning with surveying current purchases of the hospital, the K-12 school system, the university and others, to identify import replacement opportunities offers a solid foundation on which to begin to build a resilient and regenerative local and regional food economy.

Nothing happens in the city one-off. Everything’s connected to everything else. Design the urban environment for synergies that create social good or disconnected decay will be the inevitable result.

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) August 5, 2020

More to come : the craft producers, re-localized finance and investment, business incubators and start-up supports and a City-owned public market catalyzing downtown urban renewal.

The by-design, vertically integrated, local and regional food economy. Part two.

Further reading : Cities and the Wealth of Nations, Jane Jacobs

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