Shelve Sandstone!

#Nanaimo : Let's build a new neighbourhood in the forests of Cedar, right after we finish building the neighbourhoods we already have. Shelve Sandstone! #ocp2020ycd @UrbanThree : The Value of Downtown https://t.co/km4nzDq031 via @YouTube

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) September 24, 2020

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#ocp2020ycd

pic.twitter.com/oBu2YKAl4c

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) May 17, 2020

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City councillors also need research and executive assistants that report to them not to the CAO.

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) September 19, 2020

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

Part one and two recap : From securing the business of local and regional anchor institutions, entering into professional level supply contracts with these institutions; to taking advantage of import replacement and economic gardening opportunities; to offering pooled strategic marketing, legal and finance supports to craft producers, restaurants, and local farms and farmers’ markets, the strong basis of a vertically integrated local food economy ecosystem can be established. Then things get ambitious.

The skills, experience and knowledge to build the local food economy are present locally in abundance. A refocused City economic development arm has the ability, properly tasked, to work with current local food enterprises to create a public good far greater than the sum of the parts.

The crown atop the food economy ecosystem, the creation of a City-owned public market, anchoring catalyst of an ambitious vision of downtown renewal and regeneration requires talents not available here or in any but the largest cities in the country.

"Great markets can spark urban revitalization, foster community diversity, and improve public health. Across the globe, we’re on the verge of a new era of market cities, with expansive networks to connect people and places.” @PPS_Placemaking https://t.co/8XRdUx6f0a

— The Economic Garden (@Economicgarden1) September 17, 2020

Around the world, pubic markets are key municipal assets that, done right, punch above their weight economically, socially and culturally. This is where the local food economy can achieve real security by connecting consumers, at scale, with the local food economy ecosystem. To realize the vision of a Nanaimo City-owned public market catalyzing downtown urban renewal and regeneration the following are imperative :

• The re-reinstatement immediately of the role of Chief Planner, a progressive proactive hire reporting directly to the City Manager, the CAO.
• The creation by a skilled team of professionals, chosen through an RFP competitive process, a city-centre specific urban plan.
• The creation as recommended by the Downtown Waterfront Initiative headed by former VIU VP Dave Witty of a Public Development Corporation.

There is now a much loved and respected community market, Island Roots. They’ve done especially well coping with the COVID-19 pandemic offering innovative ways to support local producers and their customers. They have a proposal in front of the City to expand at their present location, a large park outside the urban core. I’ve expressed my concerns that the market will struggle at this location, unable to benefit from the mix of activities around it and unable then to benefit others in a mutually supportive way. The proposed Island Roots Co-op Market at Beban Park

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Look for “unaverage clues." She proposed these “most important habits of thought.” pic.twitter.com/SsfcPDJLoN

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) September 11, 2020

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

Supper the other night —al fresco— at a new restaurant downtown. Every sprout, every salad green and root vegetable, even the ribeye steak sourced locally.

The farm-to-table movement is one element of the vertically integrated local and regional food economy I wrote about in part one.

The farm-to-table movement and many of the elements of a local food economy are in place now. Missing is an organizing authority to work with each element, to coordinate, to grow the mutually advantageous elements of the local food economy ecosystem.

This requires a rethinking of the role of the City’s economic development arm. A reversal of focus from searching far and wide for the large branch plant employer to nurturing and growing the resilient local economy. Craft producers — brewers, wineries, distillers; startups, farms, market gardens, restaurants, farmers' markets, specialties and related enterprises.

1. My small neighbourhood—Old City—currently has a Greek restaurant, Tex-Mex, Italian, Japanese, a Cupcakery, specialty food import + cheese shop, beer+wine store, 2 coffee bars, 3 lunch cafes, 3 pubs w/ kitchens. New Japanese restaurant opening soon.Confident it'll also do well.

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) May 19, 2018

With the foundational work described in part one done, local economic development would hold monthly public presentations on starting a business in the local food economy, connecting startups and established businesses with resources: legal, accounting, marketing, regulatory.

And one econ-dev function would be to invite submission of business ideas. Qualifying ideas would go into an intense incubation period, the outcome of which would be a completed business plan ready to present to lenders and investors. Alternative business models like co-ops and social enterprises should be stressed. And City economic development would be looking to partner with financial institutions especially Island-based credit unions to create innovative financing and investment tools.

I took just such an incubator at VIU years ago that resulted in a business my wife and I grew and sold in 2009. Joint federal funding was available for this incubator then and no doubt would be now.

A re-focused economic development arm would investigate local applications of concepts like import replacement and economic gardening (an entrepreneurial approach to economic development that seeks to grow the local economy from within). Economic gardening is being applied successfully on a large scale, growing already large enterprises larger. Local focus would be to identify smaller enterprises in need of financial or marketing, planning or legal assistance, to grow larger, each creating new employment.

Earlier post : On a self-reliant, resilient and regenerative local economy. 1 Next : up the chain to the downtown public market catalyzing renewal in the urban core. Part three.

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