Our Community Culture Project Phase One Report: Realizing Hamilton’s Potential as a Creative City

“This report is quite simply the best example of this work that I have seen in any country in the world to date. And, I have seen a great many in 5 continents.”

Colin Mercer
Internationally respected consultant and cultural planning pioneer.

This report summarizes work completed in the first phase of one of the most comprehensive municipal cultural planning processes ever undertaken in Canada. The report was received by Hamilton City Council on June 18, 2010 as part of an integrated planning agenda including a new Economic Development Strategy, Human Services Plan, and Immigration Strategy meant to communicate opportunities to connect the four plans.

The report includes: results of baseline cultural mapping works; an analysis of the planning context in which culture can be integrated; draft principles and strategic themes to guide the next phase of the process and the development of a Cultural Policy and Plan. One of the most striking outcomes of the process was the increase in participation of municipal staff from 8 to more than 30 during the course of the project.

The work was completed by AuthentiCity Founder Greg Baeker and Senior Associate Kat Runnalls of  Synercom Strategies working with Vilnis Cultural Design Works.

The full report can be downloaded using the above link but is a large file – so be patient!

Read Colin’s full comments on the report.

Read about coverage of the plan in the Hamilton Spectator.
City Looks At Ways to Lure Business, Immigrants

Read staff reflections on the most important outcomes and challenges in completing the work.

Creative Together: A Cultural Plan for Vaughan

“The parallel development of the Vaughan Official Plan and Creative Together: A Cultural Plan for Vaughan has raised the bar for integrated planning in Canadian municipalities.”

Pino Di Mascio
Partner, Urban Strategies

The overarching purpose of Creative Together which was adopted by City Council on June 15, 2010 is to establish an overall vision and actions to guide cultural development in Vaughan and to integrate cultural planning across municpal departments.  The plan was developed parallel to the development of a new Vaughan Official Plan by Urban Strategies. Culture is embedded across the board in the Official Plan – in economic development, growth management, community services and facilities, heritage conservation, intensification, urban design and place-making, to name a few.

Creative Together was developed in parallel with a number of other culture and heritage-related studies that informed the development of the Vaughan Official Plan: Built Heritage and Public Art Study/Plan, Archaeology Study/Plan, and Cultural Landscape Study/Plan, Together these plans will put Vaughan at the forefront of integrated approach to cultural planning and development.

The plan is featured in the July 2010 issue of Plan Canada, the journal of the Canadian Institute of Planners. The plan was written by Greg Baeker and Kat Runnalls working in collaboration with Novita. (June 2010)

Read Pino’s full comments on the report.

Creativity on the City’s Edge: Durham Region’s Creative Economy

This is one of three studies – the others in Southwestern Ontario and Eastern Ontario (below) undertaken by AuthentiCity in collaboration with Miller Dickinson Blais and the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto. The studies involved a rigorous statistical analysis of the creative economy together with a strategic assessment of economic challenges and opportunities by Economic Development Officers and other local and regional stakesholders. The reports contain recommendations to municipalities, to economic development agencies and to the Province of Ontario. (January 2010)

Creative Potential: Straddling Two Mega-Regions – Southwestern Ontario’s Creative Economy

This is the same analysis for Southwestern Ontario, completed in collaboration with Miller Dickinson Blais and the Martin Prosperity Institute (October 2009)

Canada’s Creative Corridor: Eastern Ontario’s Creative Economy

This is the same analysis for Eastern Ontario, in collaboration with Miller Dickinson Blais and the Martin Prosperity Institute (September 2009)

Niagara Region Culture Plan

This plan is the first municipal cultural plan prepared for a regional municipality in Ontario. The plan, which was adopted unanimously by Regional Council in March 2010, works to build upon and coordinate the many existing cultural assets and activities to create a shared vision and action-plan for culture in Niagara. It is also intended to guide collective actions connecting the municipality with its community, business and culture partners. The plan was developed working closely with staff and a Culture Plan Advisory Committee by Greg Baeker and Kat Runnalls, working in collaboration with Novita

Mississauga Culture Master Plan

This plan was led by the Canadian Urban Institute working in collaboration with AuthentiCity, Artscape and Novita. The plan,  which supports the City’s new Strategic Plan, was approved June 10, 2009 at Council. The Mississauga Culture Plan provides a framework and a long-term vision, and identifies key opportunities and strategies that the City’s Culture Division can implement over the next five years. (June 2010)

Enabling Culture to Thrive in Oakville: Oakville’s Strategic Directions for Culture

On October 5, 2009, Oakville Town Council approved the town’s first municipal cultural plan. The plan was the culmination of two years of consultation, research and community collaboration.  The specific objectives of this plan are to define a guiding vision for culture for the Town of Oakville, to establish a town mandate for culture appropriate to that vision, and to develop strategic directions for the future. The cultural plan is a living document used by the town to develop an integrated approach that connects and builds on the many forms of culture at exist in Oakville. It will change and adapt to cultural opportunities and to the needs of the community and sets the stage for culture to thrive in Oakville. The plan was prepared by Greg Baeker and Kat Runnalls. (October 2009)

Toronto Creative City Planning Framework

Prepared for the City of Toronto by AuthentiCity, the report was written Greg Baeker, Glen Murray and Pauline Couture. The City of Toronto is committed to moving forward with its business and community partners to pursue the planning vision and goals set out in the framework. A core message is that no one agency can achieve the outcomes we all desire. Success demands new shared governance systems and partnership models built around a common vision and understanding of the planning issues and opportunities. The purpose of the Creative City Planning Framework is map out some of the planning assumptions necessary to this collaboration. The city must think more creatively about tools and levers to support creativity in Toronto. To nurture creativity requires a shift in perspective in fiscal and economic development frameworks. (February 2008)