An Intelligent Community must demonstrate measurable results in one or more of the following areas:
* Attracting new business to the community or stimulating their formation
* Creating training programs to equip citizens with knowledge-worker skills
* New job creation
* New technology infrastructure investment, whether of “hard” assets, services or software
* Improvements in the delivery of government and public services such as education, administration, law enforcement or citizen participation
* Innovation in government procedures and/or business processes
The Top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2006 (pdf), in alphabetical order, are:
* Cleveland, United States
* Gangnam District (Seoul), Korea:
* Ichikawa, Japan
* Manchester, United Kingdom
* Taipei, Taiwan
* Tianjin, China:
* Waterloo, Canada
Waterloo is the smallest of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. The Waterloo region, also known as Canada's Technology Triangle (www.techtriangle.com), was one of Canada's top two areas for economic growth in 2005. It is home to 334 technology companies and another 404 companies providing related services.
In the 1970s, the University of Waterloo established an intellectual property policy, unheard of in its day, which allowed students and faculty members to own rights in intellectual property they developed at the University. It produced a wave of entrepreneurship that pushed technology innovation out of the academic environment and into the community.
Today, the University spins off 22% of all new technology start-ups in Canada. Many of Waterloo's leading businesses are spin-offs from the University, including Research in Motion (RIM), Open Text, MRS, Desire2Learn and WatCom, which was acquired by Sybase. All three of Waterloo's post-secondary institutions participate in ORION (Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network), a high-speed fiber network that connects nearly 100 educational and research institutions. A federallyfunded Community Access Program provides citizens with affordable access to the Internet as well as PC and Internet training.
I wonder if the award had anything to do with our moving to Waterloo?
Nah, I don't think do.
4 comments:
Yup - I don't think 'cities' are intelligent. People can be...on a good day.
I married a Waterloo girl. She is indeed very intelligent.
I have my first degree from U of Waterloo. I think I have been instilled with some intelligence through the four years spent there.
Then alas I became missional.
I ended up in the backwash just outside Aylmer and London.
I guess with Waterloo being so full of intelligent people - it calls for a very intelligent missional aproach by your church (the people). Although - personally I find it easier to let God do the work through me.
P*Mike - I have always found you to be very intelligent. I even saw that while God was working in and through Mike as Mike in Aylmer! Blessings (although you may want to jump hockey teams in order to demonstrate even greater brilliance) ;)
I'll second the move in hockey team support. And while you're at it, Football teams too.
AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
how about seahawks for the Super Bowl?
I prefer beer-nuts and finger food!
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