SmartCity Blog

The Halifax Index - What is it & Why does it matter

by David Fleming 

We’re one week away from the release of The Halifax Index (Halifax’s new economic progress tool). As the lead researcher and writer, I thought I’d explain where this project came from, why I think it’s important and what you can expect from the first Index. 

When AGREATERHalifax, Economic Strategy for 2011-16 was being developed, the vision and values that were behind it were different than your typical economic strategy. Ideas and actions around sustainable environment, social capital, and building a diverse and vibrant community emerged from the collaborative development process. As such, it is evident that simple economic indicators like jobs and the amount of production were not going to tell the story of our community's progress. We had to build something different.

Take population growth as an example. When someone is choosing where to live, a number of key questions drive their decision: 

• Will I find a good job?
• Will I find affordable housing?
• Is the local community welcoming?
• Will I be safe and healthy?
• Is there a vibrant arts, culture and recreation community?
• Are there better opportunities in other communities?

The Index’s four sections, “People,” “Economy,” “Quality of Place,” and “Sustainability,” represent a more comprehensive approach to measuring economic progress. Working with local organizations, governments and consulting a variety of publications from other communities, we’ve built a set of indicators that represent the best data available to tell that story. The Index will get better each year as we harness more of the collective wisdom of the community and build strong research relationships between government, non-profit, academia and the business community. 

The first Index is about setting a benchmark for progress. We’ve identified key opportunities and challenges around immigration, our regulatory climate, urban area growth and a cultural change we need to make that will help our community progress towards its goal. We’ll unveil these findings, and others, at the first annual Halifax State of the Economy Conference on May 23rd-24th, 2012. 

Remember that the Economic Strategy is just a blueprint. It requires action from everyone to realize our vision for Halifax. If we do the right things and continue to work together, the Halifax Index will tell a story of a community that’s vibrant, diverse, healthy and full of opportunity for many. 

 

Author: David Fleming 

David is the Junior Economist and Project Development Coordinator at the Greater Halifax Partnership. He studied Economics and Philosophy at the University of Prince Edward Island, and has experience working with private, public and non-profit organizations. 

Iranian Business Trade Show: Blending Business and Community

By Mike MacKenzie

Halifax’s Iranian community is gearing up for this weekend’s Iranian Business Trade Show.

Now in its second year, the annual event blends business with community and features interactive presentations that celebrate Halifax’s proud and diverse culture. According to event organizer Nikki Jafari, it also provides a valuable opportunity for small businesses that don’t necessarily have the resources to attend larger-scale events.

“It’s a good chance for business owners to network with each other and promote their products,” says Nikki. “It’s an opportunity that many of the businesses don’t often get.”

The free event, which is open to members of the public, is also being held in conjunction with the Persian New Year that takes place on Tuesday, March 20. As part of the celebration, attendees can enjoy live music, dancing, and traditional Persian food.

But while the trade show is an occasion to celebrate Persian culture, it’s also seen as an important opportunity to further establish the Iranian community in Halifax.

Nikki hopes that the event will give profile to the successful enterprises that make up Halifax’s Iranian business community and demonstrate the value that immigrants from all backgrounds bring to our region. In her mind, it’s not just about celebrating culture, but also creating long-term stability for immigrant families who want to make a home in our city.

“We all have a role to play in helping the immigrant community feel welcome,” she says. “We all win if they stay here in Halifax.”

Event Details

The Second Annual Iranian Business Trade Show
Sunday, March 11, 2012
12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
World Trade and Convention Centre
1800 Argyle Street, Halifax

 

Author: Mike MacKenzie

Mike is the Communications and Marketing Assistant with Greater Halifax Partnership, currently working as a Bachelor of Public Relations co-op student. A lover of all things communications and strategy related, Mike is often known to spend his free time analyzing the latest-and-greatest PR/advertising campaigns. As a relative newbie to the Halifax scene, he can also be seen strolling the streets of downtown looking for the next cool thing that the city has to offer.

Growing in more ways than one

By Mike MacKenzie

Several proposed development projects and Halifax planning initiatives made the headlines last week. In case you missed it, here are some of the stories that show how Halifax is growing – in more ways than one.

Crombie REIT

Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust is positioning itself to take advantage of expected opportunities that stem from Irving’s $25B shipbuilding contract. The company has received inquiries from businesses interested in securing office space in Downtown Halifax, and Crombie says they are actively considering the possibility of adding more floors to their existing Scotia Square property to keep up with potential demand. All-in-all, Crombie says there’s potential to add up to one-million square feet of space to their existing property inventory.

Regional Plan Review

Halifax Regional Municipality has begun the initial phase of a five-year review for the city’s Regional Plan. According to Andy Fillmore, Project Manager - Urban Design, developers in the city currently face policy inconsistencies that can impede projects from taking hold. Fillmore says the review, which may include an update of the outdated policies, will revitalize downtown development and make it easier for Halifax to handle the expected growth resulting from the shipbuilding contract and offshore exploration.

Porter’s Lake Construction Boom

Porter’s Lake may soon see a huge construction boom of its own. Plans have been announced to build more than 600 homes over the next ten years in a massive project that’s expected to cost $160M. Seven Lakes Development, the group spearheading the project, says that while the development is large in scope they hope to build sustainable ‘low-impact’ homes that will leave the majority of the land undisturbed. They also plan to incorporate the existing community into the review process in an attempt to minimize the potential invasiveness of such a large project. Seven Lakes hopes that a development agreement can be reached in the fall, with construction beginning early next year.

So in case you missed it, you're now in the know. You can stay up-to-date on Halifax business news by subscribing to the daily newsfeed.     

 

Author: Mike MacKenzie

Mike is the Communications and Marketing Assistant with Greater Halifax Partnership, currently working as a Bachelor of Public Relations co-op student. A lover of all things communications and strategy related, Mike is often known to spend his free time analyzing the latest-and-greatest PR/advertising campaigns. As a relative newbie to the Halifax scene, he can also be seen strolling the streets of downtown looking for the next cool thing that the city has to offer.

Several proposed development projects and Halifax planning initiatives made the headlines last week. In case you missed it, here are some of the stories that show how Halifax is growing – in more ways than one.

Crombie REIT

Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust is positioning itself to take advantage of expected opportunities that stem from Irving’s $25B shipbuilding contract. The company has received inquiries from businesses interested in securing office space in Downtown Halifax, and Crombie says they are actively considering the possibility of adding more floors to their existing Scotia Square property to keep up with potential demand. All-in-all, Crombie says there’s potential to add up to one-million square feet of space to their existing property inventory.

Regional Plan Review

Halifax Regional Municipality has begun the initial phase of a five-year review for the city’s Regional Plan. According to Andy Fillmore, Project Manager for HRMbyDesign, developers in the city currently face policy inconsistencies that can impede projects from taking hold. Fillmore says the review, which may include an update of the outdated policies, will revitalize downtown development and make it easier for Halifax to handle the expected growth resulting from the shipbuilding contract and offshore exploration.

Porter’s Lake Construction Boom

Porter’s Lake may soon see a huge construction boom of its own. Plans have been announced to build more than 600 homes over the next ten years in a massive project that’s expected to cost $160M. Seven Lakes Development, the group spearheading the project, says that while the development is large in scope they hope to build sustainable ‘low-impact’ homes that will leave the majority of the land undisturbed. They also plan to incorporate the existing community into the review process in an attempt to minimize the potential invasiveness of such a large project. Seven Lakes hopes that a development agreement can be reached in the fall, with construction beginning early next year.

Reinventing Downtown Halifax

Anyone who has passed through a neighbourhood in Halifax's Regional Centre recently has likely come across a construction project.

Development means more than just newer, fancier buildings.  Residential and commercial development in the Regional Centre benefits all of Halifax.  These projects create jobs and increase density, infusing more money into our local economy and translating into more opportunities for people to both live and work in Halifax.

Building a vibrant and attractive Regional Centre is a priority for our city (see Halifax's economic strategy AGREATERHalifax for more). While development in Halifax is a good thing, there needs to be a coordinated effort to ensure that our city grows and thrives in the right way. That’s why episode 4 of Downtown Halifax Business Commission’s Big Day Downtown series focused on planning and development in the heart of the city.

Host Kristen Pickett met with Andy Fillmore, project leader of HRMbyDesign, to discuss the city’s 25-year vision for growth in downtown Halifax, a plan that was developed based on a shared community vision.

 

Andy talks about the plan’s potential to reinvent the city’s core, with buildings that give Haligonians more opportunities to live and work downtown.  One such development is the former Sam the Record Man building on Barrington Street, now slated to be a commercial mixed-use building that will give the area a major facelift.

There are currently 40 development projects either on-the-go or in the works in downtown Halifax alone, for a combined worth of over a quarter-billion dollars. And according to Andy, this is just the first part of HRMbyDesign’s broad vision.

So the next time you walk by a construction site in your neighbourhood, look beyond the concrete. There’s a whole lot more going on than just a new building.

Development projects in Halifax:

View Development in HRM in a larger map

Development Stats

Knowing how important development is to the strength of our city, it’s encouraging to read recent development-related statistics. In 2011, Greater Halifax saw:

• Construction begin on 2,954 residential units;
• Non residential construction worth $382.1-million; and
• Building permits worth $805-million.

Author: Mike MacKenzie

Mike is the Communications and Marketing Assistant with Greater Halifax Partnership, currently working as a Bachelor of Public Relations co-op student. A lover of all things communications and strategy related, Mike is often known to spend his free time analyzing the latest-and-greatest PR/advertising campaigns. As a relative newbie to the Halifax scene, he can also be seen strolling the streets of downtown looking for the next cool thing that the city has to offer.