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Innovation Posts

Trail, B.C., initiative helps support sexual assault survivors

The City of Trail in B.C.’s western Kootenays region is setting a new precedent in supporting sexual assault survivors by introducing a self-collection sexual assault ...

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Vancouver’s Broadway Plan reflects transit-oriented development trend

Vancouver council recently approved updates to the city’s Broadway Plan that will see major construction developments along one of the city’s key roads. The council ...

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Manitoba city launches on-demand transit pilot

The City of Winkler, Man., recently launched a new on-demand transit pilot that officials hope will improve the way residents are able to get around ...

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Transparency Showcase 2.0 continues to champion open data

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario launched the inaugural Transparency Challenge in 2023. The goal of the showcase was to share innovative public approaches ...

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Regional Municipality of York: Municipal World’s Innovation Award 2024

Local Government Awards This year, the Regional Municipality of York won Municipal World’s Innovation Award for its automated transit facility inspection program. In May 2023, ...

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UBCM announces latest Community Excellence Awards winners

The cities of Kelowna and Victoria and the District of Central Saanich are some the British Columbia municipalities recognized as part of the year’s Community ...

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Surrey unveils new “Age Friendly Action Plan”

The City of Surrey has launched an Age Friendly Action Plan aimed at supporting residents ages 55 and older in leading healthier, more active, and ...

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On-demand transit: Public transportation’s more efficient possibility

If you take public transit, you know that it’s not always as efficient as it can be. We’ve all found ourselves waiting on a platform ...

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Canada’s fire departments facing growing pressures

Canada is currently in the middle of wildfire season. However, while fire services across the country are working to keep wildfires in check, they are ...

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Transparency Challenge returns to help push healthy democracy

In 2023, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario launched the inaugural Transparency Challenge. The goal of the challenge was to share with the public ...

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Canada’s cities aren’t accessible to people with disabilities

A group of disability advocates recently held a rally in downtown Vancouver calling for a more accessible city. The March 16 rally in front of ...

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Canada’s rental vacancy rate reaches record low

The number of vacant rental units in Canada has reached a 36-year low amid demand that far outstrips supply. That’s according to the Canada Mortgage ...

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AMO looks at challenging 2023, ahead to promising 2024

Ontario municipalities faced many obstacles in 2023. The Greenbelt scandal dominated the headlines and led to changes that will directly impact local governments across the ...

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Navigating complexities in service access

Opportunities outside the box: James Bartlett Employment Support Fund Navigating through the complexities of modern life often involves the pressure to check specific boxes and ...

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District energy systems offering municipalities a game-changing tool

Municipalities are continuing to lead the battle against climate change. As such, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is helping provide them with tools toward reaching ...

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St. Paul celebrates winter

The Town of St. Paul, Alberta is the proud recipient of the 2022 Communities in Bloom WinterLife Award. The WinterLife Award is an outstanding achievement ...

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Trent Lakes recognized for innovative achievement

Canada’s food waste is equal to 56.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. When organic material is sent to landfill to decompose, it releases methane ...

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Municipal World 2022 Awards of Distinction

Municipal World has announced the winners for its 2022 Awards of Distinction. Presented in six categories, the awards recognize the year’s top contributors in the ...

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Ontario privacy commissioner launches the Transparency Challenge

International Right to Know Day was marked back in September. The day celebrates the right of individual access to information held by public bodies. It ...

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Innovative tech powering North Vancouver’s digital services

The digital strategy team at the District of North Vancouver is taking an innovative approach to solving a common municipal problem: how to handle complaints ...

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AMO hands out PJ Marshall Awards to four creative municipalities

The second day of the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference was kickstarted by recognizing four municipalities providing innovative public services and facilities. ...

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Municipal World announces 2020 Awards of Distinction

Municipal World has announced the winners for its 2020 Awards of Distinction. Presented in six categories and voted on by Municipal World members, the awards ...

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AMO celebrates municipal innovation with Peter J. Marshall Awards

The annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference and AGM looked different than usual, shifting to an online format due to the pandemic, but ...

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Urgent municipal needs remain for safe restart

Municipal push-back on “Canadian constitutional square dance,” as municipalities press bottom-line requirements for safe-restart funds As federal, provincial, and territorial governments negotiate “safe economic restart” ...

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Earth Day Canada 2020: Keeping our distance, but taking environmental action together

In honour of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the organization Earth Day Canada is inviting citizens to take simple and concrete actions – at ...

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Municipal World announces 2019 Awards of Distinction

Municipal World has announced the winners for its 2019 Awards of Distinction. Presented in six categories and voted on by Municipal World members, the awards ...

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MIC 2019: Municipal innovators explore the evolution of ideas

The “evolution of ideas” was the theme of the Municipal Innovators Community (MIC) 2019 Conference, providing some 190 delegates with an opportunity to discuss ways ...

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10 ways to make your city wealthier

Do you want to make your city wealthier? Create jobs? Improve economic and social development? Become a centre for ideas? The secret to wealth, of ...

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AMO 2019: Trio of Ontario municipalities receive innovation award

Named after one of the province’s most innovative municipal finance commissioners, the Peter J. Marshall Innovation Award recognizes Ontario municipalities that can point to tangible ...

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How automation continues to revolutionize the workplace

Without question, automation is revolutionizing the workplace. Robots, smart computers, and automation are eliminating jobs in many different parts of the economy. In essence, any ...

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6 tips for innovation

The challenges facing cities are far-reaching and complex. Across the globe, urban and rural areas are grappling with the effects of climate change, shifting demographics, ...

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Former Rancho Cordova air force base a beacon to veterans facing homelessness

The former Mather Air Force Base in Rancho Cordova, California, is providing the foundation to new, critically needed, and permanent supportive housing for homeless and/or ...

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Sacramento's Civic Lab offers government, community partnership insights

Civic Lab not only brings together cross disciplinary teams to tackle challenging issues related to transportation and land use while piloting innovative solutions with local ...

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San Antonio engages communities through civic technology

San Antonio has experienced a rapidly growing technology and startup ecosystem in recent years, but has struggled to engage this sector, particularly startups that find ...

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Award-winning Pullman police drone program takes flight

When Pullman, Washington Police Chief Gary Jenkins began researching the use of drones in law enforcement, he undoubtedly didn’t predict he was launching what would ...

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Innovating, capacity-building partnership earns award for Durham, NC

Innovate Durham is a partnership program between startups, entrepreneurs, and local government that will allow the City and County of Durham, North Carolina, to learn ...

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Sequim champions award-winning neighbourhood revitalization

The City of Sequim, Washington works with Habitat for Humanity and other partners to revitalize neighbourhoods in unique ways through robust partnerships that expand public ...

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Washoe County blockchain technology plan earns award recognition

Washoe County, which includes Reno, Nevada, remains one of the United States' top wedding destinations, but it is also now the site of an award-winning ...

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TLG event showcases diverse economy of Northern Nevada

Organizers of the 2019 Transforming Local Government Conference (TLG) wanted to ensure its delegates were given every opportunity to embrace the economic diversity – not to ...

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Phoenix recognized for landmark public/private sports partnership

Phoenix flipped the paradigm of pro sports partnerships in Arizona by securing a massive private investment from a professional sports team to fund renovations of ...

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Four ways to engage citizens in local government

In recent years, there has been no shortage of talk about the need for greater citizen involvement in decision making and the desire to increase ...

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Making it personal: Developing your own social media plan

Few people would argue that their municipality needs a social media plan. A well thought out social media strategy is just common sense. But, there ...

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Local government, interrupted: Tackling the key issues of disruption

Local government always faces a certain degree of disruption. This is no more true than this year: a municipal election that changed faces and directions ...

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Breaking through the municipal glass ceiling

How deliberate systems of support can help remove barriers for women in local government In 1990, the United Nations Economic and Social Council passed a ...

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Robot capital Tokyo wins 11th annual city rankings of 500 cities ahead of London, England

Cities become smarter as tech solves city problems of two globe-shaking trends Tokyo was the first Asian city to be named the world’s most innovative ...

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2018 Municipal Innovators Conference showcases the depth of innovation in Canada

MiC2018 Re: Designing Government, hosted by the City of Calgary, welcomed over 200 municipal innovators from across Canada to take part in what is pegged ...

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What makes a resilient city

As cities face a growing range of adversities and challenges in the 21st century, municipalities across the globe are more focused than ever on finding ...

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Municipal World Report: 2018 AMO Annual Conference

Municipal leaders are concerned for the future – not just for their own community, but also for their country as a whole. At the 2018 ...

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Urban innovation: How hubs, labs, and learning networks are the key to better city building

Across the globe, there is a bold new wave of ideas inspiring how cities share knowledge, create policy, build networks, and create new innovations that ...

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Vaughan and Innisfil recognized as municipal innovators

The Peter J. Marshall Innovation Award Jury presented its highest award to two municipalities this year at the 2018 AMO Conference in Ottawa, Ontario. The ...

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Applications for TLG Innovation Showcases open until September 7

The Transforming Local Government Conference (TLG) is the annual gathering place for local government professionals seeking innovative ways to connect people and ideas that support ...

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Natural assets: the solution to urban growth and climate change

With rising concerns over ageing infrastructure and urban growth, many local governments are searching for solutions that will not only improve their management of critical ...

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Lessons from the Mid-Sized Cities Researcher + Practitioner Roundtable

The impacts of technology, shifting demographics, and development means that cities must think differently about how they invest in and support residents. Mid-sized cities across ...

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Open data and smart communities – Lessons from the Field

Highlights from the 2018 GO Open Data Conference With technology advancing at an exponential rate – with terms like “smart cities” and “open data” becoming ...

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Smart Cities Challenge improving the lives of Canadians through innovation, data, and technology

At the FCM conference in Halifax, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the 20 finalists of the Smart Cities Challenge, the Government of Canada's new, competition-based approach ...

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Leveraging the power of LEAN in local government

Lean is not a new concept and Lean’s true beginnings are not agreed upon by scholars. Henry Ford is the most talked about pioneer of ...

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Six Canadian municipalities win national awards of excellence

Today, six Canadian municipalities have won national awards of excellence from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) in the areas of innovation, environment, and ...

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New Smart Cities Challenge database provides a treasure trove of municipal insights

With over 125 submissions from almost 200 communities across Canada, the Smart Cities Challenge jurists will have their work cut out for them. Finalists will ...

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Provincial north faces unique challenges but potential for a bright future exists

“Innovation is one of the greatest job killers in Canadian society …” began Dr. Ken Coates, the keynote speaker at the Federation of Northern Ontario ...

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Virginia Beach uses voice and data science to strengthen community preparedness

As sea levels rise and storm surges from hurricanes and Nor’easters become more common, community preparedness for flooding is a top priority for the City ...

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Request for what? Re-thinking the RFP process

A Requests for Proposal (RFP) can be a lengthy and confusing process for both staff and vendors. In Philadelphia, a city staff team conducted several ...

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Calgary is digging in – Cultivating a culture of innovation

In a world that is increasingly complex, volatile, and networked, the City of Calgary is building teams of people who know that, while we can't ...

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Change your culture, change your life

Does culture really eat strategy for lunch? A highly motivated team of city staff have answered this age-old question and will challenge you to think ...

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Create and sustain a lean continuous improvement culture

The City of Gainesville, FL did everything right, they implemented lean Black Belt training and committed to a by-the-book, well-crafted roll-out strategy, yet they were ...

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Aiming high for high performance buildings

When you think innovation, rarely do building departments lead the way in seeing beyond the horizon; as building code is often seen as unchangeable. When ...

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Innovation by design: Co-creating government

It starts with the people they are serving and ends with a service that is specifically tested and designed for them. Innovation by Design is ...

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Reinventing the library: Denver's peer navigators help clients experiencing poverty and homelessness.

In a world that is increasingly isolated, libraries are one of the few places people from diverse walks of life congregate, and forward thinking communities ...

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Innisfil, Ontario earns international recognition for its transit initiative, powered by Uber

With a rapidly growing population, the Town of Innisfil realized it needed to implement a public transit system for its citizens. Rather than incurring the ...

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Passport to the park: activating Oak Park

Local parks and community facilities are key places for children to go to and be active. In an effort to get kids 5-13 to stay ...

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Innovation and leadership in Canada's mid-sized cities

When we talk about city-building, it tends to be the large, global cities, like Toronto, New York, Paris, and Tokyo that dominate the conversation. These ...

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Canada's aging population signals need for more inclusive, accessible transportation system

As the number of Canadians aged 65 and older continues to grow faster than any other age group, so too does the need for a ...

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New sidewalk labs district aims to help make Toronto a leading edge smart city

Waterfront Toronto and Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs to Create Neighbourhoods That Blend People-Centred Urban Design with Cutting-Edge Technology “Sidewalk Toronto” Aims to Make Toronto’s Eastern Waterfront ...

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2017 community futures Ontario awards

On September 7, 2017, the Community Futures Ontario conference was held in London, Ontario to celebrate the initiatives and achievements of individuals and organizations that ...

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2017 UBCM Community Excellence Awards announced at convention

2017 UBCM Community Excellence Awards honour local governments that "lead the pack" through innovation, partnerships and new ways of doing business September 28, 2017 The ...

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The "Amazonpalooza" HQ2 competition

Finding a win for the cities that won’t win Earlier this month, Amazon.com launched a public search for a city to host its second headquarters. The Seattle-based ...

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Ottawa sets sights on attracting Amazon HQ2

Mayor Jim Watson headed to drum up business in U.S. Mayor Jim Watson has sights set on attracting Amazon's new headquarters to Ottawa. Amazon, based in ...

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Call for Canadian case studies

Be a conversation starter to inspire innovation in local government! The Alliance for Innovation – a premier resource for emerging best innovative practices in local ...

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Thriving in the midst of a talent revolution

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.” This popular saying has often been used in leadership courses to encourage ...

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Better drives change ... doesn't it?

Every new road, upgraded computer application, cancelled project, corporate reorganization, downsizing, or relocation (to mention only a handful of endeavors) have something significant in common. ...

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Cultural regeneration

The case for cultural regeneration in European capital cities has been made for at least two decades in Europe. More recently, however, second-tier cities have ...

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For electric utilities, energy is the holy grail

The billion-dollar question is, how can we cheaply and reliably store energy for the grid? The picture is clear: coal-powered electrical utilities and the oil-powered ...

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Problems! Glorious problems!

C. K. Chesterton penned a quote that I’m especially fond of: “It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It’s that they can’t see the ...

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Innovations in municipal service delivery

Innovations in service delivery are helping municipal governments cope with the public’s demand for improved service and reduced costs. While some municipalities, both large and ...

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