The American Association for the Advancement of Science, through its' Grand Challenges for Engineering project, has identified 14 areas that it views as essential to "secure against both human and natural threats [and] improve the quality of life in our nation and around the world" according to Charles Vest, president of the National Academy of Engineering.A quick review of the intentionally non-partisan, unranked list, demonstates that the 18 members of the project committee are some of the most forward-thinking, cutting edge intellects of our time. Granted, the members of the committee did not have to actually solve the issues, but simply identify the areas that they felt were criticial to the preservation and advancement of our global society.
The areas, as listed on the project website, are:
- Make solar energy economical
- Provide energy from fusion
- Develop carbon sequestration methods
- Manage the nitrogen cycle
- Provide access to clean water
- Restore and improve urban infrastructure
- Advance health informatics
- Engineer better medicines
- Reverse-engineer the brain
- Prevent nuclear terror
- Secure cyberspace
- Enhance virtual reality
- Advance personalized learning
- Engineer the tools of scientific discovery
While I don't agree with the list in it's entirety (Does society really need virtual reality so that we can continue to hide from our actual reality?), I was impressed with the trend toward sustainability, both social and environmental. The list got me thinking -- are there 14 Grand Challenges for Windsor? If I had to compile a list, without the assistance of some of the most forward thinking and brilliant intellects of the modern world, what would they be?
Here are the 14 Challenges for Windsor, according to me:
- Re-build urban and regional mass transit
- Develop and adhere to sustainable land-use plans
- Incubate a knowledge-based economy
- Create a 'green' manufacturing industry
- Eat, build, buy and live locally
- Become a living showcase for academic innovation
- Reduce government bureaucracy while increasing accountability
- Implement aggressive environmental sustainability policies and procedures
- Re-invest in local arts and culture
- Build walkable neighbourhoods
- Interconnect neighbourhood districts with non-motorized transit options
- Transform downtown into a destination for all ages
- Charge 'true-cost' development fees to encourage intensification
- Provide sustainable, cost-effective utilities from generation to delivery
What do you think of the 14 Challenges for Windsor? What challenges does Windsor face in the next 25, 50 or 100 years?
10 comments:
There are three copies of today's book available at the Windsor Public Library, I just checked their catalogue. I had read the book when it arrived there.
I was cruising Ontario city websites on Family Day and I will have to back track but it was either Hamilton or Burlington that have come up with program of the Electric City, to start now and put in place devices etc, that will help the city deal with the coming Peak Oil crisis by generating electricity either by wind or solar, geothermal cooling and heating..very interesting,
Windsor was the first city in Canada to have an electric light rail system...Back to the future.
But I really don't see anything coming from this city on any front.
The link below will take you to Burlington's City Talk newsletter, very interesting. Scroll down to the page "What makes a great downtown>"
http://cms.burlington.ca/Asset1963.aspx
For Windsor, I want what the mayor of Burlington wnats.
All the points are great but a city can only do so much. Business will find its level if the opportunity is right. What we have here in Windsor is an unfriendly City Council who has put out a message to business that we are not going to make it easy for you. The answer is NO and now tell me what it is you want to do!
This has to change. The rest of Ontario thinks that we are closed for business development.
Urbanrat, it was Hamilton that has the Electric City program. I keep thinking that Hamilton is closer to the critical mass that gets that sort of enlightened thinking front and centre. I don't think Windsor is that far behind in also acheiving that critical mass. I like Chris' list of 14. The key focus now and future should be transit, tranist, transit. As Urbanrat said, back to the future. Luckily, Windsor already has a model and heritage to go on and hopefully some still-existing-right-of-ways to get the light/rapid rail back where it used to be and re-connect the neighbourhoods.
Let's focus on wind power and wind turbines and also cooling and heating....then product and industrial design.
Having been between jobs the past year and also being a refugee from the automotive industry, the demand for automotive engineers in this province is pert near nil. And yet I read an article in Machine Design (dated from last July) that a company from California that manufactures wind turbines is lamenting the fact that they need to out source design and machining to South America and Asia when they can do it here cheaper in North America....but either nobody is interested or the once present skills have disappeared due to redundancy. The article was titled "Is Detroit the next Windy City" as the article draws a direct correlation between the manufacture of wind turbines and the manufacture of car parts per automotive suppliers. Point being..........its the same process!! That exact skill set and knowledge base exists right here in Windsor.
I had also interviewed for a job with an HVAC engineering consultancy but was not hired as I did not have the required background but it was worth a shot. Why? Because there is such a critical shortage of engineers in this field. Search Workopolis and look at "automotive engineers" and then look at "HVAC Opportunities". The Principal of the consultancy sympathized with my situation but he made an interesting point from the time of when he was an engineering student till now. He said "universities don't really teach relevant courses required to go into Building Services and HVAC and consequently kids do not look for that type of job after graduation". Well....the U of W is expanding by the tune of $110 Million dollars. Seems to me that there is an opportunity here for our post secondary educational facility to step up and promote this form of engineering more closely. With LEED certs and smart buildings all the rage, this city and the university can contribute by emphasizing something other than automotive.
Lastly, product and industrial design. Ottawa is a hotbed for these types of firms. Their computer and software industry allowed P&ID firms to pop up. Toronto is also very prominent in the design of consumer products or at least they think they are in that area. So naturally I applied to a few places. And one firm gave me feedback. They said "we don't like automotive engineers". And I asked why. And they said..."we just don't". And I further studied this industry and thought to myself there are literally hundreds of people in Windsor who can work in this field ..from mold design in medical devices to technical illustrations to program management all held together with a good dose of creativity because car industry training requires this the same as designing an office chair or a computer housing or a backpack or a bicycle or a handheld device or a medical instrument or (gasp)....a wind turbine. The point is, Windsor does have it all...but Windsor is tunnel visioned. The talent is here already. The next step is working together to identify how we can get a piece of the pie.
I suppose there's a whole lot that can fall under a 'green' manufacturing industry. What if it were windmills? I see them travelling on the 401, one blade at a time on huge tandem flatbeds. Are they coming from the states? offshore? They look like shiny UFO's cruisin down the hwy.
http://machinedesign.com/ContentItem/68738/IsDetroitthenextwindycity.aspx
read it. its a short article but an enlightening one.
In the city we can have vertical axis windmills lining our busiest thorough fares and along the river and anywhere else that we can imagine. Imagine every house in Windsor with at least two solar panels and commerical buildings with more, all feeding our grid. Greenroofs everywhere. Dual flush toilets, gray waterharvesting for gardens!
Most of the above technology can be made here, installed here and serviced here.
I think and I wasn't realy paying attention but I think that Governor Gramholm was on channel 7 on the weekend, speaking exactly what Allenparkpete is saying here about Michigan, which also sounded like Sandra Pupatell on Friday on TVO's Agenda.
The clock is ticking, we're on our way.......
This is timely and not to take from the author posted here but Richard Florida has a new book or will be published in March 2008.
Who's Your City?: How the Creative Economy is Making Where you live the most important decision of your life.
Amazon link here:
http://www.amazon.ca/Whos-Your-City-Creative-Important/dp/0307356965/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203549495&sr=8-2
not sure if that pasted link came through clearly but if you google ...is Detroit the next 'windy city' you can get the gist of the article. its not that long; an easy read. see what you think. there are opportunities for this area to do some great things. wind turbines also need very large molded components. ...anyone in Windsor know how to mold a part?
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