The Okanagan Partnership Okanagan Sustainable Prosperity Strategy Final Report June 2004 04-039 This page intentionally left blank. The Okanagan Partnership Okanagan Sustainable Prosperity Strategy Final Report June 2004 Prepared for: Okanagan Partnership c/o Innovation OUC 3140 University Way Kelowna, BC V1V 1V9 Canada Prepared by: Contact ICF Consulting James Gollub 60 Broadway Senior Vice President San Francisco, CA 94111 Global Economic Development (415) 677-7100 Practice (415) 677-7184 e-mail: [email protected] www.icfconsulting.com 04-039 This page intentionally left blank. Table of Contents Executive Summary....................................................................................................................1 1. Introduction: Achieving Sustainability Prosperity..........................................................1-1 Mission.................................................................................................................................1-1 Partners................................................................................................................................1-1 Framework: New Rules for Success....................................................................................1-3 1. Think Regionally—The Importance of Place..............................................................................................1-3 2. Focus on Clusters—Economic Engines ......................................................................................................1-3 3. Create Advantage—Catalyst for Innovation and Growth.......................................................................1-4 4. Work Collaboratively—Enable Advantage..................................................................................................1-5 Process: Strategy Building Blocks .......................................................................................1-6 Phase I. Mobilize......................................................................................................................................................1-6 Phase II—Analyze...................................................................................................................................................1-6 Phase III. Catalyze ..................................................................................................................................................1-7 Phase IV. Realize ....................................................................................................................................................1-8 Expectations: Small Solutions, Not Grand Illusions .............................................................1-9 2. Point of Departure: How Our Region Has Been Performing..........................................2-1 Measures of a High Performing Region...............................................................................2-1 Prosperity.............................................................................................................................2-1 Population Growth and Migration .......................................................................................................................2-1 Employment and Unemployment........................................................................................................................2-2 Employment Income ...............................................................................................................................................2-3 Entrepreneurship .....................................................................................................................................................2-4 Summary of Prosperity in the Okanagan .........................................................................................................2-5 Disparity ...............................................................................................................................2-5 Income Distribution..................................................................................................................................................2-6 Incidence of Low Income Families .....................................................................................................................2-7 Rental and Owner-Occupied Housing Costs..................................................................................................2-7 Summary: Disparity in the Okanagan ...............................................................................................................2-7 Sustainability........................................................................................................................2-8 Water Supply and Quality .....................................................................................................................................2-8 Species at Risk / Ecosystem Protection...........................................................................................................2-8 Summary: Environmental Sustainability in the Okanagan .........................................................................2-9 Conclusions: Risks on the Road Ahead...............................................................................2-9 3. The Okanagan Region’s Cluster Portfolio .......................................................................3-1 Identifying the Okanagan’s Industry Clusters.......................................................................3-1 Aviation ................................................................................................................................3-2 Forestry and Wood Products ...............................................................................................3-3 Knowledge Services.............................................................................................................3-4 Life Sciences........................................................................................................................3-5 Tourism ................................................................................................................................3-6 Value-Added Agriculture ......................................................................................................3-9 Wine and Beverages..........................................................................................................3-11 4. The Okanagan Region’s Economic Foundations ...........................................................4-1 Human Resources ...............................................................................................................4-1 Finance ................................................................................................................................4-3 Innovation.............................................................................................................................4-3 Governance..........................................................................................................................4-4 ICF Consulting i The Okanagan Partnership 04-039 June 2004 Table of Contents Physical Infrastructure..........................................................................................................4-6 Quality of Life .......................................................................................................................4-8 Conclusion: Foundations of Sustainable Prosperity in the Okanagan .................................4-9 5. Two Tomorrows: Possible Okanagan Paths ...................................................................5-1 Introduction: A Fork in the Road ..........................................................................................5-1 Navigating the Possibilities: Two Tomorrows (10 Years Out) ..............................................5-1 How the Scenarios Work.......................................................................................................................................5-1 Scenario 1: Sunshine Eclipse ..............................................................................................5-4 Scenario 2: Sustainable Prosperity....................................................................................5-11 What Others Have Done: Cases from “Smart” Regions ....................................................5-16 Aspen, Colorado: Growth Management and Controls...............................................................................5-17 Fort Collins, CO: Neighbourhood Character and Aesthetics ...................................................................5-17 Crested Butte, Colorado: Directing Growth through Incentives..............................................................5-17 Telluride, CO: Green Buildings and Affordable Housing...........................................................................5-18 Park City, UT: Shaping Development .............................................................................................................5-18 Whistler, B.C.: Comprehensive Village Planning.........................................................................................5-18 What Others Have Done: Cases from Former Agricultural Regions..................................5-19 Sacramento, CA: Regional Visioning to Create New Land Use Plan...................................................5-19 Riverside, CA: From Orange Capital to Sprawl Capital.............................................................................5-20