Logan and Canada sign innovation deal

The City of Logan has just signed an innovation deal with Canada, making it one of only two councils in Australia to do so.

This partnership with the City of Vancouver will bring together staff, students, academics and the wider community to work on projects that will bring Logan closer to its vision of becoming an innovative, dynamic, city of the future.

Acting Mayor Cherie Dalley said the CityStudio licensing agreement will allow students and residents to be involved in the creation of civic innovation projects alongside council staff.

“This is exactly the sort of thing that will drive Logan forward as a dynamic city of the future,” Dalley said.

“It will give the community input into the shaping of our city and provide job and life skills for the student participants.

“I look forward to seeing this concept develop and encourage schools, business and the community to get behind CityStudio Logan.”

The City of Greater Bendigo is the only other Australian council to sign up.

Already the ENABLE Network, a coalition of 13 public high schools across Logan and the Scenic Rim, and several higher education providers, have expressed interest in partnering with council.

Some projects undertaken by CityStudio Vancouver include an initiative to reduce and re-use food and material waste, activate unused public spaces, provide mobile bike repair stations and distribute affordable food to culturally diverse communities.

The co-founder of CityStudio Vancouver, Duane Elverum, said the British Columbia city had benefited significantly from the concept.

“The CityStudio is a way that the city and the university and schools and citizens collaborate to put projects on the ground that the city really needs to make it feel more engaged, more active, more energetic,” he said.

“We’re excited to be in Logan because Australia is our first international partner at CityStudio.”

City Image and Innovation Committee Chairperson Councillor Laurie Smith said the possibilities of CityStudio are endless.

“Vancouver is a city known for its ambition to be the world’s greenest city by 2020,” Smith said.

“Growing a more green and renewable city is just one of the many things that can be achieved through CityStudio Logan.

“I’m sure our partners in the community and in the education sector will identify projects that will grow Logan in a way that benefits all aspects of our community.”

Professor of Urban Informatics at the QUT Design Lab Marcus Foth said CityStudio is a great collaboration model.

“It makes interdisciplinary contributions from research, schools, business, government and the community gel and work together for the benefit of the city,” Foth said.

“As the ‘university for the real world’, QUT is excited about partnering with Logan City Council on the CityStudio citizen co-creation model to actively shape the City of Logan.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/chanpipat

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