• What can cities and communities do to support and benefit from new technologies ?
• How can knowledge - intensive sectors develop in ways which account for local contexts and local needs?
• How can benefits and prosperity be made to 'stick' to the communities in which new technologies are innovated ? 

What We’re Doing

We are developing a partnership to explore these questions and to foster networks which integrate scientific innovation, community development, and urban planning in the development of local 'innovation clusters'. Using the local case of nanotechnology in Edmonton, the University of Alberta's City-Region Studies Centre is developing a series of partnerships, research activities, and community engagements with which to support the development of innovation networks which recognize and engage people and place as key constituents of successful science policy and development strategies.

To achieve these aims a series of community engagement and partnership activities are being planned:

1.  Citizens’ Panel – Involving a diverse group of engaged citizens, this panel will be convened over two-       days to learn about nanotechnology and to explore its roles in the Alberta Capital Region.

2.  Community Engagement – A one day public engagement exercise involving a series of presentations for the public and the opportunity to join roundtable discussions with scientific experts, policy officials, industry representatives and community leaders. 

3.  Planning Stakeholder Working Group – A working group addressing how city-regions ‘can plan for innovation.’ Membership of the group will be drawn from the regional municipalities and local planning and development communities.

Learn About Nanotechnology