Consultation Analysis: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews

Transcription

1 Consultation Analysis: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Economic Vision for the City Of Burlington Burlington Economic Development Corporation June 04, Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

2 Contents 1 STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW RESULTS ANALYSIS SUMMARY OF ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW FINDINGS INTERVIEW ANALYSIS BURLINGTON S BUSINESS CLIMATE VALUABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF BURLINGTON A VISON FOR BURLINGTON S ECONOMY BURLINGTON S ASSETS AND STRENGTHS BURLINGTON S CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS BURLINGTON S COMPETITORS PERCEPTIONS OF BURLINGTON BURLINGTON AS A PLACE FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN BURLINGTON ACCOMMODATING INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE GROWTH PRIORITIZING OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS 33 2 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

3 1 Stakeholder Interview Results Analysis The Burlington Economic Development Corporation conducted a series of interviews with prominent government, private sector, and not for profit stakeholders on the subject of economic development in Burlington. The purpose of this was to get critical insight into the challenges and opportunities that the city is facing, assess the business climate from an attraction and retention perspective, and solicit valuable perspectives on establishing a future Economic Vision that will act as a catalyst for future growth and prosperity for Burlington. The results of a detailed analysis of the interview results are provided in this section. Methodology for Analysis Interviews were conducted with 49 government, private sector and non-profit stakeholders, consisting of up to twelve questions depending on the stakeholder group being interviewed. The distribution of stakeholder groups is as follows: Government Participants (19 total) Private Sector Participants (25 total) Non-profit Participants (5 total) The interview results, provided in aggregate format according to the question posed, were assessed under a common threads analysis. A common threads analysis codes interview data from each respondent within a matrix to allow for quantification of thematic results. The analysis is conducted separately for each research question. As new themes materialize in the results of a given question they are added to the matrix for tracking. The sum of each theme is calculated based on sub-totals according to the three participant groups. Summary figures are employed to demonstrate the results of the common threads analysis. The detailed analysis, including thematic tables and individual findings by question is presented in Section 1.2 following the Summary below. 1.1 Summary of One-on-One Interview Findings Business Climate Interview participants were asked, How would you describe the business climate in the City of Burlington? The most common responses provided by participants were: Negative / poor climate (13 3 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

4 Positive / healthy climate (10 Bureaucracy, red-tape or frustrating regulations (7 Lack of vision, plan or brand (5 Lack of developable land (including Green Belt constraints) (4 Good growth and /or potential in high technology or information technology (4 Good location advantage (close to markets, close to Toronto, between Toronto / Hamilton (4 The following observations about participant impressions of Burlington s business climate emerge from the results: Negative and positive sentiments toward Burlington s investment climate approximate each other, but lean more strongly toward a negative or poor investment climate There are interconnections between positive perspectives and responses associated with: Good growth and/or potential in high technology and information technology Good location There are interconnections between negative perspectives and responses associated with: Bureaucracy, red tape or frustrating regulations Lack of vision, plan or brand Lack of developable land How Business Climate Affects Success Private sector respondents were asked, 1 How does the business climate in the City of Burlington affect the success of your company? The four sets of responses most commonly provided by respondents are: Affected by local ecosystem / climate health (10 Not dependent on local ecosystem / climate health (7 Also depends on other markets (4 Affected by poor economy growth (non-localized) (3 The following observations emerge from the results of the above interview question. 1 Two members of the government participant group also answered the question How does the business climate in the City of Burlington affect the success of your company? Their responses have been dropped from the analysis because they did not provide any generalizable results. 4 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

5 When each category is compared discretely, more respondents indicated they are affected by the local ecosystem or climate health than any other individual category of response. Further, the last three bullets of the list (totalling 14 indicate businesses are either dependent on other markets, not dependent on the local climate, or are dependent on the broader economy as a whole, at either a provincial or national level. Therefore, collectively, more enterprises are affected by a range of factors from outside of the local business climate than enterprises affected by the local climate. The result reflects the fact that many businesses in Burlington operate within a larger economic system than the immediate municipality, thereby being more susceptible to external determinants. Community Characteristics Most Valued by Business Interview respondents were asked, In your experience, what are the characteristics that businesses most value about the City of Burlington? Five broad themes emerged from the responses: Quality of life and/or place Business development Labour force Transit and transportation Proximity / accessibility Results indicate that the characteristics the business community value most frequently are quality of life/place, location and labour force attributes Adjusting for differences of population size between government and private sector interview participants, the private sector referenced all response categories at a higher frequency than government participants, on average at a ratio of 2.58 to The result indicates private sector participants more frequently express support for the same themes than government participants. Establishing a Vision for the Next 10 Years Interview participants were asked, What is your vision for Burlington s economy over the next 10 years? Responses are summarized under the following themes, which include the top two results within each theme: Industries (36 More high-technology / IT (11 More advanced manufacturing (8 Businesses (24 5 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

6 Targeted investment attraction, including head quarter or head office attraction (8 Economic diversification (7 Quality of life (24 Quality of life and/or place, other (attractiveness, urban-rural, happiness, arts and culture, schooling or unspecified) (14 Amenities and (3 and Cost of living (3 Infrastructure and development planning (20 Better urban planning, redevelopment (downtown, waterfront, boroughs) and mixed-use (7 Better transit and transportation infrastructure (4 Labour (11 Healthy labour force (educated, youth retention / attraction, youth opportunities) (4 Higher pay for employees (4 Municipality (7 Less red-tape, less regulations, less silos, more approachable (4 City have more conviction and action orientation (3 Overall, the following key observations emerged from the results of findings listed above. A future Burlington with strong high technology and IT sector growth, along with a strong advanced manufacturing sector ran parallel to notions identified by respondents in earlier portions of the interview in regard to Burlington s investment climate, indicating an appetite for continued growth or entry into these sectors as part of an overall vision. Economic diversification is most likely to be embraced if Burlington strategically targets specific sectors. This theme emerged as a larger number of respondents indicated a preference for targeted investment attraction over diversification. Quality of life and/or place remains a crucial element of respondents visions, appearing as a direct quote 14 times in responses. The result illustrates a desire among respondents to see quality of life maintained or enhanced as other components of the vision are advanced. Identifying Local Strengths and Assets The interview participants were asked to identify local assets or strengths related to economic and employment growth. Burlington s greatest strengths or assets, as identified by interview participants, are: Highly educated population / workforce (17 6 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

7 Great location (12 Proximity to transportation infrastructure (11 Quality of life / place (directly quoted) (9 GO Transit or transit connectivity (7 Proximity to markets / other locations (6 Lifestyle or livability (6 Availability of land (6 The following observations illustrate key findings regarding identified strengths or assets. The frequency of responses regarding the educated population indicates that this asset is valued greater than the others in the list, with the next highest asset being a great location. These factors often go hand in hand, as educated populations often gravitate toward areas that offer a variety of cultural and social experiences, as well as positive levels of lifestyle amenities. A highly valued strategic location was illustrated by assets or strengths identified by respondents as follows: Great location Proximity to transportation infrastructure GO Transit or transit connectivity collectively This further highlights the importance of the intersection between education and transportation and transit systems that enable effective movement of people. Given the prominence of high technology and advanced manufacturing identified in responses to previous interview questions, this potential strength was noticeably absent from responses to this question. An absence of leading industries being identified as strengths may imply a lack of awareness of local industry assets, or it may indicate that they are taken for granted as immutable. Challenges and Barriers Interview participants were asked to identify challenges or barriers to economic or employment growth in Burlington. The following list captures the most frequently identified challenges or barriers: Shortage of developable land or insufficient parcel sizes (15 Competition from other cities with similar characteristics and sectors (13 Transit / transportation challenges (11 Slow bureaucratic process, red-tape or regulatory environment (11 Congestion or traffic (7 Aging population / workforce (6 7 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

8 Lack of affordable housing (5 State of Ontario or Canadian economy (5 Four sets of challenges highlighted in the above list are discussed in greater detail because of their strategic implications: Developable land Competition from other municipalities Transit, transportation and congestion or traffic Bureaucracy, red tape and regulatory environment Developable Land Responses from interview participants containing references to shortages of developable land or insufficient parcel sizes demonstrate a concern that there is inadequate space to encourage increased development. If insufficient land exists for development purposes, prospective investors will look elsewhere for opportunities, despite advantages identified by interview participants in regard to Burlington s location. Competition from other Municipalities Responses reflect a concern that the city lacks distinction or defining characteristics that would differentiate it from other municipalities. The challenge of differentiation represents a threat, because Burlington lacks the ability to directly control other cities; however, Burlington does have control over how it presents an image as a distinct municipality to investors and other municipalities. In other interview questions respondents identified Burlington s location as an asset or strength, or as a characteristic that adds value to Burlington s business community, whereas if the overall perception is one of indistinguishableness vis-à-vis other cities, its competitive advantage associated with location is diminished. Transit, transportation and congestion Challenges of transit, transportation and congestion are manifest in two key ways: 2 They affect quality of life for local residents based on livability and health They affect labour mobility to the detriment of people seeking employment in difficult to access locations and to the detriment of employers seeking specific employees that are otherwise alienated from some employment lands or areas 2 Both transit and transportation were included within the same coding scheme. Congestion and traffic were included within a separate scheme. The word transportation pertains to two responses, one of which did not include an elaboration, the other of which was in regard to transportation and the city s relationship with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). By contrast, transit was directly referenced by nine respondents. 8 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

9 Bureaucracy, Red Tape and Regulatory Environment The challenges associated exist at two levels of government, local and provincial. On the one hand, respondents seek greater efficiencies in the local government s regulatory environment processes and less red tape while on the other hand respondents also expressed similar frustrations with provincial regulations, particularly as regards the Ministry of Transport (MTO). The implication is that respondents view bureaucratic challenges, including red tape and regulations, as impediments to development both locally and provincially. Moreover, the result implies desired change at the local level as well as seeing a role for the City in improving the provincially associated problems in ways it is able to. Assessing the Competition Interview participants were asked, Who do you feel are the City of Burlington s biggest competitors and why? The responses offered by participants were analyzed to determine Burlington s competitors as well as to understand in what ways it held a competitive advantage over other municipalities. The highest ranking municipalities considered to be competitors by respondents are as follow: Oakville (25 Hamilton / Stoney Creek (23 Mississauga (13 Milton (13 Niagara Peninsula and St-Catherine s (7 Kitchener-Waterloo (7 Overwhelmingly, Oakville and Hamilton were identified as the most significant competitive threats to the City of Burlington. That said, the section below provides a breakdown of the various competitive elements respondents identified for each of the competitor jurisdictions. Oakville: Oakville enjoys greater proximity to Toronto than Burlington and is viewed as similar to Burlington. These are seen as significant challenges that Burlington faces. Further detail was provided to flesh out the disadvantages further: The combined results illustrate a competitive advantage over Burlington in potential investment and talent attraction from Toronto In addition, Oakville was identified as having more office space available and under development, whereas two respondents indicated in the challenges portion of the interview that Burlington lacked sufficient or suitable commercial and/or office space 9 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

10 Hamilton/Stoney Creek: Though Hamilton and Stoney Creek is farther from Toronto than Burlington, respondents have identified it as having the following advantages: Lower land costs Lower business start-up costs Less expensive (unspecified) Better business retention and expansion (BR&E) programming Having a more established manufacturing / industrial sector Absent from the above listed competitiveness issues is any neutralizing description associated with similarities between the two cities. This lends evidence to the notion that Hamilton does not suffer from challenges of distinction as profoundly as Burlington does to Oakville and other identified cities. It should be noted that three interviewees explicitly stated that Burlington holds no advantage over Hamilton. Milton: The City of Milton was identified by respondents as a competitor to Burlington due in large part to its recent and sustained growth. Respondents described the growth as both fast and significant. In an online survey conducted by Burlington Economic Development Corporation, Milton was not one of the cities made available to respondents to evaluate based on competitiveness. The finding illustrated by these interview results implies Milton may be a previously unidentified competitor to Burlington. Burlington s Key Competitive Advantages: Counterbalanced to the competition and potential threats or disadvantages highlighted above, the following key advantages were identified for Burlington over the competition: Less expensive than Oakville Better quality of life than Hamilton A better quality of life than other areas (unspecified) Abundant green space compared to other areas (unspecified) Better natural amenities than other areas (specifically, Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment) When taking these findings into consideration, there is the notion that some of these indicators, such as abundant green space, are more applicable to communities east of Burlington, than west (for example Kitchener and Waterloo, and Niagara Escarpment in relation to Niagara). 10 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

11 Outside Perceptions of Burlington Interview participants were asked, How do you think the City of Burlington is perceived by business leaders from other parts of the GTA [Greater Toronto Area]? The results were separated into two categories: Positive: representing a perception-based strength identified by participants Negative: representing a perception-based weakness identified by participants According to participant comments, the following aspects are identified as positive perceptions of Burlington: Quality of life Quality of place (i.e. Niagara Escarpment, Lake Ontario) Affluent population Clean Explicitly stated as a positive impression Stable The positive impressions indicate a strong impression about quality of life and quality of place, with indicators such as affluence and clean, also contributing to the broader themes of quality of life and/or space. Of note is the contribution given by two respondents about Burlington being stable. The ranking of negative perceptions from highest to lowest number of responses is as follows: Lacking image or brand Bedroom community reputation Dull Small town perception Under the radar or unknown Nothing to get excited about Another part of the GTA The lack of an image or brand holds direct connections to previous expressions by interview participants about Burlington being viewed as similar to other municipalities. The result identifies an opportunity for Burlington to address its image and brand strategically as a means of differentiating itself from competitors. Best Reasons to Locate a Business in Burlington Interview participants were asked, If you were marketing the City of Burlington to a business, are there any arguments that you would make to convince them to locate here? The highest ranking responses from Figure 11participants are: 11 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

12 Quality of life (arts, entertainment, work-life balance) (15 Skilled workforce, talent pool (10 Quality of place (Lake Ontario, Niagara Escarpment, green spaces, attractiveness) (6 Proximity to higher education institutions (5 Safe, low crime (5 Great location (5 Access to major transportation infrastructure (5 Respondents that noted the proximity to higher education institutions in their responses have articulated an asset not discussed previously in other interview questions. Though Hamilton and Toronto each have a variety of education options, Burlington s location as being between the two cities affords a flexibility of options for higher education, in addition to already having McMaster University s DeGroote School of Business, Ron Joyce Campus in Burlington. Economic Development Opportunities Interview participants were asked, What significant opportunities for economic development do you see for the City of Burlington? The highest ranking opportunities for economic development identified by respondents are: Prosperity Corridor development (10 Responses in total) Including responses related to Queen Elizabeth Way Corridor development / redevelopment Strategically target specific sectors / subsectors (7 Streamline development approval processes, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, redtape (6 Prioritize mixed use development / redevelopment (5 Better synergies between higher education and innovation, research and development (5 Better business support for small or medium sized enterprises, start-ups and BR&E (4 Life/health sciences and pharmaceuticals (3 Financial sector (3 Advanced manufacturing (3 Better mobility hubs for transit, transit improvements (3 Address infrastructure issues (roads, bridges and utilities) (3 Attract more higher education institutions / expand existing institutions (3 The Prosperity Corridor (also referred to as the QEW Corridor) was identified an ideal location for development. In the online survey conducted by Burlington Economic 12 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

13 Development Corporation, Prosperity Corridor ranked as the least preferred area for focussing investment over the next 10 years. The disparity between the results of the interviews and online survey illustrates a gap between the preferences of participants of both consultation exercises. This could illustrate the need for more streamlined and consistent marketing and communications on the opportunities associated with various employment areas in Burlington, or, it could be illustrative of a difference in perspective between the wider audience reached through the online survey and the targeted leadership groups involved in the stakeholder interviews. Regardless, this is an area that the BEDC should explore in greater detail. The opportunity of streamlining the development process, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and reducing red tape relates to opportunities to increase efficiencies in the land development context. The result is most prominently identified by government participants (4, with no expression of interest from private sector participants and two references by non-profit participants. Accommodating Growth Interview participants were asked how the City of Burlington should accommodate industrial and office growth. Based on the aggregate responses of participants, the most prominent ways of accommodating industrial and office growth are through the following: More mixed use development (14 Intensification of lands, higher densities (13 Prosperity Corridor/ QEW Corridor (9 Build-up downtown core (9 Cluster around mobility hubs (4 Repurpose existing lands (2 No shortage of office or industrial land (2 Identifying industries of growth and where they are located (2 Brownfield development (2 With respect to the best ways to accommodate future growth for the city of Burlington, Mixed use developments featured as the most prominent suggestion. This was most often referenced as a means of addressing industrial and office growth in Burlington. A larger number of responses from government participants reflected a preference for mixed-use developments over private sector responses. Intensification opportunities were also directly related to respondents who identified building up the downtown core as the most effective means of addressing growth. Of note is that downtown development was most often cited in regard to creating vibrancy 13 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

14 and cultural place-making, including making the area a centre for attraction based on shops, restaurants and entertainment. These themes were also strongly connected with responses related to clustering around mobility hubs. The Prosperity (QEW) Corridor ranked as the third most suitable means of accommodating growth. It should also be noted that the Prosperity Corridor was identified by respondents as the number one economic development opportunity. Priorities for the Next 18 Months The final question of the interview asked respondents, Of the opportunities and challenges you mentioned, which need to be a priority for the City of Burlington in the next 18 months? Based on the aggregate response data, the following list identifies a ranked order of priority preferences for the City of Burlington, as identified by interview participants: Put a strategic plan in place, abide by a vision (9 Downtown development (5 More shovel-ready employment lands (5 Development around mobility hubs (5 Establish a better brand and marketing image (4 Develop an Innovation District (4 Improve transit planning and services (3 Understand growing sectors to know where to focus (3 Streamline development approval processes, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, reduce red-tape (2 Infrastructure preparations for shovel ready land (2 More mixed-use development (2 Prosperity Corridor (2 Better higher education relationships (2 14 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

15 1.2 Interview Analysis Below are the analyses of each research question, broken out into sub-sections. In one instance (the first subsection), the results of two research questions have been included within a single sub section due to the inter-relationship of subject matter Burlington s Business Climate The first question in the interview series asked respondents, How would you describe the business climate in the City of Burlington? The results of respondents feedback are summarized in Figure 1 below. The responses that were referenced most frequently by participants are: Negative / poor climate (13 Positive / healthy climate (10 Bureaucracy, red-tape or frustrating regulations (7 Lack of vision, plan or brand (5 Lack of developable land (including Green Belt constraints) (4 Good growth / potential in high tech or information technology (4 Good location advantage (close to markets, close to Toronto, between Toronto / Hamilton (4 The list demonstrates that negative and positive sentiments toward Burlington s investment climate approximate each other, but lean more strongly toward a negative or poor investment climate. Among government participants, six indicated a negative or poor climate, compared to two that indicated a positive one. Conversely, six private sector respondents indicated a positive climate compared to five that indicated a negative one. Other items in the above list provide explanations for the overall positive or negative sentiments expressed by respondents. On the one hand, issues such as the bureaucracy and lack of developable land indicate a negative climate, while on the other hand, growth or potential in the high technology or information technology (IT) sector or in Burlington s location are expressed as positive climate attributes. Overall, the findings indicate that there are both positive attributes in the local business climate as well as negative ones. 15 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

16 Poor job market Open for business Good business ecosystem / networks Poor business ecosystem / networks Repurpose office space Businesses expanding / growing Good Location advantage (markets, close to Toronto, between Hamilton / Toronto) Poor transit/transportation Bedroom community Lack office space Lack of developable land (Green belt constraints Good growth / potential High Tech, Information technology Diversified economy (by industry and size) Poor BR&E Good / keep Service sector Declines in Manufacturing / "industrial" sectors Positive / healthy business climate Negative / poor progress Lack conviction (be more active) No vision, no plan, brand identity Bureaucracy, red-tape, regulations FIGURE 1: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE BUSINESS CLIMATE IN THE CITY OF BURLINGTON? Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Non-profit Sub-total List continued Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Non-profit Sub-total Source: Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Values coloured red represent instances where two or more respondents share a common response within a given sub-total participant group. Private sector respondents were also asked, 3 How does the business climate in the City of Burlington affect the success of your company? Results are summarized in Figure 2. The four types of responses most commonly given by respondents are: Affected by local ecosystem / climate health (10 Not dependent on local ecosystem / climate health (7 Also depends on other markets (4 Affected by poor economy growth (non-localized) (3 The results indicate that a larger amount of private enterprises are dependent on the overall health of the local business climate or ecosystem than those that are not dependent on the local climate. 3 Two members of the government participant group also answered the question How does the business climate in the City of Burlington affect the success of your company? Their responses have been dropped from the analysis because they did not provide any generalizable results. 16 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

17 Affected by local ecosystem / climate health Not dependent on local ecosystem / climate health Poor growth economy Also depends on other markets However, taken together, the remaining two responses imply a reliance on external markets or the broader economy more generally. Therefore, while one set of responses indicates a strong dependence on the local business climate health (10 responses total), 14 responses indicate businesses are either also dependent on other markets, are not dependent on the local climate at all or are dependent on the broader economy as a whole, at either a provincial or national level. Thus, for businesses operating in Burlington, there is a mix of dependence on the local business climate. FIGURE 2: HOW DOES THE BUSINESS CLIMATE IN THE CITY OF BURLINGTON AFFECT THE SUCCESS OF YOUR COMPANY? Grand total Government Sub-totals Na Na Na na Private Sector Sub-totals Not for Profit Sub-totals na na na na Source: Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Values coloured red represent instances where two or more respondents share a common response within a given sub-total participant group Valuable Characteristics of Burlington Interview respondents were asked, In your experience, what are the characteristics that businesses most value about the City of Burlington? The results are summarized in Figure 3. For reasons of clarity, response types have been grouped together under broader themes as follows: Quality of life and/or place Business development Labour Transit and transportation Proximity / accessibility Quality of Life results indicate that respondents value an assortment of quality of life or quality of place attributes, as the label quality of life or place, other illustrates in areas such as: Lifestyle / livability Amenities Cost of living Work-life balance Safety Quality of life and/or place, other (attractiveness, urban-rural balance, happiness, arts and culture, school access or direct references to quality of life or place) Also included within the above label are direct references to quality of life or place. A combined total of 41 references were made to quality of life attributes. The broad theme of proximity and/or accessibility garnered the second highest number of aggregate responses, totaling 36. Overall, Burlington s location and proximity to 17 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

18 Not a lot of traffic (locally), decent roads GOOD Transit and transport infrastructure POOR Transit and Transportation infrastructure Proximity / Accessibility to United States Proximity / Accessibility Toronto Proximity / Accessibility Hamilton Proximity / Accessibility of markets (unspecified) Proximity / Accessibility transport infrastructure Location suitable for business (consumer base) Lifestyle / livability Amentias cost of living Work-life balance Safety Quality of life /Place (other) (attractiveness, urban-rural, happiness, arts and culture, school access or direct references) Good tax rates and/or development charges City open for business, helpful to business needs Competitive land costs Skilled Labour/ well educated Available Workforce specific markets and to critical infrastructure are valued characteristics. Business enterprises selected proximity related labels more frequently than government participants at an average of four to one. The local labour force is also a valuable asset to Burlington s business community. The two labels that constitute the broad theme of labour result in a total of 17 responses. The skilled and well educated labour force was acknowledged directly in 11 responses, and a further six also identified workforce availability as a valuable characteristic of the city. Taken together, the results indicate that the characteristics the business community values most are quality of life/place, Burlington s location and its labour force attributes. In addition, on the whole, even correcting for differences in population size, the private sector engaged categories listed in Figure 3 at a ratio of 2.58 to Therefore, promotional and strategic planning initiatives that work within the identified strengths are most likely to resonate among private sector respondents. FIGURE 3: IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT BUSINESSES MOST VALUE ABOUT THE CITY OF BURLINGTON? Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Not-for-profit Sub-total Broad Theme Quality of Life Business Development Labour List continued Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Not-for-profit Sub-total Broad Theme Transit and Transportation Proximity / Accessibility Source: Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Values coloured red represent instances where two or more respondents share a common response within a given sub-total participant group. 18 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

19 1.2.3 A Vison for Burlington s Economy Interview participants were asked, What is your vision for Burlington s economy over the next 10 years? Results are shown in Figure 4Error! Reference source not found.. The responses have been aggregated into groupings under broader themes. The broader themes and the two highest response categories within each grouping are as follow: Industries (36 Businesses (24 More high-technology / IT (11 More advanced manufacturing (8 Targeted investment attraction, including head quarter or head office attraction (8 Economic diversification (7 Quality of life (24 Quality of life and/or place, other (attractiveness, urban-rural, happiness, arts and culture, schooling or unspecified) (14 Amenities and (3 and Cost of living (3 Infrastructure and development planning (20 Labour (11 Municipality (7 Better urban planning, redevelopment (downtown, waterfront, boroughs) and mixed-use (7 Better transit and transportation infrastructure (4 Healthy labour force (educated, youth retention / attraction, youth opportunities) (4 Higher pay for employees (4 Less red tape, less regulations, less silos, more approachable (4 City have more conviction and action orientation (3 Based on the above list, observations emerge in regard to a vision for economic development in Burlington. First, the responses toward a vision that includes more high technology and IT sector growth and more advanced manufacturing within the industry theme run parallel to earlier notions identified in regard to Burlington s investment climate, indicating an appetite for continued growth in these sectors as part of an overall vision. Second, for the business theme, economic diversification is most likely to be embraced if Burlington strategically targets specific sectors, because a larger number of 19 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

20 Better transit and transport infrastructure Better urban planning, redevelopment (downtown, waterfront, boroughs), mixed-use Higher density employment lands, clusters More developable lands Repurpose old lands, recycle QEW Corridor development More small business / start-ups/ entrepreneurs Diversified economy (size of companies and types of sectors) Targeted Investment Attraction, HQs and big businesses More Business Support (BR&E) Healthy labour force (educated, youth skills development, youth opportunities) Higher pay for employees More jobs More knowledge industries (finance, experts, law) More life-science More high-tech / IT, nurturing innovation More Higher Education relationships/ greater leverage / specialized education programs More Advanced manufacturing (green, bio, clean tech, water resources etc.) Less traditional manufacturing, blue collar Amenities cost of living (including affordable housing) Work-life balance Arts and Culture Quality of life or Place, other (directly quoted) City have more conviction and action oriented, be a leader Less red-tape, less regulations, less silos, more approachable, less fearful responses indicate a preference for targeted investment attraction than for diversification. The implication is that a calculated attempt at business attraction will most likely garner wide-spread buy-in among stakeholders. Finally, quality of life and/or place remains a crucial element of respondents visions, appearing as a direct quote 14 times in responses. The results show a desire among respondents to see quality of life maintained or enhanced as objectives in other themes are advanced. FIGURE 4: WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR BURLINGTON S ECONOMY OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS? Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Not-for Profit Sub-total Broad Theme Industries Quality of Life / Place Municipality List continued Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Not-for Profit Sub-total Broad Theme Infrastructure and development planning Businesses Labour Source: Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Values coloured red represent instances where two or more respondents share a common response within a given sub-total participant group Burlington s Assets and Strengths The interviewees were asked to identify local assets or strengths related to economic and employment growth. The results are shown in Figure 5. Burlington s greatest strengths or assets, as identified by interview participants, are: 20 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

21 Lifestyle / livability Great Location Rich natural beauty amenities cost of living (comparably affordable) Work-life balance Safe Attractiveness of city Friendly, welcoming community Great arts and culture Quality of life or Place directly mentioned Availability of land Access to great health care/ social services Access to great education Proximity to US Proximity to Toronto Proximity to markets/ other locations Proximity to transportation infrastructure Proximity to other Universities outside community Has diverse economic base GO Transit, transportation connectivity Highly educated population / workforce Healthy business climate/ ecosystem Progressive council, city, forward thinking Good brand reputation Reasonable business start-up costs/ operating costs Highly educated population / workforce (17 Great location (12 Proximity to transportation infrastructure (11 Quality of life / place (directly quoted) (9 GO Transit or transit connectivity (7 Proximity to markets / other locations (6 Lifestyle or livability (6 Availability of land (6 Overall, the frequency of responses regarding the educated population (17 indicates that this asset is valued greater than the others in the list, with the next highest asset being a great location (12. A highly valued strategic location is illustrated by respondent references to the following: Great location Proximity to transportation infrastructure GO Transit or transit connectivity collectively Similarly, direct quotations related to quality of life and/or place (9 as well as lifestyle or livability (6 indicates that quality of life attributes are also highly valued assets. Given the prominence of high technology and advanced manufacturing identified in responses to other interview questions, noticeably absent from Figure 5 are any references to specific industries or sectors of the economy as assets or strengths. FIGURE 5: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE CITY OF BURLINGTON S MOST IMPORTANT STRENGTHS OR ASSETS? Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Not for profit Sub-total List continued Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Not for profit Sub-total Source: Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Values coloured red represent instances where two or more respondents share a common response within a given sub-total participant group. 21 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

22 1.2.5 Burlington s Challenges and Barriers Following the question pertaining to assets and strengths, interview participants were asked to identify challenges or barriers to economic or employment growth. The results are shown in Figure 6. According to interview results, the greatest challenges or barriers to economic and employment growth are as follow: Shortage of developable land or insufficient parcel sizes (15 Competition from other cities with similar characteristics and sectors (13 Transit / transportation challenges (11 Slow bureaucratic process, red-tape or regulatory environment (11 Congestion or traffic (7 Aging population / workforce (6 Lack of affordable housing (5 State of Ontario or Canadian economy (5 Four sets of challenges highlighted in the above are discussed in greater detail because of their strategic implications: Developable land Competition from other municipalities Transit, transportation and congestion or traffic Bureaucracy, red tape and regulatory environment Developable Land Responses from interview participants that contained references to shortages of employment land or insufficient parcel sizes demonstrate a concern that there is inadequate space to develop. The frequency of responses denotes an interest in proceeding with development projects. If insufficient land exists for development purposes, prospective investors will look elsewhere for opportunities, despite advantages identified in regard to location. Competition from other municipalities The second largest challenge identified by respondents is in regard to competition from other cities with similar characteristics and sectors to Burlington (13. The responses reflect a concern that the city lacks distinction or defining characteristics that would differentiate it from other municipalities. In one respect, the challenge of differentiation represents a threat, because Burlington lacks the ability to directly control other cities; however, Burlington does have control over how it presents itself as a distinct municipality. The illustrated dichotomy is one that can only be strategically manipulated by the city. 22 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

23 Taxes and development charges non-competitive Two-tiered municipality structure, or inter-governmental alignment Matched skills and industry needs Lack of affordable housing State of Ontario or Canadian Economy Under-population (need to attract younger families and professionals) Aging population/ workforce Competition from other cities with similar characteristics and sectors Not enough Post-secondary options Less multicultural than other places Transit / transportation Challenges, nodes, connections, service Congestion / traffic Challenges in development along highway Corridors Pro-intensification, mixed use, redevelopment Shortage of shovel-ready land Shortage of employment land, or insufficient parcel sizes Land hording Lack of commercial / office space Cost of property Slow bureaucratic process, red-tape, regulatory environment City not active, proactive; lack of conviction; lack of vision The challenge of competition also illustrates a source of tension exposed by respondents. This is because in other interview questions respondents identified Burlington s location as an asset or strength, or as a characteristic that adds value to Burlington s business community, whereas if the overall perception is one of indistinguishableness vis-à-vis other cities, its competitive advantage associated with location will be muted. Therefore, there is a threat that Burlington may be overlooked by prospective investors, who instead chose another location nearby with more defining characteristics. Transit, transportation and congestion Interview participants also had concerns about transit and transportation (11 as well as congestion or traffic 7. In regard to transit and transportation, of the 11 respondents, nine explicitly noted issues with transit accessibility or growing its use to reduce congestion. The remainder cited transportation more broadly, including one respondent that suggested the city relieve pressure existing on the Ministry of Transport (MTO) by developing transportation that encourages a modal split. FIGURE 6: WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MOST RELEVANT CHALLENGES OR BARRIERS TO ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE CITY OF BURLINGTON OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Not for profit Sub-total List continued The two response categories taken together as transit / transportation and congestion / traffic reflect broader concerns about mobility, which may carry implications for quality of life and workforce mobility. For quality of life, frustration with transit, congestion and transportation Grand Total Government Sub-total Private Sector Sub-total Not for profit Sub-total Source: Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Values coloured red represent instances where two or more respondents share a common response within a given sub-total participant group. infrastructure may be related to loss of time devoted to other priorities or may have a negative effect on livability or general health due to stress. For workforce mobility, timely access to and from employment locations holds implications for both employees, in terms of accessing quality employment, as well as 23 Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025

24 for employers, who are in search of specific employees that may otherwise be alienated due to accessibility issues. Bureaucracy, Red Tape and Regulatory Environment Concerns raised by interview participants about the bureaucracy centred most profoundly on red tape and the regulatory environment. The indication is that the process of getting projects to move forward through local and provincial government channels is slow and difficult. That being said, the municipal process was not solely targeted as problematic under this line of commentary. For example, five interview participants cited regulatory issues specifically with the Ministry of Transport (MTO). The problem raised by respondents therefore is one that exists within two levels of government. The primary implication is that respondents expect the municipality or BEDC to smooth issues associated with red tape and regulations locally as well as represent local concerns to the Provincial government, such as those associated with MTO regulations Burlington s Competitors The City of Burlington is in close proximity to many municipalities. One interview question asked respondents, Who do you feel are the City of Burlington s biggest competitors and why? Figure 7 illustrates the identified competitors to Burlington based on aggregated responses of interview participants. Figure 8 provides a breakdown of reasons why respondents identified respective municipalities or geographic areas as competitors. In addition, based on interview responses, competitive advantages held by Burlington over comparators are summarized in Figure 9. The highest ranking competitors to Burlington, as illustrated in Figure 7, are: Oakville Hamilton / Stoney Creek Mississauga Milton Niagara Peninsula and St-Catherine s The two highest-ranking competitors in Figure 7 are also Burlington s closest neighbouring municipalities. Though location was identified by respondents in earlier interview questions as a strength, Burlington s strength associated with location is diminished due to proximity to these two competitors. FIGURE 7: WHO DO YOU FEEL ARE THE CITY OF BURLINGTON S BIGGEST COMPETITORS AND WHY? City / area identified as competitor Freq. Oakville 25 Hamilton / Stoney Creek 23 Mississauga 13 Milton 13 Niagara Peninsula and St-Catherine s 7 Kitchener / Waterloo / Cambridge 7 Toronto 5 Guelph 5 Brampton 5 Markham 4 Brantford 2 Vaughan 1 Golden Horseshoe / Broader region 5 All east of Burlington 2 All west of Burlington 2 Northern of Toronto 2 Other 7 Source: Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Millier Dickinson Blais: One-on-One Stakeholder Interviews Analysis Burlington Economic Vision 2025