Intelligent OKGN

The purpose of this initiative is to promote the values of connectivity, shared mobility, social equity and resource efficiency in the planning and development of our region.  It was launched on October 10, 2019 at a leadership conference organized by entrepreneurship@UBCO and sponsored by the OSLC, the architectural firm IBI, and the law firm of Lawson Lundell.

Participants included research scientists, tech entrepreneurs, developers from Urban Systems, Troika and Mission Group, government officials and community planers.  The group discussed issues that included a unified, valley-wide transportation system, and regional land use planning strategies.   

Also discussed were smart building technologies and improved communications networks capable of providing high-speed internet access for all, improved energy and resource efficiencies, reduced traffic, and more rapid disaster response capabilities.  

Around the world, it is cities (not nation states) that are energizing innovation and developing solutions.  Federal and provincial governments will not make this place a center for excellence when it comes to creating smart cities, implementing biodynamic agricultural practices, developing recycling and renewable energy ventures, promoting public transportation strategies, or utilizing natural ecosystems to ensure climate change resilience.    

Our focus on the sustainability of the Okanagan Valley can have a tremendous impact on the future of our region and serve as a model for others to follow.  Increasingly it will be up to us to determine our own fate and the future of our communities.  Intelligent OKNG will play a leadership role in this effort.