@jeffroach's #peoplecity

Please donate to prostate cancer research and help protect the health of your men.

You can donate to fight prostate cancer and follow my brogress here: http://mobro.co/jeffroachca

My Connection

In the late 1990s I founded the Citahealth Management Group and built a clientele of senior executives who relied on our full suite of health care services at our facility including executive medicine, a full range of health and fitness testing, and private personal training.

During that time, it was remarkable to me how many of our male clients were struck with prostate cancer and how it impacted their lives. Sadly, we even lost a few.

It was also remarkable to me how quiet and private this affliction was kept. Much like breast cancer once was for women, prostate cancer is tied to what is for some a taboo part of the bodies of one gender and that kind of stuff was just not talked about.

Instead, this is a serious health issue that threatens an enormous number of men and it's important to me that this be made known so we can all support the fight against it.

My Stache

I don't much like the mustache growing on my face. It's the first time I have ever grown one, actually. Other than not bothering to shave for a few lazy days here and there, I have been clean-shaven all of my life.

Some men look distinguished with facial hair - I'm not one of them (my kids think it's hilarious and have nicknamed me "stashy"). But it's only for 1 month and it's for a cause I hope my friends will support financially.

As the month continues, I intend to learn more about prostate cancer to satisfy my own interest and to share what I learn. Kelly snapped the picture of me above on Sunday and we plan to update it each weekend this month. A little comedy might help raise some sympathy dollars.

Please stay tuned and please give: http://mobro.co/jeffroachca

According to Efficiency NB, their mandate is:

Efficiency NB offers sound advice and practical solutions to help New Brunswickers use energy more efficiently, make better energy choices, manage energy expenses and lessen the impact of energy use on the environment. 

And it works. I know many New Brunswickers and businesses here (ourselves included) that have made their buildings and their operations more energy efficient because Efficiency NB's expertise helped them consider, invest in, and implement their best options.

Considering how far behind we are in productivity and the benefits of having a productive economy, here is a mission statement for a Productivity NB that I suggest be created with a heavy emphasis on New Brunswick's own technology providers:

Productivity NB offers sound advice and practical solutions to help New Brunswick businesses and organizations use technology more efficiently, make better technology choices, manage technology expenses and lessen the impact of technology use on the environment. 

So many of our businesses have no idea where to start in evaluating technology to help them operate more profitably and competitively and they need help.

A new agency could assist with a full menu of isues for small businesses and large industry. Based on merit and value, this agency can remove the fear and help to leverage investments in technology for the businesses in our province.

In the same way that our government recognized that their role was to be an enabler, supporter, and investor in a more efficient province, doesn't it make sense for them to lead an agency that would play such a vital role in supporting a bright future for our entire economy?

I'd like to see a cost/benefit analysis in doing this. I'm sure the NBITCouncil could provide a great head start.

Let's say we lived in a city or a province at a turning point. Great potential and a bright future but a little unsure of itself and what it wants to be at the moment. In a place built on mega-projects, it feels like New Brunswick is just waiting for the next big announcement.

A good, solid shot in the arm might be a big help right now. Something that gives purpose and energy to a community, beyond just the individuals that are part of it. Not a big announcement, but a big event.

What if we could gather a few of the biggest turnaround stories in modern history, in one place, to share their stories of rebuilding from a low point?

• The mayor of one of the world's greatest cities, attacked and crippled, then rebuilt and reborn.
• The leader of a chronically have-not province that collected its assets and built the leading economy in the nation.
• The builder of some of the flashiest and most extravagent ventures in the world, repeatedly humbled, and always ready to rebuild.

Spark is the event that is bringing these people - Rudy Guiliani, Danny Wiliams, and Donald Trump - to Saint John, New Brunswick on October 6 for the shot in the arm our region needs at a point in our history when we are finally learning to build our own successes and trust in our own strengths.

Time To Build

There are no mega-projects on our horizon.

New businesses are emerging daily and our best and brightest are learning what it means to be builders, leaders, and social entrepreneurs. This is what it takes to build a sustainable economy and I'm happy to be here to see it.

I listed the speakers above in the order of my own personal interest. Rudy Guiliani will be here just days after the 10th anniversary of the famous attack on the city he led as Mayor - New York. And these 3 people will never share a stage again. One time only. Right here.

I am on the Spark board and have also been hired to help with community engagement. I sought out these roles because the people who are putting on this event are big thinkers and doers and their energy and perspective has been a pleasure to be around for me for a few years now.

This event will sell out. Join us for the shot in the arm our community needs.

Hard to Believe, Huh?

Not for us. It's becoming a little more widely known that something very interesting is happening in Saint John, New Brunswick. Family and friends across the country are telling us that they are hearing good things about our little home city, that there is a connectedness and an energy here that they are observing online and hearing about.

For example, how many cities have had the success we have had with the #livelifeuptown hashtag and the community it's created, both online and in the flesh? The birth of a very cool fashion scene? That's right, it's here too.

This should be exciting for a lot of people in the region. David Campbell pointed out in June, supported by the agreement and pride of many people in our city, that  "In the past few years, Saint John has been growing again and that bodes well for the province." While the evidence shows that our city's concentrated urban ICT sector is the answer to David's belief that "above all, Saint John needs to be a place where great companies are growing export-focused opportunities and creating high paying jobs", his appeal that "New Brunswick needs an ambitious Saint John" is answered by many cultural and economic strengths whose renewal has started to snowball.

My Daydream of King's Square

What inspired this post is a recent article on Uptown Saint John's leadership in revitalizing the King's Square precinct at the top of King Street in the heart of our urban public fare. The vision seems to be for King's Square to become, once again, the centre of activity at the top of the hill as the other bookend to the succesful nightlife we have on our waterfront at the bottom of the hill - filled in with all of the great restaurants, clubs, and niche boutiques we have in between. Have a read and let your mind's eye wander. This is what I picture:

• A Saint John nightlife with lots of human activity in the park and around it.
• People taking in a performance in one of the most beautiful performing arts venues on the continent.
• People sitting on park benches in the square waiting for the next showing of a movie or live music act at the restored art deco era former Paramount Theatre.
• People coming in and out of the shops, restaurants and cafes that circle the park, taking strolls through before and after a great meal.
• Students busily or casually hovering around a specialty college or university faculty open into the evenings for collaborative study.
• Buskers around the bandstand.
• People tossing frisbee under the lights and the trees.
• Families playing in the kids playpark built in one of the corners of the park (it's early evening in my mind's eye ;)

That's something I would love. I picture grabbing a bite to eat on Prince William Street and walking up the hill to a buzzing neighbourhood of entertainment and meetups (we already do this here, I just want more of it :). That's an urban scene that I think a lot of people would be drawn to. A large number and a wide variety of people.

Rockwood Park is our recreational oasis in the city. King's Square IS our city. When King's Square is alive, our city is alive. 

Uptown Saint John is about to ask for the communty's support to help them bring back our urban arts and entertainment neighbourhood by building on the very strong assets we already have there. I'm going to give them mine.

What's your vision for King's Square?

(Well, it's new to me, anyway)

My wife has been away and is on her way home tonight and I installed an app that's new to me called FlightTrack. I thought it might give me some info on whether or not her flight was on time for me to pick her up. Does it ever!

FlightTrack is an extremely usable and useful app and I highly recommend it.

Have a look at the screenshots I took below. The data it shows is LIVE data brought in every 5 seconds! It's possible I know more about this flight than the passengers who are on it.

I have two questions for our local politicians and those who hope to be:

1. Is it possible to represent a people if you don't listen to those people? (It's a rhetorical question)
2. Has there ever been a more effective medium for talking directly to and with the masses than Twitter?

There is a reason why there are over 200 million tweets a day and it's not because it belongs to a fringe group of geeks. US President Obama himself tweets so its safe to say that if the winning candidate of the most competitive political office on the planet sees its value and puts his own time into talking with the 350 million+ people he represents, maybe our local reps could fit it into the run of their day.

To explain its importance, here's an excerpt on the essence of Twitter from Sociallogical's new online course Understand Social Business:

Twitter resembles how we communicate as humans better than any other mass communication tool. When we sit down to talk to another person we don’t each throw 500 words back and forth like a blog. Instead we throw a sentence or two back and forth in conversation. And that’s what Twitter is. It’s the web’s big conversation.

Interestingly, it is a New Brunswick-based company with a major presence in Saint John, radian6, who joined the President at the White House for his Twitter Town Hall this month. They were asked to attend so their world-leading service could help him listen to what people were saying and so he could dialogue with them to the best of his ability.

A Public List and a New Hashtag

This past week I created a public list on Twitter of all of the Twitter accounts I could find for our local politicians. You can link to the list or add it to the streams you listen to. I have also started using the hashtag #sjcouncil2012 for any issue that will be relevant to how I vote next May when we vote in a new Mayor and Council. (What's a Hashtag?)

A few observations:

• Mel Norton, Carl Killen and Rodney Weston are really the only politicians we have who are active on Twitter. In fact, if you look at the feed this weekend, they're the only three saying anything (see photo above).
• There is very little conversation from our politicians. They post info but they don't often share dialogue. I encourage them to talk with people more.
• Ivan Court doesn't actually use Twitter. The Mayor's Assistant, Al Rouse, does. I couldn't add the MayorCourtSJ account to the list because that's not him. Since I believe dialogue is the goal, including a news feed under the Mayor's name doesn't fit this list.
• Too many of our politicians who have Twitter accounts got them to post stuff during their election campaign and dropped off the platform after it was over. Very disappointing. They still see it as a broadcast medium and not a social connector and it's hard to tell if they even believe a social connection with the people they represent is even desireable.
• Several politicians have told me they want to get on Twitter. My response: just do it. People like me will be happy to help, but get on there and ask for help once you've made the commitment.
• Mel Norton shared a passionate commitment to listen online before and after his election in 2010. He has provided a good example others would be wise to follow.

So listen to your politicians, and those who hope to be, and engage them in conversation. This dialogue will provide a whole lot more insight into the character and intentions of the people you consider voting for.

[I am posting this in July 2011 because I believe anyone who plans to run in May 2012 needs to get active online this summer]

This is a big win and not just because active commuters got what they wanted. By all accounts, the engineers, planners, and policy makers who helped make this a reality aren't often expected to or experienced in dealing directly with the public and gathering public input. It's just not normally part of their culture. But that's exactly what ours did and that's why we now have a bike lane.

Tim O'Reilly with the City of Saint John spent 3 hours on Main Street observing how people use that route so he could feel and measure the problem and imagine a workable solution. DOT personnel in Fredericton worked with Tim to accommodate a bike trail here within their own guidelines. Donnie Snook, Gary Sullivan, Mel Norton, Patty Higgins, Trevor Holder, and Carl Killen have all spoken out in support of better routes and investments for Active Transportation (I apologize if I missed any of our political reps that supported it. Let me know if I did. But all are still welcome to jump on this bandwagon).

These efforts to listen and respond to the transportation needs of active travellers is the big win and I am very appreciative and hopeful that this approach will lead to bigger and more permanent wins for more livable NB cities.

Permanent Change Needed

If you drive Main Street now you will notice that your speed will naturally drop a bit as you head east due to the reduction of lanes. Heading west is still a race track, which isn't so safe and appealing for pedestrians on the sidewalk on that side. One step forward.

My hope is to see a plan created - and soon while the issue is fresh - that permanently reduces Main Street to 4 automobile lanes with ample space on both sides (or the middle ) for both bikers and walkers, as well as protective barriers and taller landscaping that will naturally slow down traffic (I love the marigolds but we also need height).

In contrast to being ignored last summer by the DOT and the Harbour Bridge Authority and this year as Harbour Passage was again shut down before considering the needs of non-drivers, this summer we have been heard and responded to and that is a very positive sign for the future of our #peoplecity.

Thank you to all who have been supporting active transportation in Saint John and working to provide it to us. Anyone want to bike to work with me on Monday?

--

Links:

• [Pics] Main St. Bike Lane group ride on the first day
• Video tutorial on how to use the Main Street Bike Lane:

I've been meaning to write this post for a while because I hope it will answer a question I have been asked many many times over the last few years regarding what a hashtag is and when to use which ones in our community.

I can only give my opinion on this, really. There are no rules governing this territory. But maybe the way I use hashtags will get others to think about how they'd like to use theirs.

What Is A Hashtag?

 A hashtag is just a label that you throw into a tweet with the # sign in front of it. A #word that #meanssomething to the #person who uses #it. But because a specific tag can often mean the same thing to other people, they get used by those people and they become a community that pays attention to what each other is saying when they use that tag.

In filter services like radian6, hootsuite or TweetDeck you can create a stream/river that listens for the use of that tag and participate in what amounts to an ongoing conversation around a topic. But a hashtag can become an essential component of a community brand as it finds its way onto other social platforms, print materials etc.

Following are the ones that I use most often, what they mean to me, and how I use them. I'm interested to hear what others use and what their tags mean to them.

#livelifeuptown

The first one I helped to grow, and still very meaningful to me, #livelifeuptown was born a few years ago in a committee meeting to discuss an online strategy for Uptown Saint John that led to the hiring of Craig Allen, Evolving Solutions, and Jessica Raye to build the current web assets for the organization. I brought to that meeting some of the online community-building techniques we were playing with at propel ICT and the idea of building a hashtag for Uptown living was on my mind. I asked what our tag line was and stuck the three words together into #livelifeuptown and took 30 seconds to post a tweet while we ate our sandwiches. I continued to use it for the next few months and when Craig's team was hired, it made sense to make the hashtag a focal point of all Uptown branding.

It worked! I think it's safe to say that the #livelifeuptown hashtag is one of the most recognizeable and well-used hashtags in the Maritimes and it brings considerable attention to a very active, connected, progressive, and growing urban centre that those who use it are very proud of. At 15 characters in length ( # l i v e l i f e u p t o w n ) on a platform defined by how it forces us to budget our language, it's a bit long. But it has a great energy about a place that's important to pretty much everyone in the Saint John region, as we all recognize it's a work in progress - and we're definitely enjoying progress!

I use #livelifeuptown whenever I am doing something uptown that I'm enjoying or that I think others would find interesting. Place matters to people. Where you do something is often as interesting as what it is you're doing and who you're with. Using #livelifeuptown puts someone in a place that many of us find very interesting, where a lot of people are enjoying our lives in the happiest city in Canada.

#peoplecity

This is the most personal one to me. I started this one in 2010 over the shutting down of Harbour Passage during bridge reconstruction on the Harbour Bridge overhead. I found the lack of consideration and accommodation for pedestrians and cyclists to be very insulting and disrespectful and I wanted to start a movement around making this a city where the quality of life for the people who live here is respected as the top priority in everything we do here and every cent we spend as a community.

This hashtag is meant to represent a city where people are the priority over cars, institutions, and industry. This isn't meant as an insult to anyone. It is based on the observation I've made of other great and livable cities around the world: when a community respects itself, invests in itself, and is thoughtful about how it grows, it becomes attractive, valuable, and investment-worthy. The rest of the world is drawn to an authentic and progressive place where they might live a great life or enjoy a great visit.

I use #peoplecity whenever there is an idea or an issue that suports or threatens the quality of life for the people who live in Saint John as I see it. I use it to be critical of our governments as well as to share my owns ideas that I believe will improve the livability of my home. If the City is successful and well-run, the entire region will prosper. If we become a #peoplecity.

#Fusionsj

The new tag started by Fusion Saint John, #Fusionsj is used whenever people are connecting to grow our city. Fed by activists with positive visions and plans for our community, dialogue using the #Fusionsj hashtag is shared by people who want to join their talents with others to make change happen that will make living here better for more people. 

This hashtag is not meant to be only used by Fusion organizers for Fusion events. It is intended to be used by everyone in our city when they are tweeting about an event, an idea, or an action that results in people coming together to grow our city. That's how I use it and you'll see me use it more as Sociallogical helps roll out the #Fusionsj online social strategy this summer. Expect committees and activities to centralize on Facebook, with some networking on Linkedin, and the #Fusionsj hashtag everywhere. A new website designed and developed by Derek Roche (who recently built the web presence for MedRunner and ClinicServer, two bright lights in Saint John's ICT industry) will appear in coming weeks to make it very clear how anyone can get involved in making Saint John better. Look for changes over the summer.

On The Way...

There's a new hashtag on the way this summer around the ICT industry in Saint John. ICT has been an important part of my life since I moved here in 2000 and, I can assert with a fair bit of insight and evidence, will play a major role in our city's future prosperity and identity.

These are the tags I use most often to connect to communities that matter to me. I'm interested to learn about new ones that are having an impact or promise to. Please share and consider using any of the tags mentioned here if these communities interest you.

[Check back periodically. I'll update this post when new tags appear to reach an influential stage]

Curbside recycling is a tablesteak service for a modern city, not a luxury. New buildings for city staff are a luxury, not a requirement, for a city with budget challenges. 

We can afford curbside recycling. We can't afford continued poor decision making with our money. A few suggestions:

1. Start passing around the permitted $1500 fines for putting garbage bags on the curb before garbage day, as hundreds of people do every week, making our streets a dump. 
2. Charge us a pickup fee for the garbage bags we do take to the curb. 
3. Install webcams to catch and fine illegal dumping in hot spots throughout the city like Marsh Creek.

If you can employ thugs to so aggressively enforce parking bylaws, surely you can enforce these laws. That's how you pay for curbside recycling.

We need leadership. Excuses are just garbage.

For over a decade now I have been getting my hair cut by a barber friend in town. Today I got my haircut by a hairstylist for the first time since I left Vancouver in 2000. Because I seldom change my hair, I find it hard to have an opinion of it because it is awkward for me regardless. My wife loves it (I made a video with my android and emailed it to her in Moncton this morning :) so that's a good sign. She's pretty honest with me about this stuff. She's the one who has to look at me most so her opinion matters to me most.

The sylist is Adam Donnelly and the occasion for the switch is that I will be part of a very funky display at the Live Life Awards next week, put together by the über-creatve Judith Mackin of 'The Originals' fame amoung many others. 

So here it is (Kelly's away so I had to take the pic myself):

So what's the verdict? Keep it, change it back, or try something new?

(BTW, that link to the Originals above took me into 30 proud minutes of re-living the event through videos posted by teensmatter).

 http://maplebutter.com launched this week and will become the

• online curriculum,
• case study
• coffee shop meeting, and
• brew pub mixer

for Maritime founders of startup businesses (the clearest picture of what Maple Butter is can be found here).

Built on the connections and perspectives curated by Moncton native Dan Martell from his current home as Flowtown cofounder in San Fransisco, Maple Butter connects Canadian startup founders and builders with the perspectives and practices of the brightest startup and technology minds in the world. Not just that, but it will tell the stories of Maritime startups to the world.

Maple Butter is where New Brunswick entrepreneurs and technology companies learn, showcase and connect with each other.

Some blog titles and ideas to date:

• Lean Product Development
• Startup Hiring: From Handshake To Honeymoon
• Ideas Are Like Babies; You Can’t Tell If Yours Is Ugly Or Not.
• What Does Being a Hustler Really Mean?

Maple Butter is a valuable change agent to refocus our economy on what it really needs to become for prosperity in the new global business environment: a startup culture.

Without this transformation, our economy will lag behind. We need more people starting more businesses - and becoming successful at it - for us to continue to build prosperous communities and quality lives in the Maritimes.

Subscribe and connect with the culture and ideas that will make your startup better.

For about half a decade now, Joe has been sharing with me insights on Active Transportation whenever we run into each other in the street or at an event. Through his own observations and through dialogue and work with the most active activists on the subject in the region.

After gaining interest in Active Transportation from members of City Council recently due to the planned closure of Harbour Passage (again), I asked Joe if he might gather some of his thoughts on how we might make change happen sooner rather than later and he shared with me what I have copied and pasted below.

It's brilliant! This is a vision that makes me excited for Saint John's future. We have had some bad ideas and bad investments made in this city recently. But every cent invested in the ideas Joe has shared would be a massive benefit to our city and a significantly positive investment in our future.

Joe's observations and ideas:

My observations come from several thousand kilometers of riding and walking in and around the Greater Saint John area over the past 9 years. I've volunteered with Active Transportation Saint John for the past 5 years and have spent a few years in the local bike shop giving me exposure to a wide variety of active people. Although I live car free, my war is not with the automobile but with transportation policy at all levels which currently provided little to no support for active modes. 

Some of my learnings / observations about active transportation in Saint John:

• The hills, wind / weather patterns, poor pavement condition, lack of bicycle lanes / pathways and heavy traffic areas deter activity but create hardy cyclists / walkers.
• Sidewalks are heavily used as bicycle paths
• Pedestrians tend to walk within their neighborhoods but not longer distances
• Most bicycle users here flagrantly disregard the rules of the road. 
• The closure of Harbour Passage is the greatest challenge facing cyclists and pedestrians needing to travel between East and West. Some people I've talked to have taken to cars and transit instead of using Main Street / Viaduct
• The entire Saint John Throughway and Harbour Bridge splitting the city in half has a crippling effect on the health of our transportation system. The few places a cyclist or pedestrian can cross from north to south and east to west across the whole city are not safe enough and deterring.
• Mountain biking seems to be most popular form of biking here
• Bicycle lanes can work only if the lines and symbols are repainted when they fade.
• Runners / joggers love running in bike lanes and curb lanes and share many of the same routes.

Opportunities

• Saint John is in close proximity to Maine (3rd most bicycle friendly state - 2010 rankings League of American Bicyclists) and Quebec (#1 Province in Canada for Cycling) and is very well positioned for cyclotourism. 
• Saint John could use new assets like the Stonehammer Geopark to support the need for pathways, trails and cycling routes in and out of the City. 
• Connecting Uptown with both the University area and East side by pathways / bikelanes would go a long way to boost active transportation 
• Completion of Harbour Passage to connect Lower Westside and Old North End to Uptown / Central SJ
• Saint John could rise as one of the best cycling / walkable cities of it's size in North America if we shifted some funding to AT facilities.
• Implement the 2+ year old SJ Bike Parking Plan that recommended installing racks and lockers but not a dime has been spent to date by the Parking Commission. (Uptown SJ Inc is acting on this now with it's own program..)

....

Some resources:

Local

• Saint John Bikeways and Trails Strategic Plan
• Bike Park Plan Uptown Saint John (delivered to Richard Smith of SJ Parking January 2009)

Research / Planning

• UBC - CHER Cycling in Cities Research Program
• Victoria Transport Policy Institute
• Commuting Patterns in Canada - 2006 Census
• Alliance for Biking and Walking (U.S.) - 2010 Benchmarking Project
• Policylink / Prevention Institute (U.S) - The Transportation Prescription

On International Women's Day today, my hope is for the women in my life to be ambitious in pursuing what they want for their lives, supported in their efforts to do so, to love education, to be understanding, nurturing, and patient with the people they encounter, and to be happy.

(This is also what I want for the the men in my life)

My wife is the model of all that I described above. She lives a life that I would want for anyone that I love, woman or man. She speaks for herself, she respects, loves and works harder than anyone I know and asks for help when she needs it so she can keep going and keep growing. She's my hero. I am privileged to be able to admire her as an observer and to love her as a partner.

In thinking about Women's Day this morning I thought a lot about my wife and my daughter but also about my son. My kids both have the same possibilities at this stage of their lives but they are not cultured equally. For example, at the top of the banned entertainment list in our house is the Family Channel. Yes, this Disney product perpetuates the princess mythology, the petty girl bully culture, and the worst of stereotypical roles of women and men in the last century of North America. And we call this the Family Channel?

This is just one example of how I feel undermined as a parent in raising a son and daughter who both begin their lives with the same possibilities and opportunities. For all of our women-supporting talk, we don't do enough to resist our own culture that models our children, both boys and girls, into lives we say we don't want for them.

I want my daughter to want as much for her life as my son and to be supported in pursuing it. But I need the agreement of a much bigger community to help me do it. My wonderful daughter is capable of having a wonderful life and so far so good. My wish today is to have as many models like my wife for my children as I can possibly get.

They're watching us. And they'll grow into what we model for them.

Donnie Snook is right, Council needs to dump any new waste management ideas until we have curbside recycling in the city. 

As it is now, those of us with cars are doing the City's job if we choose to recycle by driving our own waste to blue bins. If this is a city for people, how are those without cars supposed to participate?

The cool idea of a special bin to roll to the curb with our garbage is a help. But it is ridiculous without first having curbside recycling especially when it is coupled with a plan to financially penalize those who don't limit what we put in those bins. The City of Fredericton, by the way, who the super cool garbage bin program is based on, provides curbside recycling.

Think about how people live their daily lives, Council. Councillor Snook is right; curbside recycling is the ONLY logical next step to improve waste management for people in the city, no matter how cool those new garbage bins are.

It is always discomforting to expose and discuss the divisions between the municipalities that make up what I consider to be the one community of the Saint John region. But before we can honestly talk about cooperation and support, we need to honestly acknowledge the reality of what divides us. Dave Drinnan has done that very well in a recent post, To whom is the City of Saint John responsible?.

While I do not support amalgamation of our municipalities, I feel that regionalization of shared services (and there are many) is necessary to grow our community and feed the services we all know we need. I'm proud of the burbs, neighbourhoods, towns we have in this region and what each of them offers to the value proposition of living here. But there is an obvious abandonment issue of the municipality in the centre and we need to address that head on.

For many, Saint John is the jilted ex. You left us behind a long time ago, taking the car and the dog with you on the way out the door, but you still comment on our hair, clothes and how we walk. I'd rather you help us rebuild and care about this community as if it is your own.

PlanSJ needs to look after the interests of Saint John because who else is going to? When we know who we want to be we will be in a much better position to plan our growth with the broader community. And when that time comes, we'd sure like our neighbours to put their money with their mouths are and not just your signatures. Is this one community or not?

U2 is not my favourite band. I was obsessed with them from junior high through university but my musical tastes broadened and they were joined by many new obsessions as the list continues to grow.

But I have seen U2 5 times now and I believe that is where the real U2 is found. They are a live concert band. They create stunning, huge, spiritual experiences that connect their audiences like no other band. Moments at U2 concerts fit in the collection of some of the most potent memories of my life.

If the rumour is true that Moncton has landed the U2 360 spaceship, we are in for the treat of a lifetime here in the Maritimes! There has never been a show like this in our region. The Stones and ACDC were big shows but not experiences like this (and McCartney in Halifax was it's own kind of treasure).

The stage and screen are the most most advanced ever built and were designed to get the band as close to the audience as possible and to make a large stadium feel like a small concert venue. They achieved it!

There is a lot of other music that I love but there is no concert experience that comes close to U2. A U2 concert in Moncton brings a calibre of entertainment to our province we have never enjoyed here. Let's hope the concert rumours are true!

Here's a clip from a show Kelly and I attended last year (if you can't hear it, the crowd sings along with every word throughout the whole show):

Following no one (above). The age of two-way communication is lost on City Hall 

There are good things happening in City Hall and if the message isn't getting out (which it's not) the "media" is not to blame for it.

Due to significant shifts in media consumption and technologies, the City of Saint John is now capable of owning its own message, letting citizens know the good things that are happening through City Hall's efforts, and selling the benefits of living here against the urban myths that perpetuate to keep people out.

What is Saint John's value proposition, who owns it, and who is promoting it? 

I sat in a blue sky thinking session a few years ago and one Saint John City Councillor led a debate in which he contended that our local media was undermining our efforts to grow the community. I contended that this is hogwash and that if one media outlet had that much power over how we view ourselves it is because we have given it to them. A few years later with a more democratic media landscape available to us, it is even more true.

I recently heard a report that over 80% of Saint Johners receive their information from the local newspaper. This might be discouraging if it didn't leave several unanswered questions:

• Where do the information junkies get their information? They're the ones who use their knowledge of facts and events to influence others. I doubt very much the local newspaper is their main source. 
• Does the average maritimer even see new media sources as news sources yet?
• Why is City Hall not in the "influential" camp and providing an alternative to the newspaper? A few reports in mid and late 2010 indicate that only between 5-8% of North Americans use twitter but they are the most influential people in society, influencing up to 40% of the population. There is a @cityofsaintjohn twitter account but it is under or misused and is often the target of ridicule - unbeknown to its caretakers, obviously.
• Why is the City not going to where the people are to share their good news? The facebook population is over 500 million people and there has been a lot of talk about how New Brunswick participates in social media at a higher rate than most people in the world.

The press release is dead. The message that gets released now gets released to everyone and we don't need a press to get it out anymore.

City Hall says that misinformation is being reported, but how could a traditional media outlet report lies if the City was actively sharing the truth on a daily basis and making friends with its audience? By not participating, the City is making the traditional media's value proposition for them and feeding their success in allowing them to own the dialogue.  

Things are better here than our own narrative would suggest. The problems we have here are common to a lot of cities but they define us here because we let others own our stories. If the City of Saint John doesn't own the good news from City Hall and sell the value proposition of living in our city, who will?

Expect more bad news, emotional criticisms, and attacks on City Hall to continue until City Hall decides to join the rest of us in figuring out the new age of two-way communication and start using it as a tool to build our city.