When discussing the representation of territorial dynamics, we refer to the necessity for municipalities to understand the complex interactions between various aspects of their environment, such as real estate, employment, health, and the circular economy. Every decision or project launched in one of these areas can have repercussions throughout the entire territory, creating a domino effect.
For instance, if a city decides to attract 100 new nurses to fill vacant positions in the healthcare sector, this goes beyond just employment. This decision will have implications for other aspects, such as housing. Indeed, to accommodate these new healthcare professionals, there must be available housing that meets their needs. In other words, families accompanying nurses moving to the area will at minimum need 4 ½ rooms.
Domino effect! Are there any available 4 ½ room units? Is housing financially affordable? Are there nearby services for families (schools, grocery stores, transportation, etc.)? Let’s consider an example. There are only vacant properties with an average sale price of $960k for 14 rooms in a given area. However, the median income of a household is $49,200 per year. The consequence: Having this information allows cities to adjust supply and demand according to the needs and conditions of everyone, such as encouraging the subdivision of larger properties into smaller units or constructing smaller-sized housing.
The Challenge
The interconnection among the various aspects of urban development presents a challenge for municipalities. They need timely information to take action. This involves collecting a multitude of scattered data from different fields and various sources, but they must also be able to analyze it effectively so that they can act on solid and justified bases.
This becomes a real puzzle because it requires time, resources, and specific skills to process the information in a way that illuminates decision-making in favor of the needs of businesses and citizens.
Consequently, municipalities often find themselves paralyzed in data collection and utilization. They may lack key information about territorial dynamics that are essential for understanding the complex links between the various aspects of urban development.
The Solution
Civ.GEO’s solution allows for the representation of the territorial dynamics of municipalities. By creating detailed profiles of municipal groupings (MRCs), Civ.GEO enables the analysis of various socio-economic aspects such as demographics, employment, housing, and available market skills. This comprehensive analysis provides a complete vision of each municipality, allowing decision-makers to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their territory.
One of the key features of Civ.GEO is its ability to compare data between different municipalities and identify common trends. This comparison allows cities to situate themselves relative to similar cities and pinpoint areas where they excel or need improvements. For example, if a city stands out for having a high employment rate in a particular sector, this can be highlighted to attract new businesses interested in that sector. Conversely, if the territory lacks companies in the aerospace supply chain, it helps to identify what type of businesses should be targeted to attract them and fill the missing link.
Moreover, Civ.GEO facilitates the creation of parallels between the various aspects that comprise the city. For example, by cross-referencing employment and housing data, municipalities can identify imbalances between housing supply and demand in certain areas and take measures to remedy this situation.
Another characteristic of the tool is its ability to highlight the specific strengths of a city to justify the establishment of a new business in its territory. By analyzing data on available skills, existing infrastructure, and other key factors demanded by businesses, Civ.GEO can assist municipalities in articulating a compelling case to attract new investors and companies to their area.
Results
- Comparison with similar cities: Municipal groupings can compare themselves to similar cities based on socio-economic characteristics to visualize where their territory excels versus where it requires improvements.
- Cross-analyses between different aspects of the city (housing, mobility, employment, etc.): This approach provides a clear view of the challenges and opportunities within the territory for informed action.
- Prioritization of actions: By better understanding the needs and priorities of their territory through factual analyses, municipalities have been able to prioritize their actions to meet the supply and demand of businesses and citizens. This has allowed them to direct their resources and efforts toward the most critical and strategic areas to stimulate economic development.
- Real-time factual portrait: By creating a real-time factual portrait of what is happening in the city, the grouping can justify to an investor and a company the potential of their territory.
