REIMAGINE NANAIMO

In Phase 1 of REIMAGINE NANAIMO, we heard how much the community loves Nanaimo's waterfront walkway and many ideas for expanding and improving it. The City is currently exploring a key phase of expansion focused on the Departure Bay portion of the overall, long-term Waterfront Walkway Implementation Plan. Improvements at Departure Bay would connect the existing trail behind the BC Ferries Terminal to the waterfront walkway near the Kin Hut at Kinsmen Park. Completion of the Departure Bay segment has been identified as a high priority based on previous public feedback and now we want to know what you think of emerging directions! To learn about the project and share your feedback by completing a questionnaire, please visit www.getinvolvednanaimo.ca/waterfrontwalkway. Deadline for input is June 30, 2021.

PREFER TO LISTEN AND LEARN?

• Have just a few minutes? Doughnut Economics Made Simple - seven videos to help you by Kate Raworth.
• Have 12 minutes? Downscaling the Doughnut to the City by Kate Raworth
• Have 17 minutes? Enjoy this Doughnut TED Talk
• Have 70 minutes? Watch Doughnut Economics Lecture

HAVE TIME TO READ? Check out the following resources?

• Kate Raworth website
• Creating City Portraits - A Methodological Guide from the Thriving Cities Initiative
• World Economic Forum

WHAT DO OTHERS THINK?

• Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth Review - Forget Growth, Think Survival (Economics, The Guardian)
• There's a Hole in the Middle of Doughnut Economics - Foundation for Economic Education (Fee.org)
• Book Review: Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist by Kate Raforth (LSE Review of Books)
• Doughnut Economics Summary (Four Minute Books)

Watch the March 8, 2021 Meeting from the City of Nanaimo Governance and Priorities Committee for an update on the Doughnut Economics Framework.

• See the March 8, 2021 Information Report for the "Update on Doughnut Economics Framework" from the ReImagine Nanaimo Team.

Wow, Nanaimo! You’ve shared some great insights for the first phase of REIMAGINE NANAIMO – what’s great about our City, what needs work and fantastic ideas for the future. Take a browse through the Phase 1 Engagement Summary and the appendices and see what our community has shared so far. These ideas are now being used in Phase 2 of the process to identify a range of potential scenarios and options for Nanaimo’s future. Later this spring, we’ll be asking for your review and thoughts on these emerging directions. Stay tuned!

Are you a landlord or tenant in Nanaimo? If so, take our surveys. They will support and inform the engagement work underway through the City's REIMAGINE policy review. During phase one of the REIMAGINE process, over 35% of questionnaire participants noted they are not able to easily find housing that suits their needs while over 55% supported prioritizing affordable housing as a top social priority.

Supporting rental housing was included as a frequent comment through the engagement process. The rental survey will help the City better understand the existing rental situation in Nanaimo, including individual renter needs while addressing short-term rentals. It may also have a positive impact on the availability of long-term rentals. The deadline to complete the surveys was on May 12, 2021.

• RENTERS EXPERIENCE SURVEY

  The City of Nanaimo is seeking input from renters about their experiences and opinions with finding and maintaining rental housing in Nanaimo. The renters survey is a direct recommendation of the City’s recently adopted Health and Housing Action Plan and will help Staff and Council better understand the challenges and opportunities Nanaimo renters currently experience.

  

• SHORT-TERM RENTAL SURVEY
  The City of Nanaimo is currently reviewing its Zoning and Business License regulations as they relate to short-term rentals and bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation. This work is a direct recommendation of the Affordable Housing Strategy (AHS). The purpose of this short survey is to gage public support for proposed land use and business licence recommendations related to the regulation of short-term rental accommodation presented to the Governance and Priorities Committee of Council on October 26, 2020. This is a follow-up to the previous short term rental survey posted in 2019.

• LANDLORD SURVEY
  The City wants to hear from landlords and property managers about their experiences and opinions with managing and owning rental housing in Nanaimo. This survey is for landlords and property managers only, a separate survey is available for renters. The landlords survey is a direct recommendation of the City’s recently adopted Health and Housing Action Plan and will help Staff and Council better understand the challenges and opportunities Nanaimo landlords and property managers currently experience.

We’d like to congratulate all the winners whose names were drawn for a prize in the REIMAGINE NANAIMO contests. We were excited to have so many entries from the nearly 5,500 completed questionnaires. We were especially pleased to award the $500 gift card prize for the Creative Community Content to the creator of The Dream Park, which depicts an imagined park with fun for all ages. We received some wonderful creative entries which can be viewed on the Creative Community Contest page.

• Eila K. - Creative Community Contest "Dream Park" image shown ($500 gift card)

"Dream Park" by Eila K.

The full list of winners is as follows:

• Brent S. - Statistically Valid Survey Grand Prize Winner ($500 gift card)
• Jim R. - Community Questionnaire Grand Prize Winner ($500 gift card)
• Tyler P. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner ($100 gift card)
• Jenn M. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner ($100 gift card)
• Abe B. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner ($100 gift card)
• Mandy H. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner ($100 gift card)
• Thomas M. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner ($100 gift card)
• Nicolle N. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner ($100 gift card)
• Bianca V. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner (1-month RDN Transit Pass)
• Dana L. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner (1-month RDN Transit Pass)
• Nicole L. - Community Questionnaire Prize Winner (1-month RDN Transit Pass)
• Shanae C.- Community Questionnaire Prize Winner (1-month RDN Transit Pass)
• Cathryn V.- Community Questionnaire Prize Winner (1-month RDN Transit Pass)

We have just finished Phase 1 of REIMAGINE Nanaimo, the City's coordinated strategic plan review. This first phase involved gathering ideas, and we are grateful for your interest and participation. We are now collecting the information from the ideas you have shared so far.

We will be returning in early 2021 to share the summary of your feedback and will have more opportunities for you to be part of this process. Stay tuned, Nanaimo! We look forward to engaging with you more.

The Creative Community Contest for REIMAGINE NANAIMO is now closed.

Submissions are in for a chance to win a $500 gift card (choice of ONE local Nanaimo: electronics store, OR bike shop, OR grocery store).

There were 6 themes to submit a creative response to REIMAGINE Nanaimo in the future. All entries were welcome – no matter your skill or experience, and it was open to all ages abilities.

A winner will soon be drawn for the prize draw!

Click here to read the contest terms and conditions.

Please note: the deadline for online survey submissions is now closed. We are gathering the information received and will be sharing it in early 2021. Stay tuned and look for more ways to participate in Phase 2 of REIMAGINE Nanaimo!

Fall is in the air and a rainy day is the perfect opportunity to take a few minutes and complete the IDEAS QUESTIONNAIRE!

If you have already completed the IDEAS QUESTIONNAIRE, are there any of the Topic Area Questionnaires that interest you (see links below).

~5-minute Topic Area Questionnaires (open to November 30th):

• How We Live (our neighbourhoods)
• How We Move (our active and sustainable transportation)
• How We Adapt and Stay Green (our environment and climate change)
• How We Connect and Play (our parks, recreation, and culture)
• How We Care (our social equity, and inclusiveness)
• How We Work (our economic development, business, and employment)

Are you up to the task of getting three others to complete the questionnaire and share their ideas? Your energy to involve others will make a big difference.

Thanks for getting involved and sharing your voice!

Please note: the deadline for online survey submissions is now closed. We are gathering the information received and will be sharing it in early 2021. Stay tuned and look for more ways to participate in Phase 2 of ReImagine Nanaimo!

Focus Topic 6 is How We Live - Our Neighbourhoods.

Use the links below to get involved in this topic:

• Read a brief backgrounder
• Watch this short video How We Live featuring Sheryl Armstrong
• Complete the How We Live Questionnaire
• Visit the Community Map to share your knowledge and ideas related to our City's future

Please participate in the Ideas Boards:

1. Thinking about your neighbourhood, what changes would make it even better?

2. A goal for Nanaimo is to create housing options that support our diverse residents. What kinds of housing types do you think make sense for Nanaimo? For example, innovative infill, coach houses, mixed-uses, tiny homes, other?

Challenge 6/6 for the creative community contest:

Show us your future dream neighbourhood in Nanaimo! What defines its character? What kinds of housing are there?

You could enter to win the prize draw $500 gift card (to your choice of a local Nanaimo: electronics store, OR bike shop, OR grocery store). You pick what is best for you!

How? Submit your creation via the Creative Community Contest form.

Click here to read the detailed contest terms and conditions.