Article 3 - What Kind of Growth?

This article is intended to provoke thought and discussion prior to the Smart Growth workshop on 25th January

It seems that the majority of Summerlanders either want growth or accept the inevitability of growth. I think most would also say that growth is good. But what kind of growth do they mean when they say that? Do they want growth that is primarily physical, or growth that is primarily economic? Or do they want both? All permutations are possible.

Physical growth is forever. There's no going back. This occurs when the primary focus is on building new subdivisions, industrial areas, shopping malls, etc. The end result is a doubling of everything. Jobs double, job hunters double, the population doubles, business competition doubles, the tax base doubles, municipal expenditures double, traffic and pollution doubles, and so on. Witness Kelowna

What are the benefits of physical growth?

• Some people make money, e.g realtors, bare-land owners, developers and contractors.
• More construction jobs
• Big town facilities such as movie theatres, nightclubs and hotels move in.
• The population meets franchise target levels so new retailers and big box stores move to town, providing more competition, lower prices and more variety.
• Existing businesses have an oportunity to expand - if they are efficient enough to beat back the new competition.
• Specialists such as dance schools and camera shops have a bigger population base to draw from.

Growth which is primarily Economic is very different. This occurs when the focus is on increasing wealth with little population increase. Examples would be a high tech employer moves to town, providing good jobs for existing citizens; or a new winery and vineyard is built on fallow land, creating ongoing income and wealth where none was before; or an existing facility is re-developed and rejuvenated.

What are the benefits of economic growth?

• Total wealth created per capita increases.
• Small town feeling is retained
• More jobs with little population growth means more opportunity for existing Summerlanders
• More locals can work in town as opposed to commuting.
• More opportunity for young Summerlanders (very few of them are interested in a career in the construction trades, which is an oft quoted benefit of population growth)