This document presents benchmark data comparing Windsor, Ontario to 10 similar cities/regions across measures like technology employment ("tech pole" index), educational attainment, creative class jobs, diversity, and population growth from 2001-2006. Windsor ranked in the middle among peers for technology employment, near the bottom for percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree or higher, near the bottom for percentage of jobs in the creative class, top for foreign-born population percentage, and middle for population growth during that period. The document analyzes these metrics to understand Windsor's strengths and weaknesses in attracting an innovative workforce against its peers.

1. A Brief Prosperity Profile of
Windsor, Ontario
October 22, 2008 Kevin Stolarick, PhD
Research Director

2. Outline / Approach
1. Present Benchmark Peers
2. Describe Selected Measures
a. Some “Lagging”
b. Some “Leading”
3. Get Your Thinking
Where does Windsor rank?
4. Discussion
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3. Benchmark Peers
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4. Peer Selection
14 peer states/ • Ann Arbor, MI
provinces for • Canton, OH
Ontario based on • Fort Wayne, IN
population. • Lansing, MI
• Peoria, IL
• Reading, PA
10 cities/regions
• Santa Barbara, CA
selected with
• Spokane, WA
populations
• Tallahassee, FL
approximately the
• Victoria, BC
same as Windsor.
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5. Technology
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6. Technology
“A high technology base is both a
necessary condition for and a result of
a region having a strong creative
economy.
Being known as a quot;high-techquot; region
helps to attract the creative workforce,
which, in turn, generates new
technologies making the region even
more high-tech.”

7. Technology
• “Tech Pole” Index (based on Milken Institute)
– Share of total US/Canada “high technology”
– Regional concentration of “high tech” among all industries
• Combination allows smaller, tech-intensive
regions to score well
• US & Canada, based on total employment
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8. Tech-Pole Index: Where does Windsor rank?
• Ranking out of 11 (Windsor + 10 peers)
• Peer Average: 0.099
• Lowest peer score: 0.008 (Canton, OH)
• Highest peer score: 0.385 (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Where does Windsor rank?
–Top 3?
–Bottom 3?
–Middle 5?
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9. Tech-Pole Index: Windsor “Middle 5”
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10. Talent
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11. Talent
“The concentration of people in the
Creative and Super Creative Classes,
has a stronger relationship with
economic growth.
Creative people don't just cluster
where the jobs are. They cluster in
places that are centers of creativity
and also where they like to live.
Places need a people climate -- or a
creativity climate -- as well as a
business climate.”

12. Talent
• “BA and above”
• Percentof population 25 and older with a
bachelor’s (4-year) university degree or higher
(masters, graduate, PhD)
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13. Talent Index: Where does Windsor rank?
• Ranking out of 11 (Windsor + 10 peers)
• Peer Average: 27.6%
• Lowest peer score: 18.1% (Canton, OH)
• Highest peer score: 51.7% (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Where does Windsor rank?
–Top 3?
–Bottom 3?
–Middle 5?
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14. Talent Index: Windsor “Bottom 3”
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15. Talent
• Now, a “Creative Economy”
– Innovation, Thinking, Creativity
• “Paid to think”
– Everyone has the potential to be creative
• Percent of workforce in the “Creative Class”
T = Technology and R&D Innovation
A = Arts and Culture
P = Professional and Managerial
E = Educating and Training
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16. Creative Class: Where does Windsor rank?
• Ranking out of 11 (Windsor + 10 peers)
• Peer Average: 29.7%
• Lowest peer score: 24.7% (Reading, PA)
• Highest peer score: 38.2% (Tallahassee, FL)
• Where does Windsor rank?
–Top 3?
–Bottom 3?
–Middle 5?
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17. Creative Class: Windsor “Bottom 3”
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18. Tolerance / Inclusiveness
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19. Tolerance / Inclusiveness
“Diversity has become a politically
charged buzzword. To some it is an
ideal and rallying cry, to others a
Trojan-horse concept that has brought
us affirmative action and other liberal
abominations.
Creative Class people use the word
often, but not to press any political hot
buttons. Diversity is simply something
they value in all its manifestations.”

20. Tolerance / Inclusiveness
• Mosaic Index
• Percent of population foreign born
• Immigrants generate growth and are a sign or
regional “openness”
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21. Mosaic Index: Where does Windsor rank?
• Ranking out of 11 (Windsor + 10 peers)
• Peer Average: 9.9%
• Lowest peer score: 2.2% (Canton, OH)
• Highest peer score: 23.6% (Santa Barbara, CA)
• Where does Windsor rank?
–Top 3?
–Bottom 3?
–Middle 5?
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22. Talent Index: Windsor “Top 3”
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23. Population Growth
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24. Population Growth
• Percent growth/decline in total population
• Between 2001 and 2006
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25. Population Growth: Where does Windsor rank?
• Ranking out of 11 (Windsor + 10 peers)
• Peer Average: 3.5%
• Lowest peer score: 0.2% (Santa Barbara, CA)
• Highest peer score: 7.4% (Reading, PA)
• Where does Windsor rank?
–Top 3?
–Bottom 3?
–Middle 5?
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26. Talent Index: Windsor “Middle 5”
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27. Discussion /
Summary
October 22, 2008
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28. For More Information
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29. For More Information
• Richard Florida’s books
– “The Rise of the Creative Class”
– “The Flight of the Creative Class”
– “Who’s Your City?”
• www.martinprosperityinstitute.org
• www.creativeclass.com
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30. Thank You
Kevin Stolarick
October 22, 2008