Highlights of our Research Faits saillants de nos activits de recherche

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Highlights of our Research/ Faits saillants de
nos activités de recherche
RESEARCH and ANALYSIS DIVISION/ DIVISION
RECHERCHE et ANALYSE INFRASTRUCTURE CANADA Part
of the Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Portfolio / Au sein du portefeuille des
transports, de linfrastructure et des
collectivités
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Overview

• The INFC Research Model
• Knowledge Generation
• Infrastructure and Productivity
• Analysis of Existing Data
• The Notion of Public Infrastructure
• New Data on Public Infrastructure
• Planning and Sustainability
• Community Building
• Knowledge Transfer
• Contacting Us

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INFC RESEARCH MODEL
Supporting evidence-based policy and decision
making through
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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State of Infrastructure
Cities and Communities
Financing
Governance
Innovation
Impacts
Current Research Priorities
COMMUNITY BUILDING
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
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Infrastructure and productivity
Rationale The 2006 Economic and Fiscal Update
recognizes that our long-term prosperity depends
on modern, high-quality public infrastructure.
This issue is the focus of the public policy
agenda. Results There is agreement on
the positive impacts, but the extent is disputed
owing to the various theories and methodologies.
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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Infrastructure and Productivity (Contd)
Looking forward Pursuing key research and policy
questions Development and testing of robust
methodologies Assessment of existing data series
and potential collection of new data required
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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Analysis of Existing Data
Rationale Need more detailed and comprehensive
data to support policy and decision-making on
public infrastructure and communities in Canada
Results New publicly available disaggregated
asset level data for investments and stock in
public capital (1961-2005) available from
StatsCan
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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Analysis of existing data (contd)
Looking forward Statistics Canada will update
the CMA series with the 2006 Census results Work
at the departmental level with various partners
to assist Statistics Canada in acquiring better
community/local data (eg, fiscal balance,
infrastructure, environment)
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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The Notion of Public Infrastructure
Rationale An understanding of public
infrastructure focused on government ownership of
capital assets is the norm, but there is
increasing recognition of its shortcomings. Result
s Exploratory research on a notion of public
infrastructure focused on the collective benefits
derived from its services
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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New Data on Public Infrastructure
Rationale To explore the usefulness of
alternatives to the traditional notion of public
capital stock Results Trend analyses of
investment and capital stock data for Public
Infrastructure in four categories (1) Economic,
(2) Social/Cultural, (3) Institutional, (4)
Environmental
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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New Data on Public Infrastructure (cont.)
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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New data on public infrastructure (contd)
Looking forward A new perspective on the
environmental, social, cultural and economic
factors that influence community needs and
choices. Sufficient research on the effective use
of public/private partnerships to meet future
infrastructure needs.
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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Planning and Sustainability
Rationale Continued support for informed policy
and innovative program design to promote
sustainability mainstreaming Results Expert
workshop on promoting technological innovation in
water and wastewater infrastructure Assessment of
methods to measure the cultural and social
impacts of infrastructure on communities
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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Planning and Sustainability (Contd)
Looking forward Review of key elements of
successful integrated sustainability planning and
how Canadian communities currently plan for
sustainability Review of infrastructure pressures
and needs resulting from climate change Review of
how integrated watershed management can be used
to maximize the public benefits of infrastructure
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
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• Rationale
• Knowledge generation alone does not lead to
  evidence-based policy and decision making
• Connecting people and organizations, fostering
  interactions amongst them and building a sense of
  community are also critical
• Give rise to new perspectives, shared concepts
  and collective learning through which knowledge
  is generated
• Facilitate knowledge transfer by establishing
  channels for reaching target audiences

COMMUNITY BUILDING
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• Results
• Federal Family Research Network
• Workshop on Northern Communities Boom, Bust and
  the Role Of Infrastructure (2005)
• OECD Project on Global Infrastructure Needs
• Looking forward
• 2006-07 Annual Conference of the Canadian
  Association of Planning Students
• From Research to Action Workshop

COMMUNITY BUILDING
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• Rationale
• Knowledge transfer from researchers to users of
  research (and vice versa) is one of the weakest
  links in infrastructure, cities and communities
  research
• Evidence-based policy and decision making
  requires improved tools and approaches

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
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• Results
• RA Publications
• Heritage Moments
• Précis/Notes/Articles
• Thematic Updates
• The Research Gateway
• Register of Research
• E-Library

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
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THANK YOU MERCIFor more information /Pour de
plus amples renseignementswww.infrastructure.gc.
ca/research
RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS DIVISION INFRASTRUCTURE
CANADA Part of the Transport, Infrastructure and
Communities Portfolio