OBJ: City building projects must include lasting community benefits, says United Way East Ontario

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With so many large infrastructure projects underway across Ottawa, United Way East Ontario is working to ensure marginalized groups are provided opportunities to thrive during construction—and long into the future. 

United Way’s director of community initiatives, Henry Akanko, has attended many city-building forums over the years and says they’re often focused heavily on infrastructure development for the city. 

That’s vital, he says, but equally important is the opportunity to address issues of poverty and quality of life for all Ottawans through these ventures. 

“At the core of all city-building conversations, everyone shares the same goal of making Ottawa a better place – a city where everyone wants to come live, work, and play,” Akanko says. “So, we need to broaden the conversation to also include those things that impact people’s lives directly.” 

Read the full article from the Ottawa Business Journal here. 

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