UBCO students work to solve Kelowna's traffic problems

Almost 200 UBCO Management students will get together to help solve a real life problem facing the City of Kelowna.

Third year students will team up with the City for their fifth annual Live Case Challenge. The students have been given 48 hours to solve the following problem: how can the municipality immediately and significantly reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips within the Kelowna area without excessive infrastructure investment?

The students will draw on their knowledge of marketing, IT, leadership, communications, sustainability, regional development, and more to research and tackle the challenge. Students compete for prizes as well as grades, as submissions and teamwork directly impact their class performance. Students did not know who the client organization was until the competition began, and must come up with solutions to present to expert judges in this intensive competition.

According to a Transportation Association of Canada study, Kelowna is “demonstrably car-dependent,” with on-road transportation emissions the largest source of greenhouse gasses (GHG) accounting for over 65 per cent of all GHG emissions in 2007. The City of Kelowna’s Community Climate Action Plan outlines targets for (GHG) emissions, and identifies key actions like reducing vehicle kilometres travelled by 20 per cent.

The students will present their cases on Thur. April 7 from 4 to 6 pm at the University Theatre. The winning team receives the coveted Argus Cup and a $5,000 prize.