Building for the Long Term

Part 3: Observations from Europe

In my first article, I reflected on Europe’s healthier rhythm of life compared to North America, where hustle culture often leaves people burnt out and disillusioned. In the second, I explored how small businesses remain the beating heart of European cities, shaping culture and community in ways that corporate consolidation has eroded in Canada and the United States.

For this final part, I want to share another observation that struck me powerfully during my travels: the European mindset of long-term planning and permanence.

History as a Foundation

In Paris, I stayed in an apartment that was without a doubt a century old. It had been renovated beautifully, but it was still the same building that had stood through generations of change. Walking through London or Rome, the sense of continuity is even more striking. Buildings, bridges, and public spaces are not just functional; they are part of the cultural and civic fabric.

This reflects a mindset of building with quality and permanence. Architectural standards in Europe do not default to “cheapest possible cost.” Instead, they seek to balance beauty, utility, and durability. A building is not just a short-term investment, it is part of a city’s long-term identity.

Contrast this with much of North America, where development often favors the lowest bidder and the quickest return. The result is not only less inspiring architecture, but also a cycle of replacing rather than preserving. We tear down and rebuild rather than maintaining and adapting. What we gain in speed, we often lose in character and resilience.

The Cost of Short-Term Thinking

This obsession with short-term gains extends beyond architecture. It shapes our corporate decisions, our public policies, and even our personal lives. Too often, we prioritize immediate results at the expense of long-term stability.

For example:

• Housing: Instead of building durable, affordable communities, we often settle for quick developments that age poorly and fail to meet future needs.
• Business strategy: Many companies focus on quarterly earnings rather than long-term sustainability or employee well-being.
• Public policy: Political cycles encourage leaders to focus on the next election rather than the next generation.

The irony is that by chasing speed and minimizing costs today, we often slow ourselves down in the long run. Poorly built infrastructure needs constant replacement. Short-sighted business practices lead to disengaged employees and weaker resilience. Communities built without heritage or identity struggle to attract loyalty and investment.

Slowing Down to Speed Up

Europe offers a different lesson. By slowing down to invest in quality and permanence, societies actually create the conditions for greater long-term prosperity. Preserving a building rather than replacing it is not just about history, it is about sustainability. Designing cities for community rather than convenience fosters resilience. Encouraging businesses to think in decades rather than quarters leads to deeper innovation.

For Canada, the choice is clear. Do we continue to prioritize the cheapest, fastest option? Or do we start thinking like a country that wants to build communities, institutions, and businesses that will thrive for generations?

The Canadian Opportunity

We are still in a position to choose. Canada can learn from Europe by embedding long-term thinking into our policies, our companies, and our culture. That might mean:

• Encouraging architectural and urban planning standards that emphasize sustainability and heritage rather than disposable development.
• Supporting business models that prioritize employee well-being, innovation, and community impact rather than short-term shareholder value.
• Designing public policies that think beyond four-year election cycles, focusing instead on what our country will look like in 50 or 100 years.

These are not just aesthetic or philosophical choices. They determine whether Canada will remain resilient in the face of global uncertainty, or whether we will continue to mortgage our future for short-term gains.

Here at 6P 

At 6P, we see long-term thinking as central to meaningful growth. Our work is not about quick wins or fleeting trends; it is about helping organizations build brands, strategies, and cultures that endure. We approach every project with the mindset that what we create should still matter years from now, not just look good on a quarterly report.

That means asking deeper questions about purpose, values, and legacy. It means helping our clients shape brands that can adapt as they grow while staying rooted in what makes them unique. It also means investing in our own people, knowing that creativity, trust, and expertise are cultivated over time, not squeezed out through short-term pressure.

Just as Europe reminded me, permanence is not about resisting change, it is about building strong enough foundations to weather it. That is the spirit we bring to our work every day; helping our clients grow not just for today, but for the decades ahead.

Conclusion: A Better Way Forward

Over the past three articles, I’ve shared what Europe reminded me about balance, small business, and long-term planning. Together, these lessons point to a bigger truth: Canada does not have to accept hustle culture, corporate concentration, and short-termism as inevitable.

We can slow down to speed up. By prioritizing balance, by empowering small businesses, and by committing to build for the long term, Canada can chart a different path; one that is more sustainable, more inclusive, and ultimately more hopeful.

Travel often reminds us of who we are by showing us what we could be. My hope is that Canada, in looking outward, can also look inward and ask: what kind of society do we want to build for the next century?

Question for you: When you think about Canada’s future, do you believe we are building for the next quarter, or the next generation?

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