From the controversy surrounding gentrification in the core to the major research developments at McMaster Innovation Park, Martinus Geleynse aims to capture it all in a day.

On Saturday Geleynse, the publisher of Urbanicity magazine, is hosting a bus trip taking riders to every corner of Hamilton to shed light on the city's past, present and future. Modelled after his previous bus trips to U.S. Rust Belt cities, the tour will probe Hamilton's successes and failures, and its current revitalization.

"I want to give the tour group an understanding of diversity, an understanding of economies, neighbourhoods and amalgamated communities," said Geleynse. "To tell that story, we really need to see all the different elements of the city at work."

The itinerary includes stops at Gore Park, the Hamilton Club, James Street North, the Waterfront, Barton Street, the Empire Steel building, the beach strip, Satellite City (a.k.a. the Stoney Creek Mountain), the airport, McMaster Innovation Park, Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, Waterdown, Jackson Square and Stelco Tower.

Geleynse has organized trips to Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Cleveland over the past two years. The locations were chosen because they are geographically accessible and share the same cycle of rust belt demise and renewal.

"It just felt fitting to go to those cities and give you a window to Hamilton's potential future," he said.

Derek Doyle, realtor for Ambitious Realty Advisors, was on two of those trips - Cleveland and Pittsburgh - and said the beauty is in knowing a city's resurgence is achievable.

"The fact that we went to cities with a history in steel that aren't seen as 'steel cities' anymore was great because that's what Hamilton is working toward," said Doyle.

Pittsburgh started as a steel town in the early 20th century and has since diversified with growth in the service sector, medicine, tourism, finance, education and manufacturing.

Geleynse said Pittsburgh's success came through a merging of the private and public sectors of various industries. "The city leveraged all kinds of assets and connections and rebuilt itself according to a strong vision."

The vision for Hamilton needs to be more expansive, said Doyle. The city has been marketed as the hot spot for affordable housing for the past few years, and he said the tour will help out-of-towners see there is much more to the city than meets the eye.

"It's going to become a city where people realize the quality, not just the affordability."

Tickets are still available for the bus tour at urbanicity.ca. The cost is $60, with an option to type in a promo code (Urbanicity) for a discounted rate.