WATERLOO - A team of IBM experts have just three weeks to learn all they can about Waterloo's troubled student ghetto, as it evolves from a neighbourhood of single-dwelling homes to tightly packed, mixed-use high-rises.

Northdale, bounded by University, King, Columbia and Philip streets, is a former post-war neighbourhood long plagued by problems from an exploding student population and suffering from new growing pains as it expands upward.

On Monday, the City of Waterloo introduced six experts from IBM who will spend 21 days getting to know Northdale and try to figure out how to attract new developers while making the neighbourhood's residents feel more involved in their community.

For Waterloo, it gets $400,000 worth of free advice, all part of IBM's $50-million charitable effort Smarter Cities Challenge, which aims to help 100 cities around the world over three years.

The tech giant has already helped dozens of others cities revitalize their urban areas, and will present recommendations at the end of their visit. The city says their expertise, spanning legal, marketing, government relations, academic and technology fields, is invaluable.

"It would be impossible for a city to have all that experience. They're bringing all that and focusing it here," said Jim Barry, the city's director of bylaw enforcement. "And they don't have any of the old Northdale baggage. They're coming in with a fresh set of eyes."

The hope is IBM's experts can speed up the evolution of Northdale, as envisioned in the city's land-use and community improvement plan.

"This is making that happen in a more expedient fashion," Barry said. "How do we create that sense of community, and how do we bring in that investment now as opposed to 20 or 30 years out?"

The consultants include Ralf Seidel, a senior project manager from Boeblingen, Germany, and Dennis Bly, the Austin, Texas-based manager of an IBM program that partners with universities.

IBM hasn't tackled a student ghetto before, although it has worked with other cities trying to curb urban decay, most recently Syracuse.

"Part of the interest for IBM is to tackle new and different problems that cities face," said Dave Robitaille, director of corporate citizenship and corporate affairs for IBM Canada.

The consultants will live in Waterloo for the three weeks, and will set up an office at city hall and meet with residents, developers, university officials and others, trying to learn all they can. They'll also tour Northdale several times.

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"We're not your father's IBM anymore. We're not all technologists . While the expertise may have a technology support to it, it's largely an exercise in complex problem solving," Robitaille said.

The consultants will present their recommendations at the end of their stay, and follow that up with a written report.