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The Wrong Weather for Walking
"...with the snowy season not far off, I’d like to make the case for year-round accommodation of pedestrians in our not-always-fair city."
Oct 22, 20212 min read


Even Cyclists Need Bike-Sharing
I encourage Ottawa’s considerable cycling community to get behind the Bike-Sharing movement.
Oct 22, 20212 min read


Flying Blind: the Value of Simulators
The value of modeling is clear. Simulation and modeling allow us to understand what is likely to happen under certain conditions.
Oct 12, 20214 min read


The City’s Intensification Strategy is Not Just About Adding Density…. Or is it?
The City’s new Official Plan includes some terrific language that suggest a much-needed revised approach to intensification.
Oct 8, 20214 min read


Intensification Doesn’t Have to Be So Hard – Just Ask the Locals
Why does intensification have to be so hard? ...Conflict around intensification is rooted in much more than just “resistance to change”.
Oct 6, 20214 min read


Unfortunately, Betty is Not a Crow
Imagine an elderly lady named Betty, living in a senior’s residence in Heron Park. She just witnessed the first snowfall of the season...
Sep 21, 20213 min read


A Bridge to Billings Bridge
No business can survive without customers. Most businesses will tell you there’s no such thing as too many customers.
Sep 21, 20213 min read


Live/Work Space in the Post-Covid Age
Through five thousand years of urban living, people have lived over the shop. Mostly because it was the only possible arrangement.
Sep 10, 20213 min read


I’m Dreaming of a Bikeable Walkley
Walkley Road connects two of Ottawa’s great recreation areas. On the east end, sits the Mer Bleue conservation area....
Sep 10, 20213 min read


Time to Face the Street
If there’s one thing everyone on the planet can agree on, it’s that we all hate traffic. We hate being in it, we hate being near it.
Sep 10, 20213 min read


It’s Time We Were Thru with the Drive-Thru
Nothing is as difficult to incorporate into a walkable streetscape as a Drive-Thru. The whole concept is to be served in the car.
Aug 18, 20212 min read


What We Can Learn from Harry the Dirty Dog
The most difficult part of advocating for walkable communities in this age, is painting the picture of what they might look like.
Aug 18, 20213 min read


The Transformative Power of a Foot Bridge
"A footbridge makes it practical for the non-driving population to work, live or attend school on the other side of the bridge."
Jul 7, 20213 min read


Banking on a Bathroom at Bank and Riverside
"I say we ask for something outrageous on this corner: a truly public bathroom. Right on the corner, with signage, open all year round..."
May 27, 20213 min read


Walking to School: Not as Easy as it Sounds
"...a lot of Ottawa’s school-age population attends school out of range of what would be a reasonable walk on a January morning."
May 4, 20213 min read


Why 15 Minute Neighbourhoods are Good for Drivers
"...I’ve set myself the task in this blog to present the advantages of a 15 minute neighbourhood from the perspective of a driver."
May 4, 20213 min read


The Thing About Change...
I've become increasingly sedentary. Most of us have... Over the past few months I've come to the dawning realization that I must change...
Apr 23, 20213 min read


The Useful Walk... To A Neighbourhood Shop
The unrelenting segregation of housing from retail that characterized post WWII planning, left people with no destination for a useful walk.
Apr 19, 20213 min read


Training Wheels for Walkable Neighbourhoods: Why We Need Transitional Parking
"You can't just jump on a bicycle for the first time and go for a ride! It's time for Walkable Neighbourhood Training Wheels."
Mar 31, 20213 min read


Density and Infill: A Solution Hiding in Plain Sight
Are dark looming towers and cold apartment blocks the only way forward? Could it be possible that a simple solution, a win for all, is...
Mar 26, 20214 min read