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May 27, 20212 min read
Just Who Deserves Those 15 Minute Neighbourhoods?
Of all the arguments put forward against 15 minute neighbourhoods, the most cynical, is that they will be bad for low-income people.


May 4, 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."


Apr 23, 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 19, 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 15, 20212 min read
The Ballad of the Soccer Mom
In the beginning, was the City. And the City was without order. People, wagons, horses and oxen filled the streets. People produced wares...


Mar 31, 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 26, 20214 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 24, 20213 min read
The Death of Retail has been Greatly Exaggerated
I’m told we’re witnessing the Third Great Extinction of Retail. First, Shopping Malls killed the Main Street stores. Then Big Boxes...


Mar 15, 20213 min read
When You Wish Upon a Driverless Car
The advent of Autonomous Vehicles promises to put us all in a state of perpetual toddlerhood, sitting in the back seat playing Candy Crush..


Mar 5, 20212 min read
Redrafting the Draft Official Plan
It's been a long road but we've finally completed our Response to the City of Ottawa's Draft Official Plan.


Feb 19, 20213 min read
Density - Comparing Apples to Apples
"It's really important to know what density calculations we are comparing and be sure to compare apples to apples."


Nov 19, 20202 min read
Environment Crisis Fatigue
I think I've been suffering from a condition I call ECF ( Environmental Crisis Fatigue). Environmental Crisis! The World Is On Fire!...


Nov 19, 20203 min read
Definitions Matter! What is a Walkable Neighbourhood Anyway?
On Halloween night I informed my kids that they were to eat only 3 candies a day. My 8 year old looked down at her loot...


Oct 22, 20202 min read
The Joy of Walking to Small Shops
Whether you stop by on the walk home to pick up supper ingredients or visit on a Saturday afternoon outing with family or friends...


Oct 9, 20202 min read
To Walk, or Not to Walk.
Transitioning our neighbourhoods to fully walkable would set Ottawa apart, as one of the most ecologically advanced cities in North America.


Sep 23, 20203 min read
Bold Steps Forward for Ottawa
Walkable Ottawa's fall workshop sessions were a bold step forward in ongoing collaboration. Thanks to all those who joined in!

Sep 22, 20201 min read
Should 'Missing Middle' be built along collector roads?
Where do you think new homes belong in Ottawa? Should we build up collector roads?


Sep 22, 20201 min read
Stay-at-home culture bolsters pop-up markets, old-style corner grocers
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought neighbourhoods alive as people have stuck close to home: Local parks are being heavily used...


Sep 22, 20201 min read
7 Rules for Creating 15 Minute Neighbourhoods
What is a 15-minute neighborhood?
...a neighborhood in which you can access all of your most basic, day-to-day needs within a 15-minute walk