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- 2 days ago
- 3 min
Walkability Only Downtown?
Some urban planning narratives suggest that downtown should be our only walkable neighbourhood. But is that true?
- Jan 18
- 3 min
What "Walkable" Means -and What It Doesn't
“Walkable” can mean different things for different people. There’s no universally accepted definition of walkability, but rather several...
- Dec 20, 2022
- 2 min
Is Ottawa's Downtown Walkable?
The downtown core of our average Canadian city is often perceived as the most walkable neighbourhood, or in many cases the only one. Is it?
- Nov 29, 2022
- 3 min
Birth of a Farmers Market
Residents had the opportunity to envision how the neighbourhood would have to adapt if all of us were to live within a 15 minute walk of...
- Nov 15, 2022
- 3 min
When is a Walkable Shopping Destination… not so walkable?
What does it mean to live near a Walkable Shopping Destination? If they are located within a 15 minute walk/roll, then that is a good start.
- May 27, 2022
- 2 min
Pondering a Paddle-able Ottawa
Ottawa is situated where it is, because it’s where the Rideau River empties into the Ottawa River.
- Apr 8, 2022
- 2 min
Fountains of My Youth
Remember drinking fountains? They seemed to be everywhere when I was young. Parks, the beach, even the school playground...
- Apr 8, 2022
- 2 min
Rural Villages: Tourism Gems, right outside your front door
My dad was obsessed with the no-motor-vehicle vacation. The perfect trip of hiking, biking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing...
- Jan 6, 2022
- 2 min
The Wonderful World of R1
On October 14th and 15th 2021, the City of Ottawa Joint Planning and Rural Affairs Committee hosted public deputations on the New...
- Jan 6, 2022
- 2 min
My Compliments to the Cut-Through
During this past year of attending meetings related to Ottawa’s new Official Plan, I have been introduced to a new term: the “cut-through”.
- Jan 6, 2022
- 3 min
It Takes A Village
A much-favoured term in property marketing is “village”... it evokes a cute, low-rise, dense conglomeration of similar buildings...
- Oct 22, 2021
- 2 min
Tree. Human. Car.
Tree. Human. Car. The discussion around Ottawa’ Official Plan suggests that we have room for two, but not all three.
- Oct 22, 2021
- 2 min
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, 2021
- 2 min
Even Cyclists Need Bike-Sharing
I encourage Ottawa’s considerable cycling community to get behind the Bike-Sharing movement.
- Oct 12, 2021
- 4 min
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 8, 2021
- 4 min
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 6, 2021
- 4 min
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”.
- Sep 21, 2021
- 3 min
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, 2021
- 3 min
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 10, 2021
- 3 min
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.