Smarter

Mar 23
4 min

Britannia Beach Could Be Better

We asked students to contribute to the conversation about walkable neighbourhoods in Ottawa. Here's what Yasmina Achkar has to say.

Jan 30
3 min

Walkability Only Downtown?

Some urban planning narratives suggest that downtown should be our only walkable neighbourhood. But is that true?

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

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 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

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, 2021
3 min

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.

Aug 18, 2021
2 min

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, 2021
3 min

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, 2021
3 min

Advertising the Automobile

Up until 1997, it was legal in Canada to advertise cigarettes. The ads that I remember from childhood consistently promised the smoker...

Jul 7, 2021
3 min

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."

May 27, 2021
2 min

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, 2021
3 min

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, 2021
3 min

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."

HAPPIER. HEALTHIER. SAFER. SMARTER. GREENER.

Get Involved

There are a variety of ways you can get involved. Please take a moment to let us know about yourself and how you might want to take part.

Get Involved

There are a variety of ways you can get involved. Please take a moment to let us know about yourself and how you might want to take part.

HAPPIER. HEALTHIER. SAFER. SMARTER. GREENER.

HAPPIER. HEALTHIER. SAFER. SMARTER. GREENER.

HAPPIER. HEALTHIER. SAFER. SMARTER. GREENER.

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