I used a bike rack this weekend that exists because I complained about it not existing.

You can make things better, even just a little.

Metroid Prime

URBANIST: [taking a selfie video] Hey folks! I'm here at the now-CAR FREE Pike Place Market -I'm walking around this iconic local spot without having to worry about BEING MURDERED BY A CAR -Notice how peaceful and calm everyth--ope! [they bump into another person taking a selfie video) URBANIST 2: Sorry! I'm just documenting how nice it is here without cars, for my urbanism blog! URBANIST 1: So am I! URBANIST 1: I have 2 words for you: retractable bollards URBANIST 2: Oh god yes [They make out in the middle of the road as people continue to walk by]

"Hot Urbanist Spring"
#DOOMLOOP #seattle #urbanism #pikeplacemarket

I dunno man the Onion buying InfoWars is funny, but I really don't want to see IW merch in the wild.

I do not have the mental fortitude to see both "We should reactivate the ancient downtown Ottawa station" and "Toronto's station can be in Vaughan, it's fine" battted around for the next half decade...

Since I’m preaching to the urbanist choir and we’re all anti-unfunded IZ, I’ll take this a step forward: funded IZ does too, it just changes the consequence – instead of destroying production, it destroys your city budget. We got a hint of this with NYC’s CityFHEPS voucher program

In the background, an empty City of Ottawa Council room. Overlayed is a blue text circle with Listen Live on the top right corner. In white text: "Ottawa City Council and Committee Meetings"

Stay up to date on the latest discussions shaping #OttCity at City Council and Committee Meetings!
Upcoming Meetings: https://bit.ly/4i0iKv1
Listen Live: https://bit.ly/3Do6mpy
#OttPoli #Ottawa

Framed another way: Ottawa city council continues to ban drinking in most public parks despite a wildly successful pilot project that resulted in no significant problems.

Cartoon image of a chef cutting Shawarma with the words“unknown pleasures” underneath

Midnight on Sens Mile and the number 5 bus isn't running. Cool. Good planning.

A wide sidewalk would be nice. Unfortunately this is what we got...

Little known fact: this is often driven by a section of the planning act that doesn’t get much scrutiny: under a site plan application the city has the right to expropriate privately owned land, with zero compensation, to establish a ROW to suit master transportation policy. 1/

Yes, I believe that is what happened here, though I can't find any references. The lot line is much further back from the curb than the rest of the lots in that area of Bank St.

Interesting, do you know why the lot line is so far back from the curb?

Yes, that's the point. Much easier to replace a metal cage than a mature tree.

We aren't even using the big setback to provide a wide sidewalk... There are multiple pinch points like this that bring it down to the same narrow width as the rest of the Glebe.

That certainly doesn't help. No idea why these poor guys didn't get tree cages.

Very very few. The double whammy of road pollution and constrained root space is really tough on them...

I love how Ottawa demands these huge building setbacks, way out of character with the rest of the neighborhood, and then lets the newly created public realm rot.

High five 🙌 to the Toronto Star for their plans to beef up municipal election coverage in Ontario. City government has the biggest impact on our day-to-day lives ... and yet struggles for attention.

*undo, dammit

Come park at city hall while you get blasted off 12$ pints at Sir John A's, then enjoy a nice relaxing drive home!

Also! in Ontario we have largely already solved displacement and rent spikes with good eviction processes and rent control for existing tenants. Just have to keep Doug Ford from removing them, and Indo the damage he's already done.

the worst part of housing discourse is when NIMBYs frame the debate as “developers vs renters,” when in fact the group that benefits the most from halting new construction is *landlords* - but when you phrase it as renters vs. landlords it’s immediately obvious that NIMBYs are on the wrong side

I say this all the time. Gentrification is not real in any meaningful sense. All the actual harms people use the term to describe are just a lack of tenant protections. Fix those... and get over the rest.

Gentrification is imo an overly broad umbrella term that includes real and concrete harms like people being unable to live near transit due to rents spiking, and vibe based bullshit like the neighborhood not being “authentic” anymore that you should just be expected to deal with as an adult

This suggestion was put forward by a 35 yo man, whose other notable suggestion was free parking.

We asked 12 notable Torontonians what they would do if they were mayor of this city. Here’s what they said In the runup to October’s municipal election, the Star is asking notable Torontonians and readers what they would do if they had the power of the city’s mayor.

Read for a laugh, I guess.

Ladies and gentlethems, I present to you: the average voter