Free transit isn’t always fair transit.
If cutting fares means cutting service, what are we really gaining?
Can social tariffs be a better way to balance access, funding, and justice in our public transit systems.
www.thefriendlyurbanist.com/post/free-pu...
#TransitJustice #Urbanism #MobilityEquity
What if #Québec built a new town, from scratch, to fight the housing crisis?
Inspired by post WWII #UK, I explore what that could look like today in my latest blog for The Friendly Urbanist.
Villeneuve may be fiction… but it doesn’t have to be.
tinyurl.com/kz4x62r9
#HousingCrisis #Urbanism
What if we stopped managing the #HousingCrisis and started building real solutions?
My latest post for The Friendly Urbanist explores how #NewTowns, like the #UK once built, could help #Québec reimagine #housing.
Read it here 👇
www.thefriendlyurbanist.com/post/housing...
#UrbanPlanning
Absolutely! Good policy has to be able to balance needs and consequences. Rigidly following zoning restrictions without considering impact (as if we're not in the middle of a full fledged - and entirely predictable - housing crisis) has downstream consequences. Thanks for bringing this up!
A black-and-white photo of a group of people sleeping on the street under blankets in an urban tunnel. Overlaid text reads: "Urban Myths — True or False?" A quote in orange reads: “Most people become homeless due to drug addiction or mental illness.” A “Read More” button appears in the lower right, along with the logo and handle of The Friendly Urbanist.
A colorful infographic overlaid on a photo of suburban houses. Title reads: "Urban Myths — FALSE!" A vertical bar chart shows the main causes of homelessness in Canada with icons and percentages: Financial reasons (41.8%, green), Relationship issues (36.9%, blue), Health-related issues (16.6%, red), and Fleeing abuse (13.5%, yellow). A bold statement reads: “The main cause of homelessness is the LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.” Footer cites StatsCan 2022 and CMHC 2024. Sharing and commenting icons appear on the lower right alongside The Friendly Urbanist logo.
“Most people are homeless because of addiction or mental illness.”
❌ False.
The top cause is housing unaffordability.
Over 1.6M Canadians have experienced homelessness.
We need policy grounded in data and lived experience.
🏘️ Housing is a right, not a reward.
#UrbanMyths #HousingCrisis
🌿 Parks aren’t just pretty—they’re critical for public health & #urbanresilience:
🐦🐝 Support #biodiversity
🌍 Filter air pollution (NYC trees remove 1,100+ tons/yr!)
💧 Prevent floods by absorbing rainwater
Greener cities = healthier people. How’s your city doing on green space? 🌱
#SustainableCities
🚨MYTH: High-density #housing = overcrowding & lower quality of life
✅REALITY: Well-planned density = vibrant, walkable communities with better access to amenities.
Bad design is the issue, not density. When done 💯, it creates livable, #sustainablecities. 🌍🏙️
#UrbanPlanning