Ontario Greenbelt Scandal Shows How Not To Do Development

There was a major housing development scandal in Canada this summer…but it’s not the one you think.

News, Top StoryBen AbramsonOctober 4, 2023Incremental Housing, canada, suburban development pattern, housing, incremental development Be the First to Comment

To Address Public Washroom Shortage, This City Took an Incremental Approach

It can be difficult to find a free public restroom. Here’s how one city in Alberta is tackling the problem, through small, immediately effective solutions.

Community Stories, Top StorySeairra JonesSeptember 27, 2023public space, canada, small bets, homeless, Community Action Lab Be the First to Comment

Ottawa to Walkers: Drop Dead

Ottawa’s “jaywalking” campaign is putting pedestrians in an impossible catch-22.

Herriges, NewsDaniel HerrigesSeptember 20, 2023safe and productive streets, Crash Analysis Studio, canada, pedestrians, safety Be the First to Comment

Ixnay on the Ay-play

Residents of Douglas Park in Vancouver have blocked the expansion of a local day care, citing it as a threat to the residential character of the neighborhood.

Herriges, Top Story, TrendingDaniel HerrigesSeptember 6, 2023NIMBY, zoning, neighborhood change, canada, suburban experiment Be the First to Comment

Connect the Dots: What Google Maps Reveals About Dangerous Streets

Google Maps: “Let me tell you where the next freeway will be without telling you where the next freeway will be.”

Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtAugust 25, 2023Crash Analysis Studio, end highway expansion, safe and productive streets, canada, stroad Be the First to Comment

We Sold Our Car Five Years Ago. Here’s Why It Works for Us.

Going car-free (or car-lite or car-less) isn’t an option for everyone, but for some, it can work. Here are the upsides Emma Durand-Wood’s family has seen from selling their car.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodAugust 24, 2023car-lite, car dependency, canada 1 Comment

Shipping Container Village: Canadian Port City Gets Creative With Revitalization

This creative use of shipping containers has brought new life—and new opportunities for the local economy—to a dreary, vacant parking lot in downtown Saint John, NB.

Community Stories, Top StoryBen AbramsonAugust 22, 2023local economy, entrepreneurs, pop-up, downtown, canada Be the First to Comment

That Fringe Fest Feeling

This festival has all the elements that make for a thriving downtown—elements that should be present year-round.

Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodAugust 10, 2023downtown, canada, walkability, public space Be the First to Comment

Citizen Versus Developer? No! It’s Citizen As Developer.

On this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck delves into the topic of citizen-led development and its potential to reshape cities in a more financially resilient manner.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 31, 2023Community Action Lab, canada, incremental development, Incremental Housing, bottom-up Be the First to Comment

Live There, Got the T-Shirt

These (semi-ironic) local T-shirts show: you can be proud of where you live, even if it’s not perfect. Just because there’s stuff that could be better, doesn’t mean you don’t love your place, or that it’s not worth loving.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodJuly 27, 2023localism, canada Be the First to Comment

Back Alley Arctic

What comes to mind when you think of an alley? A dark, dank, dirty place? How about a place for the arts, and an opportunity to bring a community together?

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodJuly 20, 2023arts, canada, neighborhoods Be the First to Comment

A Bike Ride That Cost a Pinky Finger

On a summer evening, Grant Hamilton and his wife biked a few blocks home from a family birthday party. What started out as a normal day transformed into a night that changed the trajectory of Hamilton’s life.

Trending, Top StorySeairra JonesJune 20, 2023bikeability, biking, Crash Analysis Studio, car crash, safety, canada, safe and productive streets 1 Comment

Chalking the Block for Jane’s Walk

Have you ever joined a Jane’s Walk? Named for renowned urban thinker Jane Jacobs, this annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations takes place around the world every May. Here’s one Walk from Winnipeg, MB.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top Story, Community StoriesEmma Durand-WoodJune 8, 2023community, neighborliness, canada, jane jacobs, safe and productive streets, neighborhoods Be the First to Comment

Why Keep Doing “Good” Things if They Make Me Feel So Bad?

Two radically different bus trips highlight a common conundrum for supporters of public transit.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodMay 25, 2023bus, buses, transit, transportation, public transportation, canada 4 Comments

The Road Expansion Lobby Doesn’t Want You to Read This

Let’s bust five myths on this highway expansion project.

Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodMay 15, 2023highways, highway spending, local government, budget, freeway widening, induced demand, end highway expansion, transparent local accounting, canada Be the First to Comment

The Hidden Lessons of Catastrophic Tree Loss

Having a city filled with one type of tree may look pretty, but what happens when pests or pestilence start killing off that particular tree species en masse?

Emma Durand-Wood, Community Stories, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodMay 4, 2023street trees, fragility, canada, antifragility 7 Comments

What “Getting My Steps In” Has Taught Me About Walkability

If cities strive to meet the basic physiological human need to move our bodies, they may be pleasantly surprised at how everything else just falls into place.

Emma Durand-WoodEmma Durand-WoodApril 27, 2023walkability, canada, pedestrians, urban design, safe and productive streets 2 Comments

Can Expanding Roads Solve Homelessness?

A recent advertising insert in the Winnipeg Free Press would have us believe that road expansion will solve not only homelessness, but crime and addiction, as well. Let's investigate these lofty claims.