Architect Husband Dad he/him; past pres @oaarchitects.bsky.social; president @architectsdca.bsky.social; writer, public speaker, advocate for #procurement reform; #climatepoli @riseforarch
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Here’s a carbon capture system that works: plant trees, sequester carbon in them and then turn them into mass timber buildings, locking that carbon in place (for centuries if not forever if well maintained) while growing more trees to do the same. Done.
I had the opportunity to speak yesterday with CFRA’s Kristy Cameron about why I voted against Council’s proposed budget directions. Working toward an arbitrary tax target doesn’t help us provide the services residents expect and deserve.
Rule 96: A Network of Walkability Show which streets are best for walking, streets fall into 3 groups: Priority: Busy but unsafe, fix first Primary: Decent now, upgrade next Secondary: Low need now Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...
But is concerned when they’re less good than they could be; when they don’t work, or don’t last, or don’t lift the spirit and perform at their highest level. This is the “convinceable” audience that @brenttoderian.bsky.social talks about: those willing to listen and work together.
Reaching an audience of those willing to listen and who want the same thing; a fair and equitable process that builds #OurBestOttawa; this includes councillors, staff and decision makers as well as the public who pays for public spaces and may not know (or care) about how these things are created 2/
This thread. Like @brenttoderian.bsky.social when I go on about procurement and related, sure, the other architects already get it (the converted) and I’m helping them strengthen their arguments and build support; I’m also keen to reach the convinceable in building a case for change, 1/
Pedestrian walking in road because cyclist riding on sidewalk because car parked in bike lane
Which is why when there’s parked cars/trucks on loading space the street is a failure. We designed it this way, this was built, on purpose, this way, 15y ago. We designed this intentionally to be this bad. Straight up bad design. No other way to describe it.
I mean, this was today, when a huge Sysco truck parked in several parking spaces (instead of using the loading space); you’ll note that the yellow line (middle of road) means there isn’t a full lane for cars anymore. 3/
Maybe the repair bill should be sent to Sysco for damages due to constantly parking on the sidewalk. Or maybe that’s the city’s own fault for designing the street so badly? 2/
Oh good, the cracked and broken sidewalk has been patched with asphalt (guaranteed to fail in the first winter); I guess one section is so bad it will get cut out and replaced? @brigittepellerin.bsky.social 1/
Lessons for #OttCity transit: as service quality is reduced, what is the broader economic impact and how does a short term savings have long term costs? H/t @stateofthecity.bsky.social for the original post @seandevine9.bsky.social @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @jleiper.bsky.social
This weekend, I saw somebody using a mobility scooter at relatively low speed, taking the entire lane of a busy, 5 Lane Arterial Rd.; had they taken the sidewalk pedestrians couldn’t have fit; removing a lane of traffic and narrowing lanes to suit intended speed, would create bike/mobility lanes
Investing in them is cheaper than tear down/replace and maintains social networks. This does take creativity and innovation to make the right choices, to invest wisely and thoughtfully. But RFPs frequently focus on risk transfer, punitive clauses and cheapest fees. That isn’t a recipe for success
That also means 93% of affordable housing is more than 30y old (and much of it 50 or more); these buildings are often large structures in need of lifecycle repairs and investment; they can be renovated, restored, preserving their embodied carbon, and remaining part of their communities 1/
"There’s a reason why the deeply affordable housing throughout Waterloo Region was mostly built in the ‘70s and ‘80s: Federal funding helped build most of it! Now, 93 per cent of all affordable housing in Ontario was built before 1995."
I’m with @brenttoderian.bsky.social in wanting to boost Bluesky as a platform for great urbanism conversations, just as Twitter used to be before it got Musked. So if you’re interested in cities, I’d encourage you to use this platform for these conversations!
Agreed. I am currently riding my bike in Canada, and possibly the most dangerous and consistent issue is drivers turning right on reds - without first stopping and without adequately looking for vulnerable road users like me. No left turns on reds in Australia, please. Never ever.
We could choose to lead by example; to fund #PlacesForPeople not parking; to tackle issues head on. We could choose to lead. Thanks for all you do on this @jleiper.bsky.social @arieltroster.com @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @seandevine9.bsky.social @neilsara.bsky.social
By rough math, #OttCity is about 30 per 10,000 ppl; on par with some of the worst unhoused crisis in the EU (but not as bad as UK); reminder we declared a crisis 5y ago, have done little/nothing to tackle it but continue to have hundreds of millions for roads, police. #Priorities 1/
Somebody like watching nature shows…
Ottawa’s #riverfront is finally getting the love it deserves. Toon Dreessen shared his thoughts with @cbcnewz.bsky.social on why this is the kind of vision our city needs. A big step in putting #publicspace to good use. 👏 www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Nice. (Didn’t see the drawings sorry) it’s a good project and should be approved as of right. Esp with the challenges projects like this incur: dual stairs, elevator, sprinklers etc.
Sad that it’s getting opposed. Curious who the architect is?
youtu.be/5wa4vXBakFs?...
But procurement rules, lack of vision and will make it impossible to engage and speaking out gets folks like me blacklisted and shut out further. I’m begging @mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social and council to listen, engage and lead. bit.ly/3MIvjLb
In the public interest, taking steps to engage the talent that is local and wants to help but can’t bc we’re barred from doing so. @lauradudas.bsky.social @seandevine9.bsky.social @jleiper.bsky.social @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @rawlson.bsky.social @riverwardriley.bsky.social we want to help 11/
As @theglobeandmail.com suggests, maybe cutting off suburbs/rural wards is needed but that’s decades away from reality if we ever had a prov willing to look at this so don’t get your hopes up. We have to work with the reality we have: that means leading from the front, making choices 10/
And will for a vibrant DT with rubber stamp votes for budgets that focus hundreds of millions on suburban and rural roads, leaving the core with scraps despite fact that inside Greenbelt pays half the tax revenue, ½ the population on 13% of the land; we deserve better 9/
A tourist experience, or create a culture of welcome (try finding a bathroom DT…) no efforts on making better parks or improving vibrancy. Council has shut down plans by NCC to pedestrianize Wellington and introduce a tram to boost transit; council is dominated by those with lack of vision 8/
Then there’s downtown itself; 6+ years after opening LRT, the DT streets are still a traffic disaster, no efforts made to improve the public realm w/better sidewalks, trees or incentives to open street fronting cafes, stores or improve pedestrian/cycling traffic. Near zero effort to make DT 7/
We get years of inaction, RFPs that demand free work that are then quietly cancelled, public private partnerships that fail, lack of vision and ideas driven by cheapest fee and least effort. We can change this tomorrow if we want to. And lead, create and inspire 6/
And handful for resto/retail owners committed to free parking for their own use; we could be on the path to our own version of a pedestrianized space, like Amsterdam or Copenhagen if we wanted to @stephanieplante.bsky.social but we need poli to listen and lead. To take bold action; instead 5/
And decisions are made by muni poli; revitalization doesn’t depend on fed $ (we hand hundreds of millions for suburbs and roads and decades of absurdly low taxes/wasted $$); our muni poli make the decisions to implement plans that ignore public will, choosing to listen to BIAs dominated by 4/
Better engage the public and private sector in leading change to create better #PlacesForPeople while moving more quickly. Second quibble is that reference to expecting the feds to do this heavy lifting. Consider a #BetterByWard; almost all of the land is municipal 3/ bit.ly/3ScHh3G
To begin, there is talent here ready to help, but we’re squeezed out, marginalized and silenced by procurement systems that limit competition and hamper change, creativity and ideas. Opening the door to ideas driven competitions would be faster and 2/ www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Agreed. Time to move faster and get more done. Let’s get to work @mark-carney.bsky.social @yasirnaqvicdn.bsky.social though I do have a few quibbles that aren’t discussed in this @theglobeandmail.com editorial 1/ www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...
All the haters who are constantly accusing us of not changing the conversation about better cities must feel pretty stupid right about now.
We’re started S2 of #Wednesday and Emma seems to want to watch also.
How about no. Absolutely not.
Perfection.
If that was a scissor stair it would work I think.
Make no mistake, everything that’s happening in the United States is being significantly enabled by the right wing oligarch capture of media. Every other country needs to do everything possible to keep that from happening where they are. Including protecting the CBC from Poilievre here in Canada.
I’d put money on it being less savoury than that.
Must be expanded, and or kids transported to schools that can actually accommodate them; provide free transit to all school children from K to 12 including summer/breaks. 
Massively reinvest in existing aged urban schools that are underfunded and under resourced due to declining populations; not unrelated, recognize that new schools with portables is a policy failure and mandate that any school with portables for more than two years for a demographic blip 3/
Locate schools and areas of higher density and up zone areas immediately around schools to improve moderate density. Rethink funding models for schools so that there are more smaller neighbourhood schools, rather than fewer larger, regional schools; 2/
I do: car free zones in the area is directly around schools for, something like, five blocks. With the exception for public transit and accessibility, of course. Development, support bike buses and generally improve pedestrian cycling, infrastructure around schools and to surrounding communities 1/
To spin… #AutoCorrectFail
May his memory be a blessing, the poor sweet child.
Your choice is the shortest route (lots of red) via Innes vs the safer route (lots of green). The safer one is twice as long. This is why people bike on sidewalks in places sometimes. Your weekly commute would be five hours more. #ottbike
To spend the story and show that he’s “a good guy“ when the actual truth may be something else completely.
I seem to recall years ago when I would listen to FM classic rock radio, which I haven’t listened to in ages, they would use something like this on Christmas Day or other holidays where nobody wanted to work. It wasnt AI, but it might as well have been.
Medieval peasants would not advocate for letting diseases run through entire populations to make a “stronger species,” sorry this one is modernity’s baby.
I work with the structural engineer who designed this, and it still stands as one of the best structural engineering feats of contemporary history in Canada. Fantastic engineers.
Yup. Was nervous at first but I love it. Wouldn’t go back.
Agreed, signed, the Palladium.
Usually I’m here every Saturday. Love this place. The grilled cheese sandwich guy and his sister are gone I think (back to school/uni?) but I love the range of choices, friendly vibe and great range of products and vendors.
I was going to, but it seems most of the restaurants in town close at 8 PM. By the time I was ready for dinner there wasn’t time; next visit. Ended up at Legends where I caught the tail end of a Dire Straits cover band with a local IPA and a burger
It’s a fundamental fact of life. People have to go; let’s make #PlacesForPeople and give them dignity and respect. Washrooms now. @picardonhealth.bsky.social @arieltroster.com @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @jleiper.bsky.social
It’s not hard to imagine how things like this are possible. So why can’t #OttCity achieve this? How can Gander, a small town of 12k ppl, create such a great space (rotary club seems to have been involved), and ottawa spends millions on parks w/no wcs 2/ www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/plan-and-boo...
Rainy visit to Cobb’s pond, a park in Gander; small pavillon w/washrooms (accessible, public); small farmers market (every Saturday all year); easy access for vendors w/low bureaucracy; sheltered places to sit, doubling as bandshell for concerts/events; walking paths, accessible trails 1/
4) link socislly transformative outcomes to policy decisions 5) connect dots between unhoused, precarious housing, transit, food desserts, schooling opportunities and access to third spaces 6) advocate for UBI and lead by example with micro projects.
For every project including small scale and large, adaptive reuse. 2b) End the wasteful performative consultation model that burns social capital, time and money that can be better spent delivering more projects better and faster 3) scale up investment across the city 4) … 2/
1. Redirect police budgets to social services, stop criminalizing the unhoused and provide care, compassion and treatment 2a) Massively invest in housing and stimulate local economy by reforming procurement so more firms can participate in fair processes w/fair contracts; design competitions 1/
Resto/business owners who just want their status quo free street parking? Who will stand up and lead, in the public interest, meaningful change? @stephanieplante.bsky.social @jleiper.bsky.social @neilsara.bsky.social @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @arieltroster.com
And are they systemic or blips on a downward trajectory? Are we getting benefit from $50m or more in police funding? What if we’d spent that $ on housing and care for the most vulnerable? What if we’d make systemic change to benefit the public, and stop giving outsized value to a handful of 4/
We can do this if a want to. We say we do (official plans etc) and then hire consultants who don’t know our city, produce reports that ignore public input, issue RFPs that go no where, and wonder why the market struggles. Sure, there are isolated instances of improvement but at what cost? 3/
We need to create a better place for people and show leadership on improved places, that will bring in more opportunities, better tourism, revitalize the market with new housing, safer places (bc there are more ppl, basics of CPTED) and a meaningful response to climate change and livable cities. 2/
When retailers and resto owners (a sm handful exert outsized influence on the market BIA) refuse to accept pedestrianization of a #BetterByWard, they hold all #OttCity hostage to outmoded thinking on making better #PlacesForPeople; we need to act in the public interest and make change 1/
Exactly this. We need a systemic change and a better model for advocacy. We need a public interest, focus and engagement. There’s absolutely no reason the RAIC can’t do this, they just don’t. Part of that is they need enough people to join, but those people need to be given a reason
This is nice. Mass timber, zero operational carbon, Canadian timber. Investing in Canada, and Canadian military @mark-carney.bsky.social #ArchitectureMatters @yasirnaqvicdn.bsky.social @brucefanjoy.bsky.social
People will continue to walk/bike and drive away from transit as it becomes less reliable. We’ve entered the doom loop. We know the answer but refuse to budget and plan accordingly. @jleiper.bsky.social
It also ignores the reality that Ottawa’s public transit system is already unreliable for too many, with inconsistent bus service and a lack of dependable options for those outside the core. (5/6)
I want to express my profound disappointment today that the City has ordered its workers back into the office five days a week. It is a short-sighted decision that serves no one well in either the short or long term. (1/6)
Can you imagine Canada’s advocate making this effort to connect elected officials to outcomes, connecting dots btwn awards, social outcomes, owners, climate change and politics? We need a stronger voice for architecture in Canada. www.archpaper.com/2025/08/roya...
Closely with elected officials to tour the places and w/clients/owners “MPs see first-hand the positive social, environmental and economic impact of high-quality design and architecture on communities - championing the role architects play in creating a better built environment.” 3/
This contrasts with typical North American design awards which tend to focus on stunning buildings, but are hard to make a connection to ordinary uses, and rarely feature “mundane” things like roof repairs and the like. But most impressive is the extent to which the national advocate works 2/
Check out this article from the RIBA (royal institute of British architects): not only are there prestigious awards for things like “replacing a roof to Victorian palace” and seniors homes, accessibility upgrades and other “mundane” projects. 1/ www.architecture.com/knowledge-an...
Happy birthday to dad…
Let me put this in terms a New York billionaire might understand: get the fuck outta here www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
lol no. We did get a nice tour of the tarmac. It when you realize how freaking huge plane are.
The absurdity of checking in by zone at Pearson lower level, to all get on a bus in muddle of zones and be taken out to the plane is …. Odd.
Here @architectsdca.bsky.social we’re currently working on multiple projects in dev diff fed depts and areas bringing inclusive design to new and renovated facilities. We’re proud of the work we do to help make #PlacesForPeople that provide dignity, respect and inclusion.
Each toilet room would have a toilet, sink, space to move; some rooms would have urinals and sinks, making sure whatever fixture you need is there for you and you can do your thing in privacy and comfort. 3/
So offer little privacy at the best of times; they were clearly in a bit of a rush and need to get going; dad was getting antsy; knowing Pearson like I do, I suggested they head to concourse where they’d find a few family washrooms (few and far between). If w/c were inclusive and gender neutral, 2/
The case for gender neutral and inclusive washrooms: at airport and dad traveling with daughter (about 7-8ish); strange place and crowded and she didn’t want to go in w/c alone, and was clearly uncomfortable waiting in line w/loads of men (aside from which typ toilet stalls are ceiling mounted 1/
Why decisions about buildings (#architecture) are political and a case for every city having a staff city architect sitting at council table along with chief planner and engineer. @brenttoderian.bsky.social @jasonthorne.bsky.social @alexbozikovic.bsky.social
For some people it’s very important that we build less affordable housing lest it offend the delicate sensibilities of the homeowner class
This is horrifying www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
Japan Post has ceased all mail delivery to the US for packages valued over $100. To get around this, a Japanese denim company tells me they'll ship components to US customers one-by-one — fabric, buttons, rivets, a sewing needle, and thread. You then assemble the jeans at home like IKEA furniture.
And then there are all the countries that are pulling out of mailing things to the US because of uncertainty; that’s up, ending decades of international postal agreements; will Canada be next?
Most of the renovictions that my office hears about involve seniors — long-term tenants who have paid their rent for decades and then are evicted so the landlord can jack up the rent. Glad that the @ottawacitizen.com delved deeper into to this issue. ottawacitizen.com/news/local-n...
The same has been experienced in #OttCity by a similarly ideologically motivated premier. Safe consumption sites work and save lives, are better for communities. @arieltroster.com @catmckenney.bsky.social
This is important. Years ago, while I was advising the City of Sydney Australia on various things, there was an INFAMOUS day where a particularly bad state-level minister of roads was stuck in traffic and saw bike riders zooming by his limousine in a well-used, safe, protected bike-lane. Well… 1/
I think I walked down this street last fall with my grandkids. Love those Chicago hoods.
Great thread that really gets to the root of the problem.
Agreed. And make them serve the public interest.
Where you have some, we have nothing. And where we do get fun art, the MTO paints over it. tgam.ca/3C0VvMT