Part 2, Solving the Housing Crisis, Issue 46
Any serious strategy for the ambitious development of Targeted Housing requires affordable land. Private developers scour city neighbourhoods to find the best locations. In many municipalities, market forces have driven up prices to “beyond affordable”. Post acquisition, developers spend years seeking various zoning changes for usage and density through height. Without these changes most planned […]
Part 1 – Solving the Housing Crisis, Issue 45
Canada, the United States, and Australia each have a growing affordable housing crisis. We have seen the headlines: Canada’s Housing Bubble Is Getting Way Worse, And Young People Are Screwed, Vice World News, March 18, 2021 Affordable Housing Crisis Affects One In Five Renters In Canada: Study, Rental Housing Magazine After the eviction cliff, a […]
Vienna, Issue 43
In December 2019, we spent two weeks in Vienna. We wanted to visit its famous Christmas markets. Also, I had to see what made Vienna the world’s most livable city. Vienna has now topped Mercer’s Quality of City Living Index for ten years in a row. It is also a perennial leader in both Monocle […]
Transition to post-Coronavirus Life, Issue 42
The time has come to start building enthusiasm for the transition to post-Coronavirus life. I, for one, cannot wait to Zoom out of conference calls and zoom in to in-person meetings. We need to recapture all those little pleasures that we took for granted. My personal list of things that I miss from my routine […]
Homelessness, Issue 40
There is a shortage of quality social and affordable housing in most Western nations. Based on pre Coronavirus statistics, there are 35,000 homeless Canadians on any given night. This does not account for the approximately 50,000 couch surfers. In Canada , over 235,000 individuals experience homelessness every year. 200,000 of these use homeless shelters. The […]
Developing Dynamic Resilient Cities, Issue 36
I have written eleven of thirty-five newsletters about the future of community. I now realize that I have not presented a cohesive position on developing dynamic resilient cities. Some order is needed. I will consolidate the relevant newsletters into one document and scrap the Street Competition series. This one document will reflect my opinions […]
Street Competition 4, Issue 33: Up-Zoning
Ugly urban sprawl
Street Competition 3, Issue 32
“You are traffic!”
Tom-Tom advertising campaign
Street Competition 2, Issue 30
I don’t know how to unravel the complex web of issues that impact the use of Street Space. Consider all of these contradictions in a recent Fast Company Magazine in : Before the pandemic, roughly two million people rode London’s subway system every day, often packed on crowded cars at rush hour. As the city […]
Competition for Street Space 1 – Issue 27
Motorized vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians compete for street space. This competition has raged in many cities for the past few years. The Covid 19 epidemic has accelerated the fight. Now, demand has increased for other uses such as outdoor dining, shop displays, curb-side delivery, and an increase in urban amenities including transit ways. Street […]
Cities can look better in Winter, Issue 24
Covid-19 compliance ennui has settled in ! While most of us take the Coronavirus very seriously, I think that almost everyone is probably guilty of at least some minor transgressions of the mash-mash of the many confusing rules, regulations and recommendations that are being issued by national, provincial, and municipal authorities. I get an average […]
Trends in Housing After Covid 19, Issue 2
More density on single family lots versus high-rise living.