This pretty much sums up the problem. #yqrcc

The Growth Ponzi Scheme: A city builds new infrastructure. That development brings in some quick revenue. But the long-term cost of maintaining all that infrastructure is far greater than the revenue it generates. So when the bills come due, the city doesn’t have any money.

Call me crazy but "we're forced to take away your food because they won't let us take away your healthcare" doesn't seem like a winning strategy. That whole situation is so weird

I hope council is this eager to make freeloaders pay their share of tax burden when discussing a new property tax class for surface parking lot. #yqrcc

Food insecurity in Regina is getting really bad. The line for the food drop off in the church parking lot has already started at 8am. The truck doesn't come until noon. Consider donating to the Regina Food Bank or other mutual aid groups this holiday season. These are our neighbors.

Saturday, November 8th: Coffee Chat with Rashovich and Froh. McDonalds South (4651 Albert) from 10-12pm Saturday, November 15th: Beautify the City - Restorative Justice, Public Policy & the Inner Life (Research & Innovation Centre, U of R RI 119) from 9:30-12pm. RSVP Here:

Hey #YQR! There are a LOT of opportunities to be active in budget/urbanism issues coming up: TOMORROW, October 29th - QCIB Anniversary Show at The Artesian from 7-9pm Saturday, November 1st - Municipal Alternative Budget Organizing Meeting at Malty National (1130 15th Ave) at 4pm

Got a sneak peak of the new seating area for 33 & 1/3 / the new Easy Wine Bar. It's looking GREAT! So nice to have a new chill hang out spot in the neighbourhood.

NEW: “Some still insist ‘downtowns will never attract kids and shouldn’t try.’ Then they design downtown to virtually repel kids, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Vancouver proves the opposite can be true...” I’m quoted in this article by @johnlorinc.bsky.social for @calcities.bsky.social

Few things did more critical damage to North American downtowns than the demolishing of old buildings to build massive expanses of surface parking, along with the widening of roads to create huge one-way “car sewers,” all based on the failed theory that surrendering to cars would “save Downtown.”

If car prices included the cost of all the time city councils spend discussing parking, no one could afford a car. #yqrcc

He also seems wildly against spending money, but is aggravated that residential streets don't get plowed as often. Listen to me very closely my guy : if we had less streets, this would be less of an issue. If we had greater property tax rates from densification, we could pay to plow everything!

Rule 99: Start Code Reform Now Form-based codes helps walkability by focusing on how spaces look & feel, not just what they’re used for. Start w/a 1 page zoning overlay to guide better development while planning long-term reforms. Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...

New poster, new style 😎#YQR

For 2 decades or so, since before I became Vancouver’s chief planner, I’ve been championing and working on ways to effectively and successfully PRIORITIZE walking, biking and public transit over individual car use, stating that “balance” is too often code for the status quo only slightly better. 2/

Great short video by TransLink explaining “the empty bus lane myth”

What does it take to move 1000 people? Better infrastructure supporting mobility choices that don’t take up so much space (or produce so much emissions/pollution, cost so much public money, etc). Graphic via Seattle Subway based on a Sydney graphic I spread around years ago.

Rule 94: Do a Walkability Study A walkability study helps communities make areas safer and easier for walking and biking by focusing on 4 types of walks: - the useful walk - the safe walk - the comfortable walk - the interesting walk Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...

Really pisses me off when Regina City Councilors like Rashovich say "I always see empty buses! They must not being used efficiently, therefore I can defund them." If a bus is carrying 4 people, it looks empty. But that's 4 cars off the road. Now multiply that per hour. #YQR

Land that had an obsolete, one-story printing press building was transformed into a mixed-use area; where the land was previously bringing in only $70,000 in property tax, it now brings in $700,000.

According to Pensacola’s nominating team for the 2019 Strongest Town Contest, if you went on a walking tour of the city, you would see a community that has improved its properties, especially by rehabbing buildings that were once sitting vacant.

Remember, when it comes to the actual likelihood that a vehicle crash will occur at all, AND whether the consequences of a crash are serious, or even deadly, or not, speed is ALWAYS a factor. Including when the legal speed limits are currently too high. #SpeedKills #VisionZero

“We’ve been designing downtowns to virtually repel children, & then saying, ‘See, families don’t want to live downtown,’” @brenttoderian.bsky.social says. “We’ve been creating the perfect self-fulfilling prophecy.” I’m interviewed in this. Design urban places for kids & families. You’ll get them.

Big empty parking lot in the heart of downtown that, as far as I can tell, is open to the public and free on weekends. But sure, there’s never any parking. #yqrcc

Rule 59: Build Cycle Tracks Properly Good cycle tracks have 5' lanes each way, a 3' buffer from traffic & are often safer on the left side of one-way streets. Buffers can be paint, curbs, or islands. Walkable City Rules www.amazon.com/Walkable-Cit...

Just found the holy grail of Regina Public Transit memorabilia while packing up my late father's home.

This story is all too common: Cities pretend that deferred maintenance is a problem to be solved by borrowing enough money or getting enough federal assistance. But the underlying problem isn’t cash flow. It’s insolvency.

“We’ve been designing downtowns to virtually repel children, & then saying, ‘See, families don’t want to live downtown,’” @brenttoderian.bsky.social says. “We’ve been creating the perfect self-fulfilling prophecy.” Struggling downtowns look to lure new people. I’m among those interviewed in this.

“To reduce the road deaths toll, we need to tackle ‘Car Brain.’ Any perceived inconvenience ignites ‘Car Brain’ as we justify our right to behave in a manner that would not be tolerated in any other aspect of urban living.”

Visiting Krakow has only galvanized me more against Euclidean zoning. My hotel is across from the convention centre, is nestled in residential and have restaurants and shops everywhere. When conservatives say "we need to embrace our European heritage" why can't they mean this, instead of the racism?

Since I landed in Krakow, I have not seen a single pickup truck. According to what I hear from fellow Canadians, they must not have anyone that works in the trades. Still see plenty of work vans though.

I don't know - if a cougar left a cheeseburger for me as I was walking in the middle of the woods and then watched me eat it, it would be a bit weird for me. And yet, squirrels are chill with this. What do they think of us, I wonder

Reading about @localthunk.com and the Moldenhauer brothers / Studio MDHR really makes me want to push to include a game jam at the next Cathedral Village Arts Fest.

Pointless Balatro lore: When I started Balatro dev I was living in my hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. I had a bus stop outside my apartment (similar to the one in this image) and I based the art of 'Ride the Bus' on that bus stop! Every time I see that joker it reminds me of my old apartment

and yes, this is a bunnyhug

Admin: Not recommending a retrofit for all areas of city b/c would be cost prohibitive, costing over $100mil. #yqrcc

The Urban Planning GES 346 Report is now available! Wondering what a youth-friendly Downtown #yqr might look like? Have a read through four excellent undergraduate papers that engage with best practices from other municipalities & offer solutions tailored to Regina. www.uregina.ca/arts/geograp...

Love this from The Happy Urbanist - we really should reject these "conversation killers" for the logical traps that they are. I hear these alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the time about 13th Ave. thehappyurbanist.substack.com/p/politicize...

“The TRUTH about TRAFFIC!” On June 5th, in Kingston, Ontario, we’re hosting a FREE “turning point” evening with the community that will smash myths & tell the hard, blunt truth about better mobility for everyone. Come live or watch on-line! My keynote + local panel. www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-truth-...

Learned that X-Ray records is opening in one of the units of the old Gail's building on 3004 13th Avenue. Man, Cathedral has been getting some sick-ass shops this last year. First, 33 and 1/3 re-opening, then Mortise & Tenon moving in, and now X-Ray Records. Man, living in Cathedral fucking rocks.

This thread makes me want to die. If the point of the garage was to increase safety, this money could have been much better served in other ways. One read of a Wikipedia article about Donald Shoup would have told you that paid parking in a free parking zone doesn't really work 🤦 #YQR

If you want to rejuvenate downtown, ask yourself "who would want to spend time here?"

What a waste of 10 and a half hours #yqrcc

Man, Illinois (where I lived for 25 years) had water fluorination rates up to 1.2ppm until 2016 and like... there wasn't a rash of poisoned people for 50 years or anything. This argument about the occasional over exposure is like a mosquito - flimsy and annoying.

Are we not going to talk about the elephant in the room? 🐘 #yqr #yqrcc