We have two great community paths that touch Jeanne d'Arc Blvd N, but both of them dead-end instead of joining up. Why? Because the city and province use outdated excuses to justify not adding a proper crossing. Connecting active transportation routes shouldn't be an afterthought. 🚶‍♂️🚴‍♀️ (1/2)

“So much of urban planning is organised around a guy getting to work as quickly as possible. That's the worldview. The only time I care about the city is when I'm in my car and need to get to work as fast as possible. Looking through that lens is so incredibly toxic.” LISTEN: youtu.be/hUR3rmr845s

If anyone is wondering why our MUPs are in bad shape, I don't think they were designed for water tankers. I am not sure if they were servicing a private pool or trees. Either way, big trucks should not be destroying MUPs and blocking them when kids are going to school.

Buildings like this are not possible with off-street car parking requirements

Woohoo!! It's so exciting to see suburban support and is a reminder that things take time to grow. In 2024 we held a ride in Orléans and no one made it. In 2025 we tried again building on relationships struck the prior year and had a big success. Now in 2026 - FOUR rides across the suburb!

We would not need to consider levies like this if we planned our city appropriately. Decades of sprawl and low density car dependent planning has led to infrastructure debt that is difficult to fathom. We've written about it here : strongtownsottawa.ca/Infrastructu... www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Come and join today's (virtual) meeting of the Eastern Ottawa Urbanism Club over lunch! Register now at theneworleans.ca/urbanism-club/.

Hey @communauto.bsky.social, I spotted a car while out today in Orleans (Ottawa). Usually we have to go about 10 kms west to see one of your fleet! We don’t bite, bring some of your vehicles out east!

There's a reason I haven't been writing as many articles in May...actually there are several! Here they are.

Counting the weeks!

Next month we're trying something new... 1 suburb, 4 rides. Orléans June 13: Fallingbrook, Greater Avalon, Convent Glen & Chatelaine Village @theneworleans.bsky.social @bikeottawa.bsky.social @forourkidsog.bsky.social

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who believe that streets must and can be safe for kids. 💐

If you want a good example of the city failing to implement TMP policies, watch this video. They did not design this for all ages and ability, seek to minimize conflict points or give priority to active transportation. The slip lane is outrageous. It's not even great for drivers. #Ottawa

I waited over 6 months after asking the city and LRT team about this and heard nothing. So I want to share my experiences and thoughts with all of you after using this dozens of times.

I've got a challenge for you. It will be incredibly difficult, but it will save you a little money today, and a TON in the longer term. Let's talk about it.

Join me for a detailed evaluation of the new infrastructure at the Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard overpass over Highway 174. In this ridealong video, I'll analyze the effectiveness of the redesign from the perspective of a cyclist and pedestrian.

Join me for a detailed evaluation of the new infrastructure at the Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard overpass over Highway 174. In this ridealong video, I'll analyze the effectiveness of the redesign from the perspective of a cyclist and pedestrian.

Thanks to everyone who joined us in New Edinburgh this morning! What a great ride and huge turnout for a cool grey spring morning. 🥳🚲😍. Kids and families love getting around by bike when it is safe to do so. #OttBike #StreetsForKids

We’re ready. On est prêts. @kidicalmassottawa.bsky.social @visionzeroottawa.bsky.social @ecologyottawa.bsky.social

I will have lived in Ottawa going on 20 years this summer. A lot of people living in this city firmly believe they should be able to traverse the whole city (from Orleans to Kanata) in 30 minutes or less.

On Tuesday, April 28, the Eastern Ottawa Urbanism Club will be having our first in-person meetup at the Bad Alibi (near Youville and Jeanne d'Arc). I hope to see you there.

How about 6 simple tools you should borrow from time to time from a neighbour?

CBC had a great episode about parking in downtown! We need to give people good alternatives to driving so that we can get people to where they need to go. Parking is some of the worst land usage we can have in the downtown core of the city. www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-p...

I missed this one @theneworleans.bsky.social. It is the former Madonna Nursing Home.

It costs the City of Ottawa $465/person each year to serve new low-density homes, over & above what it receives from property taxes/fees. On the other hand, high-density infill such as apartment buildings pays for itself plus an extra $606/person each year. Sprawl costs, infill saves. #UrbanTruth

We're not shrugging, we're begging for action. Hundreds of families in this city say no more - we won't accept road violence. And we demand better of the city and the province. @bikeottawa.bsky.social @visionzeroottawa.bsky.social @forourkidsog.bsky.social

I've got a challenge for you. It will be incredibly difficult, but it will save you a little money today, and a TON in the longer term. Let's talk about it.

Thanks to sound city-wide policies, planning rationale, and support by diverse community members deferring these sidewalks has failed, blocking them completely has failed, and now a last-minute attempt to water-down the plan a little bit??? Time for city council to put an end to this non-sense!

Sigh… this makes zero-sense!!! Last-minute motion to reduce scope of sidewalks in Manor Park during integrated renewal - so baking in less pedestrian connectivity? In what world does this make any sense. @strongtownsottawa.ca @toondreessen.bsky.social @otttransitriders.bsky.social 1/

Thank you @robattrell.bsky.social !! This has become a city-wide issue. “If Manor Park residents are allowed to block residentials sidewalks on the very shaky case they have made so far, every single community will be lining up to get the same exceptional treatment.” Email your councillor today!

Several months ago, I agreed to wade into the morass that this integrated renewal of residential streets in Manor Park has become. Let your city councillor know today that you support residential sidewalks, especially on school streets.

We're back at it again today, see you at 12:15!

This was entirely predictable. And now we are mourning the loss of an Ottawa crossing guard who was just trying to keep kids safe. Shame on the Ford government for putting populist politics over people’s lives. ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-...

Here ya go! books.apple.com/us/book/life...

We believe that walking, rolling and cycling are the best ways to get around - they bring joy, physical and mental health, connection - and our kids especially deserve to be able to get around these ways and be safe doing so. Safer streets now. This must be a turning point not just a tragedy.

If our elected officials cared about the safety of people outside of cars, starting with kids, we wouldn’t need crossing guards. Our streets would be safe regardless of human error. But here we are. A crossing guard lost their life on duty. We should all be outraged.1/3 www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Reminder that the Eastern Ottawa Urbanism Club will be meeting today at lunch (12:15 - 12:45). Get your invite at theneworleans.ca/urbanism-club/

Today, the 'theme' of the categories we'll be looking at is 'public amenities', and as you'll see, the availability of these types of places vary widely here.

In a lot of ways, schools feel fundamentally underused, and disconnected from the communities that surround them outside of school hours.

In a lot of ways, schools feel fundamentally underused, and disconnected from the communities that surround them outside of school hours.

Today, the 'theme' of the categories we'll be looking at is 'public amenities', and as you'll see, the availability of these types of places vary widely here.

It's possible to see what a walkable neighbourhood that maintains the existing 'character' really looks like. When it comes to making our imagination real, we've gotten some help from AI. ✨ theneworleans.ca/seethevillage #Orleans #UrbanPlanning #SuburbanVillage #SmallBusiness

We celebrate clever people creating clever graphics to make clever points to help cities make more clever city-building decisions.

This is awful. I hope they’re okay. Seasonal traffic calming measures aren’t sufficient. We need the city to invest in @schoolstreetsyow.bsky.social

I'd like a 100 mile food store. I'm very basic for food ingrediants. I'd like an alternative to major food chains. I'd like to be able to drop in for fresh meat and veg every 3-5 days. Or call for kid on bike delivery within a few hours.

We need a “15 Minute City Community Land Trust that builds affordable+ walkable corner lot units.

“Needs more neighbours”

The easiest way to visualize this mixed-use infill concept—integrating apartments with a local market and yoga studio right in a suburban Ottawa neighborhood—was to get help from AI. #UrbanPlanning #InfillDevelopment #MixedUse #WalkableCities #SmallBusiness #LocalJobs

✨New Post✨ Choosing a path for Orléans. 🏘️ Freeze housing and local shops, and we watch taxes climb while services vanish. Or, allow more homes + mixed-use spaces to stabilize our bills and fund the neighborhood we want. It’s decline vs. a village that pays for itself. 📉📈 #SuburbanVillage #Orleans