"Bettors lose billions of dollars a year on parlays ... and operators bring in far more revenue for every dollar wagered on these bets than they do straight bets. In most of the states that publish the relevant data, parlays account for between half and two-thirds of the operators’ revenue."

The LRT being closed for maintenance on Panda Game weekend is such a confusing and poor decision. Ottawa consistently forgets to think of the needs of students and transit riders when making decisions.

Thanks to everyone who came to yesterday’s Ottawa Urbanism Book Club. Amazes me that after 2 years we’re still sharing ideas and listening to each other on how we can improve our city.

Ahead of tonight’s Ottawa Urbanism Book Club, here’s my favourite quote from Strong Towns. Meeting at 6:15 pm tonight at Sunnyside Public Library. All welcome, reading not required. @strongtowns.org @strongtownsottawa.ca

CBC Radio joined us at the last Ottawa Urbanism Book Club to talk about how we’re building community and pushing for a better Ottawa. A book club for people who care about the future of their city www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

The Centretown Community Association has sent a letter to @arieltroster.com supporting a ban on right turns on red in Centretown. “The lives of pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers are more important than a few seconds saved at a stop light.”

The Berczy Park Dog Fountain in Toronto is a great example of a small improvement leading to big benefits. For the small price of a fountain we get a more interesting walk and increased foot traffic, a tourist attraction, and an all around more liveable and enjoyable space.

Weeps in Bank Street, Montréal Road, Wellington West tears. @strongtownsottawa.ca @derricksimpson.bsky.social

Reliability is the biggest issue, but we don’t talk enough about how unenjoyable OC Transpo can be sometimes. Yesterday riders waited outside in the rain because the bus shelter was filthy. If you want people to take transit, it needs to be clean and enjoyable.

An underrated place in Toronto that impressed me was the North York Central Library. Easy to get to by subway, connected to a mall and a beautiful outdoor square. Almost the entire outside ring was bookable rooms. Seems amazing for studying or meeting. Every new library should do this.

I’m obviously not a fan of Ottawa’s 2026 budget direction. I just wish we had the honesty to tell people what this budget will really mean. Transit will get worse, traffic will take longer, life will get more unaffordable for those who can least afford it. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Thanks to everyone who came out to the @strongtownsottawa.ca meetup this weekend at one of the the Uncommon Event Spaces. Who would have thought that when you make space for people, people enjoy the space. Thanks to @markomiljusevic.bsky.social for organizing.

Finally visited the nicest looking library in Canada, the Toronto Reference Library. My photos don’t do it justice.

Spoke with Apartment 613 about the Ottawa Urbanism Book Club and what @strongtownsottawa.ca is doing to push for positive change in Ottawa. apt613.ca/ottawa-urban...

Washington, DC is by far the cleanest city I’ve ever visited. It was so clean that when I visited last summer I wrote about it. I’d be weary of anyone calling it dirty or saying it needs to be cleaned. open.substack.com/pub/improvin...

I will never understand why Via Rail makes you arrive so early and line up to take the train. In Europe there’s often no super early arrival or huge lineup for rides between different countries. Anything we can do to make taking the train more convenient than flying, we should be doing!

Took the 4AM train from Ottawa to Toronto earlier this week. It was 90% full and basically on time. Good on Via Rail for trying something new and providing more options to riders.

What’s your urbanism take that the general public would absolutely hate? Mine is that making driving or parking less convenient can be incredibly helpful to public transit and active transportation.

In the 2 years I’ve run the Ottawa Urbanism Book Club a lot of folks on the left have shared their views on housing at our meetings. None of their views have been remotely close to what is presented here.

I try to mostly post positive things about Ottawa, but these garbage cans at Minto Park, and elsewhere across the city, are embarrassing. If we can’t even fund proper garbage cans, how can we be trusted to fund and operate bigger things, like a functioning transit system?

Next Ottawa Urbanism Book Club will be August 25 at Sunnyside Public Library. We’ll be reading “Do Androids Dream of Electric Cars”. DM me if interested in attending. Reading optional

Thought I’d try something new and learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube through a book instead of a video. How are there 18 people waiting for a book about solving Rubik’s Cubes from the Ottawa Public Library!?!? I’m honestly not mad, I’m impressed.

Two new picks ups from Perfect Books yesterday. First one is the August book for the Ottawa Urbanism Book Club, second is all about municipal finances and how we can afford them long term. Interestingly, both authors are from Winnipeg @greatplainspress.bsky.social

This is a great initiative. We’ll almost certainly be hosting an event or meet-up here

Finally went for a swim at Dow’s Lake yesterday and man was I impressed. Nice dock, lots of seating, and the place was packed. Consistently impressed by how much the NCC is making Ottawa more fun and enjoyable.

An emotional evening in front of city hall as we remembered Saloni - a young woman killed too soon just trying to cross the street. Her friends brought a pair of her white shoes 😢. Safe streets now.

Had to wait months to check out the Truman Show from the Library. Ottawa is clearly a city with great taste in movies

The Street Seats Pilot Program in Centretown is looking very promising so far. Amazing what happens when you give space back to people. Photo taken last night by @jaxijin.bsky.social

We need to examine the link between oversized vehicles and traffic-related fatalities/major injuries. Yesterday, a pedestrian - young woman in her 20s - was struck by a pickup truck at Laurier/Elgin in downtown Ottawa. Tragically, the woman died from her injuries. 1/ www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...

Instead of my normal pre-trip social media post asking for suggestions, I’m using @alexbozikovic.bsky.social’s book for ideas. Hoping to visit and write about some more suburban neighbourhoods when I visit Toronto next month. Definitely some good suggestions in here.

We have to recognize good news when it happens, these are some seriously impressive numbers. Almost 25% worth of Ottawa’s population rode Line 1 on Canada Day

🧵 I might have found Ottawa's own "Taco John's" example from @strongtowns.org Both highlighted areas have: ✅ Similar size ✅ Same zoning (TM - Traditional Mainstreet) ✅ Same tax classification (C8 - Small Business) Bonus, it includes a taco joint 🌮. @strongtownsottawa.ca #dothemath

Great article from @robattrell.bsky.social on how we can increase productivity and land efficiency in the suburbs. Featuring Kent Street as a positive example to learn from! lesscar.ca/2025/06/28/o...

Listening to some hot tunes on the bus this morning 🔥

I've got two articles drafted on Vancouver and what Ottawa can learn. However, the nearby city/suburb of Surrey surprised me the most. I've never seen such a strange mix of extreme density and huge parking lots and stroads. Something for Ottawa to avoid as we push to densify!

A great example by @strongtownsottawa.bsky.social members communicating #Ottawa municipal finances in a simple to understand visual. More of this please! Let's #dothemath

This is a vital conversation that City of Ottawa needs to have with residents. Through density and property valuation, we see massive discrepancies in tax revenue/hectare across the city. Organizations like @strongtownsottawa.bsky.social make this clear. But there are other discrepancies, too! 1/

Part of Kent Street is up for renewal, and the City of Ottawa is refusing to bury the power lines, saying it’s too expensive. Just Kent Street brings in as much property taxes as the entire West Carleton-March Ward. Our city needs to do a better job of rewarding financially productive communities.

The Glebe BIA (Business Improvement Area) is running a survey, including questions on transportation and parking. If you support bus lanes on Bank Street, I highly encourage you to fill out the survey. form.jotform.com/FBM_Planning...

100%. The “balanced” approach is simply the adherence to a status quo that will only get worse as the population grows and transit remains under-supported. And the TMP we’re set to approve next week perpetuates more of this.

Today it took 20 minutes to get down Elgin and another 50 to get to Bells Corners by car. A balanced approach to our transportation network gets us all nowhere fast. We need to shift our investments to give people who want to get out of cars a real choice. Show me who is happy moving around Ottawa.

I am once again posting to inform you that density and nature CAN co-exist.

Consistently amazed by the coverage this has gotten. And very excited that the next stakeholder consultation has finally been announced. We are making progress!

Strong Towns Ottawa has sent a letter to the project manager for the Bank Street Active Transportation and Transit Priority Feasibility Study (yea it's a mouthful 😭) to request to be part of the stakeholder consultation group later this month!

Amazing to see @strongtowns.org cover our push for bus lanes on Bank Street. We are making progress! @strongtownsottawa.bsky.social www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...

What I’ve been most impressed by is the ability of community members and volunteers to keep Bank St bus lanes in the news cycle. Without us, I’m not sure anyone’s talking about these delays.

7 months later, I have finally finished the Power Broker. Easily the great book I’ve ever read. Going to think on it for a bit, but will have an article or two about it in the coming months.

Next Ottawa Urbanism Book Club will be July 29! We’ll be discussing Messy Cities: why we can’t plan everything. Copies are available at Perfect Books on Elgin. @coachhousebooks.bsky.social DM me if interested in attending

Shoutout to @seandevine9.bsky.social for including @strongtownsottawa.bsky.social’s push for bus lanes on Bank Street in his councillor newsletter.

It looks like the next open house for for the Bank Street Transit Study won't be until Fall 2025, a full year after the original scheduled date. Even seemingly easy things are taking forever to do in the City of Ottawa. open.substack.com/pub/improvin...