Canadians – If you have some time this long weekend, fill out this godawful government survey on AI, which itself seems to have been written by AI trained exclusively on buzzword-laden LinkedIn posts.

Any day spent at the archives is a good one

I really gave this the business, and so can you! A lot of the questions are VERY "hey, person who *loves* AI, how can we, a government who *loves* AI, make sure companies who *also love* AI come to Canada to do trickledown economics?"

"Out of the 11 Canadian cities studied by the report, Halifax has the widest gap between house prices and what the typical household could afford."

Why is our CMOH rejecting scientific consensus?

NS Health's AI apparently programmed with incorrect information. Covid's primary route of transmission is aerosol (airborne), not droplets/surfaces.

If anyone in Toronto is renting out or subletting an apartment that meets my peculiar requirements, please message me! Not having much luck on Facebook. Budget is negotiable.

Happy Mid-Autumn festival to everyone celebrating 🌕🥮 但願人長久，千里共嬋娟

October beach day with @benmacleod.bsky.social

My October E-News. Some bike stats, water conservation, some transportation news (closed bus lane, cancelled roundabout), splash pad, cherry trees, Dartmouth Cove public hearing, and more. Read about it here samaustin.ca/e-news-octob...

New bike lane on Brunswick Street – soon to form part of a continuous, 1-km protected bikeway from the Halifax Common to the Central Library 🚴‍♂️ #BikeHfx

Hi #bikehfx, I have a favour to ask! Does anyone drive and have a bike rack on their car that would be willing to bring me and my e-bike to vintage iron cycles in burnside? (Or have any advice or recommendations for how I can go about this?)

Sad news. Sir Terry was kind and encouraging to me and other junior staff at TFP, and eagerly supported our Hong Kong planning advocacy work, even presenting on our behalf at LegCo in 2016. His books are worthy urban design reading.

No city in Canada has a “laissez-faire” housing system. They all strictly regulate what you can build and where. Montreal is a little better (less single-family zoning) but it’s still true here. When you limit the supply of housing below demand, what happens? We’re doing this to ourselves.

this is refreshingly clear, accurate, science-based public health messaging

Someone needs to educate Sean Fraser about how the right appropriates progressive language & ideas to evade or diminish criticism. And, people need a better understanding about how fascism operates because there are MPs in the House who are enemies of democracy.

Enjoying some quiet time next to Lake Charles after meeting the mayor in Dartmouth today. He's come around!

it appears as though "the mayor" will be attending tomorrow's annual bike ride after all 🤔

the owner of Purdy's Wharf is rebuilding their extremely rickety fire exit to create a new (stairs-only) footbridge entrance

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore still have not apologized for falsely implicating Palestinian protestors for hateful graffiti Morning File by me www.halifaxexaminer.ca/morning-file...

The reconstruction of the Cogswell District is one of the best things #Halifax has done in recent years.

Granville Park on opening day 🍾

the era of "let's run major highways through city centres" had the same vibe as "let's paint everything with radium!"

my friend is observing the vigil for Charlie Kirk in downtown Halifax "they are BLASTING the star-spangled banner"

Amazing before/after of a highway interchange being removed in Halifax. This is on the north edge of downtown. The area now looks completely different from when I lived in the city. This interchange was built for an elevated highway through downtown that never got built (fortunately).

Amazing work by the Cogswell team and three consecutive Councils to make this happen, but it never would have happened if then-Mayor Mike Savage had not insisted on it, despite the odds and risks. Great to see this done!

After four years of demolition and construction, Halifax's Cogswell Interchange redevelopment officially opened today. 🎉 I dug out the camera that I used to photograph the highway nearly 10 years ago and took an "after" pic from the same spot. It's satisfying to flip between the two photos.

Still waiting for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore to say something, *anything*, about their earlier jump to blame Palestinians for this.

I *love* this. A lot of cities concentrate housing density onto dirty, noisy, dangerous arterial roads. This motion in Vancouver would allow 6-storey apartments by default on local streets adjacent to parks or bike routes.

New bike lane under construction on Brunswick Street in downtown Halifax, along with a much-improved sidewalk experience 👷 #BikeHfx

Of the at least 1,072,545 people in Nova Scotia I am only aware of 1 person who is asking the province to upend municipal democracy in order to give mayors more authority. The rest of us have not asked for this. Democracy is messy, but putting more authority into one man’s hands is not the answer.

If you wanted to attend yesterday's protest but couldn't, there's another gathering starting at noon at the Halifax Common today:

"Sure, they’re spirited. Loud, even. But they’re the very definition of peaceful. They didn’t even walk on the Lord Nelson’s tiny manicured lawn. They stayed on public property. They smiled at passersby." join these #Halifax "extremists" in opposition to genocide today at 2:30 pm

Halifax: *photo of giant parking garage* the people of Facebook: where am I supposed to park???

sidewalk widening in progress at Spring Garden and Brunswick 🚶

JWD Books in Dartmouth has a Wikipedia page now!

The maddening thing is that we know EXACTLY how to prevent this. Yes, kids should get vaccinated, test, stay home when sick, mask as much as possible. But even without any of that: Better ventilation and filtration in schools can MASSIVELY reduce viral spread, for all sorts of respiratory diseases.

Last week's opening of the permanent Upper Water St bike lane completes a nearly 5-km-long protected cycling route from the North End to Downtown Halifax 🍾 #BikeHfx

I considered writing a long carefully constructed argument laying out the harms and limitations of AI, but instead I wrote about being a hater. Only humans can be haters.

🚨 Israel has just killed five more journalists in Gaza. 🚨 We call on Canada, a founding member of the Media Freedom Coalition, to fulfill its obligations under international law. The only way is a full two way arms embargo and sanctions against Israel now #cdnmedia #cdnpoli

John W. Doull Bookseller – "Canada's largest second-hand bookshop" – recently evaded closure, for now. Apparently the younger guy who works the front desk took over as owner a few weeks ago. If you like books, pay them a visit (in person or online)! I found some treasures there recently:

📢 Halifax Cycling Coalition is seeking an executive director:

Inglis Place in Truro, Nova Scotia is going car-free this evening and all day tomorrow! There will be live music, sidewalk sales and other attractions.

“The university has initiated a lockout…” No, actually: a handful of senior admin & board members decided not to negotiate, to walk away, and then to lock out faculty, with clearly *no* clue what to do next. Those of us locked out—with front-line staff & students—ARE the university. #KeepDalStrong

autumny evening in Halifax

Real estate developer Cresco, which owns all the land where this new road terminates, is a PC Party donor. The Houston government, in 2022, designated Cresco's lands a "special planning area", giving the province authority over urban planning matters and bypassing Halifax's muncipal government.

My first Starter Pack! The Canadian urbanism and planning community on here is growing. Give these folks a follow. Some well known faces … and some you should get to know! (please re-post!) go.bsky.app/AEYL7FZ

Canada eats its young

Hi everyone. Very time-sensitive ask here from your friend in NB. Two parts, relating to the CSA standard #Z94.4. The Canadian Aerosol Transmission Coalition has written a statement in support of the revisions to Z94.4. You or your organization are welcome to sign on in support, deadline tom. /1

I was blown away to learn that the very conservative, very pro-car Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) supports bike lane networks. ‘Look at clear evidence’: Nova Scotia physicians’ group advocating for bike lanes, active transportation infrastructure reported by @dentremy.bsky.social