dewline | Entries tagged with urban design

Yeah, I noticed that this morning.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/slater-laurier-parking-garage-ottawa-collapse-closure-1.7468706

Current Mood: busy

The Tyee interviews Rachel Notley.

Desire pathways in spite of sidewalks and bike paths

How the Santa Tracker got started.

Toronto, place names and democracy as discussed by Shawn Micallef.

Current Mood: busy

I'm watching the Built Heritage Committee meeting about this (and other proposals) at the moment.

I didn't know that the old Legion House had already had three extra stories tacked on three years after it was originally opened up. That precedent being established, I'm only mildly surprised by this proposal to raise it to 30 stories. Details here:

https://devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applications/D01-01-21-0015/details

Current Mood: curious

Been looking at assorted development applications for sites around Orléans tonight, in addition to the other stuff I've been up to. I think it's become an offshoot of my old job search habits, my most recent contract's focus on document review, and a few other old habits. I loved clipping zoning notices out of the Leader-Post when I was a kid, partly because of the maps usually included by city hall. Nowadays, the city hall website provides so much more stuff to read with each application. Which makes for fun reading, because I like looking at blueprints in general, too. If I can't get out of the neighbourhood much for physical exploring, this is a good substitute.

Current Mood: nerdy

Those of you who live here in this province already know a lot of this.

The state of the living wage in various Ontario cities:

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/this-is-how-much-ontarians-have-to-make-per-hour-in-different-regions-to-cover-living-costs-1.6149647

The reluctance of the provincial government to demand that people resume masking-up:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-dr-kieran-moore-announcement-1.6650571

Urban sprawl enforced at the cities' and farmers' expense alike:

https://rabble.ca/environment/ford-uses-bait-and-switch-to-sprawl-onto-farmland-and-greenbelt/

Current Mood: busy

If you want to watch a pedestrian bridge over a river being installed in real time with muzak accompaniment, , check this out!

Linking Carleton University to Vincent Massey Park in the near-south end of Ottawa this weekend! Actual usage by the public begins in 2023! Video feed provided by Rail Fans Canada!

Current Mood: excited

We now have a Haiku Street in Ottawa!

See the map on page 10:

https://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/cache/2/m2bi3jxfmdin0ywfsf5zntts/79826004142022112559853.PDF

You can independently confirm via Google Maps!

Meanwhile, keep an eye on Kate Porter's coverage...

https://twitter.com/KatePorterCBC/status/1514610301022310409

Or watch the YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqnQzAbzl5I

Current Mood: amused

Three or four more applications for jobs underway as of this morning.

Watching the meeting of the Planning and Agricultural-Rural Affairs Committees of Ottawa City Council.

Pleased with the close-out of the second season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Still feels like the regular characters are somewhat more child-like than I'm used to.

More as it comes to mind...

Current Mood: busy
Current Location: Home-for-now
Current Music: Ottawa City Hall Meeting on YouTube

This looks like a nightclub district trying to pretend to be a favela:

https://www.daz3d.com/pw-down-town-favela-set

Am I wrong? I've never lived in any of the cities of the South American nations, recognized or not as nations, but what little I've seen of them...differs from this.

Current Mood: busy

Watching the Ottawa Planning Committee meeting via YouTube this morning, while searching and researching other stuff in my life. If you're interested in Ottawa Planning Committee agenda for today:

https://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=8260&doctype=AGENDA

Current Mood: busy

Some pix from neighbourhoods I haven't visited in a while. I don't know the photographer personally, but I recognize the neighbourhoods.

Elmvale Mall:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/92071236@N08/51419740897/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92071236@N08/51419740922/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92071236@N08/51421470250/

The former site of both the Torah School, and Heartwood House (AKA OC Transpo Lost and Found), and other community organizations on Chapel at Rideau Street:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/92071236@N08/51421470215/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92071236@N08/51421249304/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92071236@N08/51420484471/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/92071236@N08/51420484501/

Current Mood: curious

Watching this as I job-search and write and otherwise network...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08wpjlVFtKo

Current Mood: busy

For your reference:

https://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=8314&doctype=AGENDA

As I mentioned in the previous entry, this meeting is being broadcast on YouTube as I type this, and will be available for review after it's adjourned.

Current Mood: busy

Listening to this at the moment:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/the-grand-dame-of-green-design-cornelia-hahn-oberlander-1.6053176

Current Mood: nerdy

You remember this poll?

Decided to go with an option unpicked to date by anyone: Stumptown Vol. 4: The Case of the Cup of Joe. Greg Rucka wrote it, he helped me out with some research on something I co-wrote a little over twenty years ago, and a lot of his stuff's entertained me over the decades since then. So he gets a little more of what I can spare, effective today. I pick the book up on Saturday.

Other titles I'm either reading, re-reading or trying to make time for right now, whether by my own finances or with the public library's help:

Glimpses of Cumberland Township - For the Honour of Our Ancestors - Cumberland Township Historical Society
The Red Atlas: How the Soviet Union Secretly Mapped the World by John Davies and Alexander J. Kent
Star Trek: Discovery - Wonderlands by altariel
Obscure Ottawa by Ray Corrin
Earth by David Brin
Chasing the Flame: One Man's Fight to Save the World by Samantha Power (Yes, she's a Biden appointee nowadays.)
Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen
Draplin Design Co. - Pretty Much Everything by Aaron James Draplin
This Day in Vancouver by Jesse Donaldson
How to Lie With Maps by Mark Monmonier
On Property by Rinaldo Walcott
The Library Book: An Overdue History of the Ottawa Public Library by Phil Jenkins
Trumpocalypse by David Frum
Tangled Up in Blue by Rosa Brooks
Cartographic Grounds - Projecting the Landscape Imaginary by Jill Desimini and Charles Waldheim

Another incomplete list, and I'm not going to be able to get to all of them, anymore than I managed with the March 2021 list.

Current Mood: busy

Watching this as I continue my searching and researching this morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXvHeSzhkV4

Agenda details here:

https://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=8313&doctype=AGENDA

First item: Porter's Island Bridge - built in 1894. Possible designation as heritage property, closed off since the 1970's to pedestrian usage. Porter's Island was originally used as a plague hospital site, later as Depression-era emergency housing, and currently hosts two seniors' apartment towers accessible by another bridge.

Current Mood: busy

So I'm on the mailing list for this stuff. It's publicly available to anyone interested, and you can sign up at the City Hall website, ottawa.ca. I missed the Finance-EcDev committee meeting this morning, but want to remind myself re: tomorrow and Thursday of this stuff...

All Council, Committee and Board meetings will be held by remote, electronic participation, unless otherwise noted. For a complete agenda and updates, please sign up for email alerts, visit ottawa.ca/agendas or call 3-1-1.

The City of Ottawa continues to take COVID-19 seriously, and in following the advice of provincial and federal governments is making significant changes to services and programming to help protect the health and wellbeing of the community. City Hall is temporarily closed to help stop the spread of COVID-19. In-person meetings have been cancelled. Such meetings, as warranted, will be held electronically until further notice. For more information about service disruptions, please visit our COVID-19 webpage.

Finance and Economic Development Committee – Tuesday, May 4 at 9:30 am

Presentation - The Ottawa Hospital’s new Civic Campus development - a transformational healthcare city building project - project update
Conservation Authorities – 2021 levies

Transportation Committee – Wednesday, May 5 at 9:30 am

St. Laurent Boulevard transit priority corridor (Hemlock Road to Innes Road) environmental assessment study - statement of work
Intelligent transportation systems and connected and automated vehicle update 2021
All way stop control at the intersection of Queen Mary Street and Vera Street
Speed reductions gateway zones in Lowertown, Sandy Hill and Vanier
All way stop control at the intersection at Sweetland Street and Osgoode Street

Agriculture and Rural Affairs – Thursday, May 6 at 10 am

Zoning By-law amendment - 5564 William McEwen Drive
Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program 2016-2020 review and renewal
Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendment - 2621 Donnelly Drive
Amendment to the engineer’s report for the Faulkner municipal drain
Open mic session - Osgoode Youth Association - rural Ottawa youth mental health collective survey results

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Current Mood: busy

Watching this live as I type this:

https://twitter.com/Right2CityGP/status/1375816124961538055

Hosted by Horizon Ottawa...and here's my word for the day: "Municipalist".

Current Mood: busy
Current Location: Home-for-now
Current Music: Watching the Zoom Meeting Above

I make no guarantee as to whether I'll be able to finish reading all of these, and several are loans from the local library.

As I Walked About - A Collection of Walking Columns from the Ottawa Citizen - Phil Jenkins
Star Trek: Picard - The Dark Veil - James Swallow
The Information - James Gleick
Glimpses of Cumberland Township - For the Honour of Our Ancestors - Cumberland Township Historical Society
In Defense of Housing - David Madden and Peter Marcuse
Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus - Douglas Rushkoff
Cartographic Grounds - Projecting the Landscape Imaginary - Jill Desimini and Charles Waldheim
Thunderbird - Jack McDevitt
Tracing The History of Your House in Ottawa - City of Ottawa Archives
Packaged Toronto - A Collection of the City's Historic Design - Matthew Blackett, Wayne Reeves and Alexandra Avdichuk

Current Mood: busy
Current Location: Home-for-now
Current Music: Jasmin Kaur interview for the Ottawa Intl. Writers Festival