On the DEWLine 2.0: Dwight Williams

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.

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

A couple of links of interest pointed out to me:

https://www.azuremagazine.com/article/design-is-more-important-than-ever-lets-make-it-official/

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/3/22/cites-as-platforms-of-productivity

I want to revisit these at some point.

MIT Media Lab has made this a real thing.

https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/03/atlas-of-inequality-map-micro-segregation-data-mit-media-lab/584167/

Rummaging through the Ottawa sections of the Skyscraper Page Forums for topics of interest.

You might want to rummage there too, whether or not your city has a section there. There's some fun to be had by science-fiction-minded architecture and design fandom...

If anyone's got recommendations re: Canadian coursework along similar lines, let me know.

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/urban-studies-and-planning/11-001j-introduction-to-urban-design-and-development-spring-2006

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/urban-studies-and-planning/11-027-city-to-city-comparing-researching-and-writing-about-cities-spring-2006

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/urban-studies-and-planning/11-204-planning-communications-and-digital-media-fall-2004/

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/urban-studies-and-planning/11-302j-urban-design-politics-spring-2010

Maybe it's because I spend so much time exploring both the real city I live in and the fictional ones I've written about and read other peoples' writings about...but it strikes me that Cities Without Ground, this book on the networks of underground and elevated walking pathways established in Hong Kong - or (among other names) Xiānggǎng - might be worth a look-see. At the very least, perhaps a recommendation to our local public libraries might be in order?

The Atlantic Cities profile of the book: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/08/hong-kong-city-without-ground/3000/

The authors' website: http://citieswithoutground.com/

Wondering what the rules are where you live re: having a food-growing garden in your front yard...?

So, I went to this discussion on how to (re)build a better suburb last month. Allegra Newman hosted it, and here's the story with some pix from yours truly.

While checking out spacing_ottawa's sister weblogs, I came across an entry of interest re: the "intensification" doctrine of urban redevelopment in older neighbourhoods: The Genius of Walk-Up Apartments. Written by Alex Bozikovic and Toronto-focused, I'm finding myself thinking that this does have applications across the country if not the planet.

Opinions?