Urban planning

Main Street Ottawa opens as (almost) Complete Street

June 19, 2017 Hansonthebike 11

Reading Time: 8 minutesLast Saturday, the renovated Main Street in Ottawa was officially opened. The opening of this brand new complete street was folded into the annual Main Street fest and part of the street was closed off for motorized traffic. There was a brass band playing, there was an artisan farmers market, there was the bouncy castle (no event in Ottawa is complete without a bouncy castle, face painting and a booth of Safer Roads Ottawa) and there were hamburgers (veggie and halal included) for the fundraising part of the event. Cast iron for David Chernushenko From the tongue-in-cheek gift of the [Read more…]

Parks Canada staff Adonaelle, Elisha and Tara in front of 'their' Voyageur canoe.

Parks Canada Voyageur Canoe on the Rideau Canal

June 16, 2017 Hansonthebike 1

Reading Time: 4 minutesSince my semi retirement, I have more opportunities to bike around during the day instead of my daily commute to work and back. It allows me to see Ottawa during the week and I am learning there is so much happening in Ottawa I had no idea of. Like the Voyageur canoe, operated by Parks Canada. I am cycling home after a lunch at Kettleman’s on Bank. Home is in the Fisher and Baseline area and a nice route from the Glebe goes via Dow’s Lake, bike through the Arboretum to the Hartwell’s Locks and veer west to cross the [Read more…]

Tim doesn't just plan parking, he was also a freelance cartoonist.

So… will anyone actually buy a unit without a parking space?

April 25, 2017 Hansonthebike 0

Reading Time: 2 minutesOver the last year or so Karen and I talked on and off about how we want to live when we are reaching our 70’s. Do we still want to live in the inner suburbs in a house with a garden and be car dependent at times? Do we want to move into a condo closer to LRT and use shared bike and car systems? When you are not adding much to your income anymore at that age, a car is probably the worst to own with its cost of at least $7000 annually. Does everyone need parking? We’d probably [Read more…]

The New Halifax Central Library

June 21, 2016 Hansonthebike 1

Reading Time: 5 minutesOttawa is working towards a new main library. The Halifax library is a nice example of what Ottawa should strive for. Taking advantage of location and sight lines.

Riocan artist impression

Ottawa Input for Minimum Parking Standards

December 17, 2015 Hansonthebike 0

Reading Time: 2 minutesIn a previous post, I wrote about the eventual redevelopment of the South Keys mall. This week, there was a first meeting on the redevelopment of another mall, Westgate, which is much older than South Keys. I once had to pick up medication at Westgate around midnight. It is quite a desolate place. A woman jumped out of a car, kicking the car and swearing to the others in the car, then jumped into the car and they all drove away again. While all is still very conceptual, as councillor Jeff Leiper writes on his blog, this is the time to [Read more…]