In many North American cities, there is much talk about improving and increasing bike lanes and bike ridership. All movement forward, however, can stall at the implementation stage. Here are 3 tips to jump start bike infrastructure in cities where it has stalled. Most cities now have at least some bike lanes, typically the painted […]
About Lorne Daniel
Quotable
Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.
– Jane Jacobs
Taking to the street for talk about streets
In Victoria, BC, a group of cyclists, urban enthusiasts and neighbourhood activists have been talking for some time about creating a Greater Victoria Placemaking Network to promote creative, citizen-led design and use of streets, plazas and other public spaces. When could we get together, where, we wondered? Finally, it hit us: take our talk about […]
Urban citizens getting creative with public space
Parks, plazas, green spaces, public markets, waterfronts – the shared spaces are where a community really expresses itself and builds a supportive, shared culture. On Saturday, July 12, a group of Victoria BC citizens will take to one public space as part of a growing urban interest in collective “placemaking” – intentional gathering to improve […]
Victoria: ready to jump on the bike momentum?
a commentary How many cities would love to be in the position of Victoria, BC, when it comes to encouraging alternative transportation, especially cycling? The city already enjoys the highest bike ridership in Canada and is poised to improve on that status. The west coast Canadian city benefits from a mild climate that encourages year-round […]
Q & A with Victoria’s festivals leader: bringing vibrant activity to city streets
John Vickers is Executive Director of three international festivals in Victoria, BC, Canada: the Victoria International Chalk Art Festival, The Victoria International Buskers Festival, and the upcoming Victoria International Kite Festival in 2014. He is also the founder of two well-known community fundraisers — the Victoria Masquerade Ball and his annual display of Pumpkin Art […]
Beyond the myth of ‘protecting pedestrians’: time for real change
It’s time for North American cities to kill the myth that marked pedestrian crossings are less safe than crossing at unmarked intersections and just get on with the work of making streets safe for pedestrians. Last week, I attended my neighbourhood community association meeting to hear a presentation on greenway development. A well scrubbed and well […]
Citizen led urban amalgamation: a Q&A
As urban areas grow, they typically do so within the confines of decades old or centuries old municipal boundaries and structures. Towns, villages and cities grow up to the edges of one another, cities sometimes sweep around bedroom community suburbs, and the result is something that says a lot about history but can be a […]
Plazas dead and lively and the passageways that connect
A city’s buzz is highly associated with the liveliness of its plazas – the shared outdoor spaces adjacent to buildings and parks, whether privately or publicly owned. To celebrate Jane’s Walk on May 4, The Places Project hosted a walk that explored a variety of plaza spaces in downtown Victoria (BC, Canada) and the curious […]
One problem corner and a community loses its flow
Every North American city has arterial roadways. Every city also has residential neighbourhoods with schools, homes, parks, playgrounds and other walking destinations. The challenge is how to manage the intersection of arterials and neighbourhoods. In an earlier blog post, we talked about the issues of arterials and our observations from The Places Project community walk […]