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It sure is, but where did it come from? Every once in a while, you might notice a sign which is unlike any other. Special circumstances in particular neighbourhoods may create the need for uncommon signage, but this was a new one for me…

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Earlier in the week, while walking home, I saw a crew of three young women painting a colourful new mural on the side of an otherwise bland concrete building. I pass this building often enough, and others like it, so the change grabbed my attention right away.



It is evidence that others are trying too; a reminder that we are each far from alone in our desire to make our city a better place…

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Not too long after I started my planning career, a manager gave me an important piece of advice which has stuck with me: “It’s not ‘no’ until it’s ‘no’ three times.” What does this mean?

Even after a planning decision is made, there is often an appeal process. Depending on the outcome, there may even be the potential for an appeal to the appeal decision, and even the potential for a court case beyond that.

Likewise, after a government decision is made, there may also be an opportunity to turn it over...

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Many new planners are ill-equipped to deal with the intimidation on the job. Because money is on the line, it is an unfortunate part of working with other planners and developers. I’ve been fortunate enough to take courses on dealing with difficult people, and a wide variety of training from empathy to enforcement, so I’ve put together some tips for anyone dealing with the tougher side of the planning and development industry…

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I had coffee with a colleague earlier in the week who is going to be leaving the province soon to travel, pursue some graduate education, and take on some new opportunities in Iceland and elsewhere in Europe.

At the same, I’ve also fielded a couple of emails this week from a student in need of some coaching, with questions about studying at Canadian universities. So I’ve put together some suggestions on selecting a Masters degree program…

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As people seem to get busier and busier, and more engaged with the possibilities of the online world, we need to get more creative with the way we involve people. This is exactly what fellow city planner Steve Miller has done in collaboration with the staff at the Omaha-based firm Community Redesigned, by developing some new online consultation tools at MindMixer.com...

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A colleague from another city got in touch with me. He is an urban planner and an active citizen, who moved recently to take on a new job and has recognized a numbers of problems in his neighbourhood ranging from crime and open drug use to prostitution. He wrote to his representatives from the three levels of government, and this is the response he received from his alderman…

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At The Planned World conference I presented at today in Vancouver, I also took in a session by Jeremy Kargon, an registered architect and assistant professor at Morgan State University.

He put forward the idea that remediation is ironic; and that many “best practices” are in fact, only cliches to cover “general practices”...

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Driving through Delta, near the Tsaawassen Ferry south of Vancouver, it is refreshing to see a series of signs highlighting the crops and farms. “Potatoes”, one says. Another reads “Barley”...

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While in Langford, BC, on Vancouver Island, we stopped in at a grocery store to pick up a few items.

At the till, we were asked if we had our own bags, and I said that we were traveling and would need a couple. The cashier said that they only sell the reusable bags and don’t carry plastic in the store. We didn’t have too many items, so we simply paid for them and carried them out on our own, but I was really impressed with this forced choice toward sustainability.

We can do likewise in our cities...

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