Ride share as a transit system?

 An example of ride sharing used as a transit system is pushing the boundaries of what a public transit system might look like and the legalities of a public-private partnership.

"Jason Reynar is passionate about rapid improvement of quality of life though local government. When traditional transit proved to be unaffordable and impractical, one disruptive town decided to subsidize ride-sharing instead. Jason Reynar lead the government team that established this public-private partnership with Uber — what they believe to be a global first."

An academic paper examines project data between 2016 and early 2020. 

"Innisfil Transit subsidizes on-demand ride-hailing trips starting or ending within the town limits as an alternative to fixed-route transit. The Innisfil Transit program underwent multiple policy changes, providing an opportunity to learn about the links between program design (e.g. presence of fixed fare destinations, ride subsidies, and monthly limits) and ridership."

from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213624X22002449

The system has recently been updated: "Changing to a distance-based pricing structure means that Innisfil Transit will no longer use "Transit Hubs." Instead, the Town will cover up to $10 of a rider’s trip as long as it’s within Innisfil’s borders. Trips between Innisfil and Barrie South or Bradford GO Stations will also enjoy this subsidy to support commuters transferring to GO Transit."

from: https://www.innisfil.ca/government-administration/news-notices/2026-06-04-innisfil-transit-changes-distance-based-pricing

But questions still exist about safety and more vulnerable members of the population, the data that's being collected and shared, and issues around public-private partnerships and a company in the United States.

Is this a better way to build communities?

"It's time to rethink how we build the suburbs." The video of the week examines the flaws of suburban development and how to design neighbourhoods with "more options for more people! 

The video compares a typical suburban development to house 1,000 people versus what could have been with a mix of housing types, introducing mixed-use, and preserving pedestrian connectivity while preserving land, introducing affordable housing, and building financially sustainable neighbourhoods.

Walkability and density isn't just a big city thing - it can be designed well into suburban communities.

Over on Instagram

 Street art!

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Another view here:

More information about the artist here:

https://justsayincaledon.com/mural-artist-sets-boltons-downtown-ablaze-with-colour/

New town adventures! 

More info here:

https://www.orangeville.ca/en/things-to-do/downtown.aspx

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Dog parks help people connect too!

 "Professor Karen Chapple goes to the park with her dog Geno and discusses how dog parks can be valuable public spaces for bridging social divides and building social networks in cities."

I loved the quote "it's mostly dog talk" but I know it's true - dog parks and dogs in general build communities.

An ode to public benches

 The public bench "transforms the surroundings into a place to be."

Well said. 

Density, supply, and affordability

Over on instagram:

Does supply - the number of units being built equal affordability? No.

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T3: Timber, Transit & Technology

This innovative concept called T3 or Timber, Transit and Technology are mass timber developments that focuses on the sustainability of building by combining several key factors. Pioneered by a development company in the US, Hines describes their efforts by saying "T3, our building model for positive change, blends the inspiring, natural feel of timber spaces with the exceptional efficiency and cutting-edge technology of our best-in-class buildings".

from: https://www.hines.com/t3

Video can be found here: 

https://youtu.be/Pk7Nub4ddJM?si=mzhabZ3L5ZjnCiLw

Local example:

"The proposed 11-storey, 190,000 square-foot office building (utilizing Hines proprietary mass timber creative office product know as T3 (Timber, Transit and Technology), will be one of the most environmentally friendly, sustainable and wellness-focused developments in Vancouver and the largest & tallest mass timber office building in Western Canada. The Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, one of Vancouver’s most dynamic and creative tech hubs, will further as as an amenity for the office building’s tenants."

https://www.pcurban.ca/project/t3-mount-pleasant/

Mode Share

 

"This chart highlights the popularity of different transportation types in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, calculated by modal share.

Data for this article and visualization is sourced from ‘The ABC of Mobility’, a research paper by Rafael Prieto-Curiel (Complexity Science Hub) and Juan P. Ospina (EAFIT University), accessed through ScienceDirect.

The authors gathered their modal share data through travel surveys, which focused on the primary mode of transportation a person employs for each weekday trip. Information from 800 cities across 61 countries was collected for this study."

from:

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-people-get-around-america-europe-asia/

Funny of the week

 Draw Bridge meme

from: https://www.reddit.com/r/technicallythetruth/comments/eon2og/this_man_and_a_sign/

Data visualization

 "Data visualisation helps us to understand the world. It also has the power to change it."

Remember this post about John Snow, see more in this video.

Ingredient list for walkable communities

 Walkable communities should have:

1. Small block size;
2. Buildings fronting the street;
3. Mixed land use;
4. Connected streets;
5. On-street parking;
6. Street trees; 
7. Sidewalks; 
8. Narrow streets;
9. Lower traffic speeds, and;
10. Traffic volumes.

from: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2023/12/22/ten-features-walkable-communities

Do you agree? What would you add?

Public places ingredient list

 "The best places are those where there is social life for all. The most iconic, popular, frequently visited public places are those full of children, women, men, and all kinds of configurations of every kind of person. A placemaking strategy that starts with creating inclusive public spaces and puts a community’s future back into its hands is the first step in addressing some of the major systemic issues that hurt and divide us. Creating great public places where people come together is at the root of healthy, happy, and prosperous societies. At the foundation of those great public places is a mix of things to experience and enjoy. By adding layers of activities, amenities, and programming, we create public places where all kinds of people want to be. The more variety a place offers, the more people will be drawn to it and benefit from the powerful impacts of these beloved destinations."

When designing a public place, include the following:

• shade;
• bollards;
• seating;
• food, especially ice cream;
• art;
• fountains and water;
• programming, and;
• performances.

from:

https://www.sociallifeproject.org/campaign-creating-social-life-for-all-places-where-people-thrive/

25 great ideas!

"The New Urbanism is a design movement toward complete, compact, connected communities—but it is also a generator of ideas that transform the landscape. Communities are shaped by the movement and flow of ideas, and the New Urbanism has been a particularly rich source of the currents that have directed planning and development in recent decades."

 https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2017/10/31/25-great-ideas-new-urbanism

UN's Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations has created 17 goals and "provides a global blueprint for dignity, peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future."  "The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030."

For more information, visit https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/why-the-sdgs-matter/

While all the goals are important for cities since more and more people move to the urban areas, number 11 "make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable" is of particular importance to planners and designers.

Visualizing solutions

 

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Cities after the pandemic

“The truth of it is that cities are living organisms, they alter and change,” Mary Rowe, president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute, told Vox. “They’re too dynamic, they’re too changing, and they’re unbelievably resilient. It takes a lot to kill a city.”

https://www.vox.com/technology/23818654/future-cities-experts-offices-urbanism

Do you have a corner stores in your neighborhood?

City Beautiful YT makes the case for adding retail in single-family neighborhoods, changing "the health, traffic, and environment" of an area.

Motivation!

Dan Pink's talk - from the video description "the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace".

What do you think?

Video of the week: Solar gain

What architecture! Such a beauty of a house.

from the video description "The term ‘Solar Home’ was coined in Chicago in the 1940s. Despite the recent declaration of the term, good practices around orientation and window placement have been around centuries. But, coming off the Great Depression, coupled with the proliferation of glazing and emerging technology such as air-conditioning, architects and the public felt the benefits of passive solar design more acutely. This video visits the Schweikher House, built during the 1930s, to explore its passive solar techniques. It is not a ‘Solar Home,’ per se, but the architect worked closely with George Keck, prior to its construction and it incorporates many of principles that would get codified later on. George Keck pioneered solar research in architecture and created the first ‘Solar Home,’ a project the video explores at the ‘Houses of Tomorrow’ exhibition at the Elmhurst Art Museum. "

Over on instagram!

 

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