Jim Mayer π¨π¦
@pentastich.bsky.social
Urbanism, utility cycling, rowing, food, vintage cocktails, and city living. Victoria, BC, Canada. He/him.
Blog: https://www.boomin-in-victoria.ca
Mastodon (rarely) https://urbanists.social/@pentastich
Formerly @pentastich on Birdland
Blog: https://www.boomin-in-victoria.ca
Mastodon (rarely) https://urbanists.social/@pentastich
Formerly @pentastich on Birdland
That's a good peeve to have. You're not alone.
February 10, 2026 at 8:51 PM
That's a good peeve to have. You're not alone.
4/4 For completeness, the homicide numbers are from Statistics Canada:
www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/t...
www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/t...
Number and rate of homicide victims, by Census Metropolitan Areas
Number and rate (per 100,000 population) of homicide victims, Canada and Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981 to 2024.
www150.statcan.gc.ca
February 10, 2026 at 8:50 PM
4/4 For completeness, the homicide numbers are from Statistics Canada:
www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/t...
www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/t...
3/4 Was 8β1β5 really best described by an 87.5% decrease followed by a 400% increase? Is the 37.5% decrease from 8β5 over 2 yrs meaningful? The answers to both are NO. When we don't understand statistics, we're vulnerable to being manipulated.
February 10, 2026 at 8:50 PM
3/4 Was 8β1β5 really best described by an 87.5% decrease followed by a 400% increase? Is the 37.5% decrease from 8β5 over 2 yrs meaningful? The answers to both are NO. When we don't understand statistics, we're vulnerable to being manipulated.
2/4 Interestingly, it looks like many cities show a 3 year bump starting in 2020. That's an interesting hypothesis, but looking at Victoria's tiny numbers in isolation says nothing, and percentage increases from a tiny base are useless.
February 10, 2026 at 8:50 PM
2/4 Interestingly, it looks like many cities show a 3 year bump starting in 2020. That's an interesting hypothesis, but looking at Victoria's tiny numbers in isolation says nothing, and percentage increases from a tiny base are useless.
1/4 We love numbers, precision, and ranking, but our culture fails horribly at interpretation. I remember seeing a report about a huge percentage increase in homicides one year here in Victoria. The 2014-2024 numbers are 4, 8, 1, 5, 2, 2, 6, 5, 5, 2, and 2. There's no discernable pattern.
This triggers a pet peeve with research methods and media reporting.
This study measures % growth of infrastructure, not size of current infrastructure or length of growth. Cities that are ahead with infrastructure can grow more, but have a lower %.
Having said that, bike leadership has stalled.
This study measures % growth of infrastructure, not size of current infrastructure or length of growth. Cities that are ahead with infrastructure can grow more, but have a lower %.
Having said that, bike leadership has stalled.
February 10, 2026 at 8:50 PM
1/4 We love numbers, precision, and ranking, but our culture fails horribly at interpretation. I remember seeing a report about a huge percentage increase in homicides one year here in Victoria. The 2014-2024 numbers are 4, 8, 1, 5, 2, 2, 6, 5, 5, 2, and 2. There's no discernable pattern.
It may well! They're lovely shirts :-)
February 10, 2026 at 12:41 AM
It may well! They're lovely shirts :-)
Reposted by Jim Mayer π¨π¦
What do these cities have in common with Victoria? Saanich, Esquimalt, Edmonton, Winnipeg, β€οΈMinneapolisβ€οΈ, Chicago, Austin, Tampa, Boston, Nashville, Ann Arbor, and many more.
Moving forward with protected bike-and-roll infrastructure.
#urbanism #safety #yyj
davethompsonvictoria.ca/victoria-has...
Moving forward with protected bike-and-roll infrastructure.
#urbanism #safety #yyj
davethompsonvictoria.ca/victoria-has...
Dave Thompson Victoria
Iβve been meeting with workers and business owners, youth and seniors, visitors and residents, front-line service providers and community organizations to discuss Victoriaβs future, and what City Coun...
davethompsonvictoria.ca
February 9, 2026 at 10:42 PM
What do these cities have in common with Victoria? Saanich, Esquimalt, Edmonton, Winnipeg, β€οΈMinneapolisβ€οΈ, Chicago, Austin, Tampa, Boston, Nashville, Ann Arbor, and many more.
Moving forward with protected bike-and-roll infrastructure.
#urbanism #safety #yyj
davethompsonvictoria.ca/victoria-has...
Moving forward with protected bike-and-roll infrastructure.
#urbanism #safety #yyj
davethompsonvictoria.ca/victoria-has...
2/2 Members of Victoria's Ecosocialist Echo Chamber Biking Cartel do not wear hair shirts (note: I have no association other than amusement and wonder with this online shop):
yyj-bike-cartel.myspreadshop.ca/all
yyj-bike-cartel.myspreadshop.ca/all
YYJ Bike Cartel
Ecosocialist Echo-Chamber Biking Cartel? β Ecosocialist Echo-Chamber Biking Cartel β Ecosocialist Echo-Chamber Biking Cartel
yyj-bike-cartel.myspreadshop.ca
February 9, 2026 at 11:48 PM
2/2 Members of Victoria's Ecosocialist Echo Chamber Biking Cartel do not wear hair shirts (note: I have no association other than amusement and wonder with this online shop):
yyj-bike-cartel.myspreadshop.ca/all
yyj-bike-cartel.myspreadshop.ca/all
1/2 I sometimes get looks when people learn my wife and I choose not to own a car. I suspect some people imagine that car non-ownership is the hair shirt of the Ecosocialist Echo Chamber Biking Cartel. Well, no, but I wrote a blog post anyway.
#yyj #urbanism
www.boomin-in-victoria.ca/2026/02/the-...
#yyj #urbanism
www.boomin-in-victoria.ca/2026/02/the-...
The Long and Winding Road: How We Ended Up Not Owning a Car
My wife and I decided to move to Victoria about a decade ago. We had retired, felt like an adventure, and were looking for a fun, walkable, ...
www.boomin-in-victoria.ca
February 9, 2026 at 11:48 PM
1/2 I sometimes get looks when people learn my wife and I choose not to own a car. I suspect some people imagine that car non-ownership is the hair shirt of the Ecosocialist Echo Chamber Biking Cartel. Well, no, but I wrote a blog post anyway.
#yyj #urbanism
www.boomin-in-victoria.ca/2026/02/the-...
#yyj #urbanism
www.boomin-in-victoria.ca/2026/02/the-...
That decimal point seems out of place somehow. Mismatched millennia or something like that :-) Wikipedia says it should be (approximately) LXIVSβ’β’β’β’β’!
February 8, 2026 at 10:39 PM
That decimal point seems out of place somehow. Mismatched millennia or something like that :-) Wikipedia says it should be (approximately) LXIVSβ’β’β’β’β’!
It made me happy that I had no idea what those "magic numbers" were. A tiny scrap of remaining innocence⦠though I suppose even that's gone, now. Thanks Google. You've ruined my second childhood.
February 8, 2026 at 7:15 PM
It made me happy that I had no idea what those "magic numbers" were. A tiny scrap of remaining innocence⦠though I suppose even that's gone, now. Thanks Google. You've ruined my second childhood.
Reposted by Jim Mayer π¨π¦
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business β closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis
City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.
www.forbes.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:09 AM
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business β closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
Yeah, watching the Quadra-McKenzie debacle makes me even more certain that amalgamation is a bad idea.
February 8, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Yeah, watching the Quadra-McKenzie debacle makes me even more certain that amalgamation is a bad idea.
TBF, the award is for the newly created plan, not past "achievements," and that plan lists car dependency as a challenge to making improvements. It sounds like the city is trying to get themselves out of the trap that Stu built.
February 7, 2026 at 10:29 PM
TBF, the award is for the newly created plan, not past "achievements," and that plan lists car dependency as a challenge to making improvements. It sounds like the city is trying to get themselves out of the trap that Stu built.
Reposted by Jim Mayer π¨π¦
In this weekendβs @thestar.com column I look at how churches have a tradition creating needed housing in Canada & Cabbagetownβs objection to height at St Lukeβs is wrong. Itβs also voter-supported city policy to force all density into a few areas so you canβt have it both ways, yo.
Shawn Micallef: How high is too high? Why Torontoβs beef with the size of residential towers misses the point
The pressure to go higher in places like this is because itβs not possible in a lot of Toronto where multi-unit apartment bias is strong.
www.thestar.com
February 7, 2026 at 3:43 PM
In this weekendβs @thestar.com column I look at how churches have a tradition creating needed housing in Canada & Cabbagetownβs objection to height at St Lukeβs is wrong. Itβs also voter-supported city policy to force all density into a few areas so you canβt have it both ways, yo.
Reposted by Jim Mayer π¨π¦
this development is
a. nuts - every home has daylight on at least 3 sides
b. 100% illegal in ever city in the US
c. full of family-sized homes
d. thin - the shallow floor plate leaves most of site open for nature/people
4x 6-story point access blocks ftw
www.baunetz-architekten.de/fischer-arch...
a. nuts - every home has daylight on at least 3 sides
b. 100% illegal in ever city in the US
c. full of family-sized homes
d. thin - the shallow floor plate leaves most of site open for nature/people
4x 6-story point access blocks ftw
www.baunetz-architekten.de/fischer-arch...
Wohnsiedlung Birchlenstrasse, DΓΌbendorf | Fischer Architekten, ZΓΌrich
Architekten Profil im BauNetz von Fischer Architekten , CH-8045 ZΓΌrich - Fischer,Architekten,AG,ZΓΌrich
www.baunetz-architekten.de
February 7, 2026 at 5:40 PM
this development is
a. nuts - every home has daylight on at least 3 sides
b. 100% illegal in ever city in the US
c. full of family-sized homes
d. thin - the shallow floor plate leaves most of site open for nature/people
4x 6-story point access blocks ftw
www.baunetz-architekten.de/fischer-arch...
a. nuts - every home has daylight on at least 3 sides
b. 100% illegal in ever city in the US
c. full of family-sized homes
d. thin - the shallow floor plate leaves most of site open for nature/people
4x 6-story point access blocks ftw
www.baunetz-architekten.de/fischer-arch...
Reposted by Jim Mayer π¨π¦
"For years, a cottage industry of political observers has contorted itself to obscure and occlude the obvious. That regardless of what others see in him, Trumpβs entire political career...cannot be understood outside the context of his bitter, deep-seated racism." (gift link)
Opinion | This Is Just Who Trump Is
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 4:49 PM
"For years, a cottage industry of political observers has contorted itself to obscure and occlude the obvious. That regardless of what others see in him, Trumpβs entire political career...cannot be understood outside the context of his bitter, deep-seated racism." (gift link)
There's a similar issue here in Victoria. Thankfully, we seem to be building a some new ones, and I hear less complaining than for "truly outrageous" proposals like a sixplex or a 4-storey apartment building (gasp). High housing prices β fewer spare bedrooms β more need for hotels.
February 7, 2026 at 6:21 PM
There's a similar issue here in Victoria. Thankfully, we seem to be building a some new ones, and I hear less complaining than for "truly outrageous" proposals like a sixplex or a 4-storey apartment building (gasp). High housing prices β fewer spare bedrooms β more need for hotels.
4/ As is all too common, the real scandal is the headline and an uninformed US Senator trying to generate clicks and score points.
February 6, 2026 at 10:13 PM
4/ As is all too common, the real scandal is the headline and an uninformed US Senator trying to generate clicks and score points.
3/ There are a gazillion good reasons to oppose many companies visions for autonomous cars clogging our streets. I just don't think this is one of them.
February 6, 2026 at 10:11 PM
3/ There are a gazillion good reasons to oppose many companies visions for autonomous cars clogging our streets. I just don't think this is one of them.
2/ I much prefer this approach to one where the car just plows ahead through complex situations. Here's an illustration from a video in the Waymo blog post I linked earlier.
February 6, 2026 at 10:11 PM
2/ I much prefer this approach to one where the car just plows ahead through complex situations. Here's an illustration from a video in the Waymo blog post I linked earlier.
1/ I disagree. I'm not a self-driving car fan, but Waymo is using smart engineering. The car is self-driving. If it gets into a situation the software doesn't understand, it can request a consult. The company described The process a couple of years ago. This wasn't hidden.
waymo.com/blog/2024/05...
waymo.com/blog/2024/05...
Fleet response: Lending a helpful hand to Waymoβs autonomously driven vehicles
The Waymo Driver autonomously navigates tens of thousands of rider-only miles across San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin daily. It can navigate common scenarios, like adhering to a crossin...
waymo.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:11 PM
1/ I disagree. I'm not a self-driving car fan, but Waymo is using smart engineering. The car is self-driving. If it gets into a situation the software doesn't understand, it can request a consult. The company described The process a couple of years ago. This wasn't hidden.
waymo.com/blog/2024/05...
waymo.com/blog/2024/05...
Reposted by Jim Mayer π¨π¦
There's a lot BC can learn from in this excellent report. Perhaps most directly relevant for #yyj : we need to plan transit around our goals as a region, not around ideology. Also, we need to empower at least one set of decision-makers to actually build what we need as a region.
February 6, 2026 at 8:38 PM
There's a lot BC can learn from in this excellent report. Perhaps most directly relevant for #yyj : we need to plan transit around our goals as a region, not around ideology. Also, we need to empower at least one set of decision-makers to actually build what we need as a region.