Rob Attrell
@robattrell.bsky.social
Raising kids 🏡 (attrell.ca)
Riding bikes 🚲 (@bikeottawa.bsky.social & @lesscarca.bsky.social)
Building community 🌳 (@theneworleans.bsky.social, @strongtownsottawa.ca & @cgow.bsky.social)
Riding bikes 🚲 (@bikeottawa.bsky.social & @lesscarca.bsky.social)
Building community 🌳 (@theneworleans.bsky.social, @strongtownsottawa.ca & @cgow.bsky.social)
Reposted by Rob Attrell
I just had this craaaazy idea: what if OttCity plowed the bike lanes instead of using them for snow storage? Or is that asking too much ...
January 15, 2026 at 1:56 AM
I just had this craaaazy idea: what if OttCity plowed the bike lanes instead of using them for snow storage? Or is that asking too much ...
Reposted by Rob Attrell
After a much needed break, we’re back.
Happy New Year to all of you! Here’s a little inspiration from Paris, the Netherlands, Edmonton, Ghent and Gdańsk.
Happy cycling! 🚲
Happy New Year to all of you! Here’s a little inspiration from Paris, the Netherlands, Edmonton, Ghent and Gdańsk.
Happy cycling! 🚲
January 14, 2026 at 7:36 PM
After a much needed break, we’re back.
Happy New Year to all of you! Here’s a little inspiration from Paris, the Netherlands, Edmonton, Ghent and Gdańsk.
Happy cycling! 🚲
Happy New Year to all of you! Here’s a little inspiration from Paris, the Netherlands, Edmonton, Ghent and Gdańsk.
Happy cycling! 🚲
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Does it feel bold?
We added one story in allowed height to the single family suburbs, but you still can't build a sandwich shop there.
We still have restrictive rules about setbacks and angular plane.
We still have hundreds of individual zones, subzones, exceptions, and special exemptions...
We added one story in allowed height to the single family suburbs, but you still can't build a sandwich shop there.
We still have restrictive rules about setbacks and angular plane.
We still have hundreds of individual zones, subzones, exceptions, and special exemptions...
"If it feels bold, that's because it is." The Citizen has done an excellent overview of our new zoning by-law to be voted on January 28 by Council.
ottawacitizen.com/news/zoning-...
ottawacitizen.com/news/zoning-...
How the new zoning bylaw will reshape Ottawa's neighbourhoods
Council is poised to pass a sweeping overhaul to its outdated zoning bylaws that could change the shape of the city's neighbourhoods.
ottawacitizen.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Does it feel bold?
We added one story in allowed height to the single family suburbs, but you still can't build a sandwich shop there.
We still have restrictive rules about setbacks and angular plane.
We still have hundreds of individual zones, subzones, exceptions, and special exemptions...
We added one story in allowed height to the single family suburbs, but you still can't build a sandwich shop there.
We still have restrictive rules about setbacks and angular plane.
We still have hundreds of individual zones, subzones, exceptions, and special exemptions...
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Avid cyclist who can bike up to 200kms on weekend rides, still stymied by 1 km ride to the corner store for bread.
www.creativebyrovelo.com/therovelorec...
www.creativebyrovelo.com/therovelorec...
Avid cyclist who can bike up to 200kms on weekend rides still stymied by 1 km journey to the corner store for bread. | The Rovélo Record
BURLINGTON,ON - The man who has been recreational cycling for over 10 years has conquered some of the longest routes and steepest inclines including some KOM's on Strava. However the one distance he c...
www.creativebyrovelo.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Avid cyclist who can bike up to 200kms on weekend rides, still stymied by 1 km ride to the corner store for bread.
www.creativebyrovelo.com/therovelorec...
www.creativebyrovelo.com/therovelorec...
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Your tax dollars at work: Ontario has spent nearly $270,000 in external legal fees (not including their own in-house lawyers or $200,000 awarded in costs) to attack your Charter rights and amplify a bad faith culture war contrary to the advice of their own experts.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Ontario government has spent $270K on outside lawyers in fight to remove bike lanes: FOI | CBC News
Information obtained through a freedom of information request and shared with CBC News shows how much money the province spent on external lawyer fees to fight a court challenge against a law to remov...
www.cbc.ca
January 13, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Your tax dollars at work: Ontario has spent nearly $270,000 in external legal fees (not including their own in-house lawyers or $200,000 awarded in costs) to attack your Charter rights and amplify a bad faith culture war contrary to the advice of their own experts.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Orléans north of Highway 174 faces significant transportation challenges due to limited access routes, creating a car-dependent community. The infrastructure is designed for vehicles, neglecting safe options for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Island of Orléans: Life North of the 174
Orléans north of Highway 174 faces significant transportation challenges due to limited access routes, creating a car-dependent community. The infrastructure is designed for vehicles, neglecting safe options for pedestrians and cyclists. To improve livability and economic sustainability, the area needs mixed-use developments and diverse housing options, fostering a more connected and efficient neighbourhood.
theneworleans.ca
January 12, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Orléans north of Highway 174 faces significant transportation challenges due to limited access routes, creating a car-dependent community. The infrastructure is designed for vehicles, neglecting safe options for pedestrians and cyclists.
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Let’s be clear:
👉 Sidewalks are about mobility equity, safer streets, and reducing car dependency.
👉 Calls for “more studies” and endless deferrals aren’t caution — they’re obstruction. Delays at the expense of people who walk, roll, and rely on transit.
👉 Sidewalks are about mobility equity, safer streets, and reducing car dependency.
👉 Calls for “more studies” and endless deferrals aren’t caution — they’re obstruction. Delays at the expense of people who walk, roll, and rely on transit.
The #ManorPark sidewalk issue is not over yet…. still signs up in the snow!
It will come to @en.ottawa.ca Public Works &Infrastructure Committee in Feb - a staff report is expected.
@ecologyottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social @horizonottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social
1/
It will come to @en.ottawa.ca Public Works &Infrastructure Committee in Feb - a staff report is expected.
@ecologyottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social @horizonottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social
1/
January 12, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Let’s be clear:
👉 Sidewalks are about mobility equity, safer streets, and reducing car dependency.
👉 Calls for “more studies” and endless deferrals aren’t caution — they’re obstruction. Delays at the expense of people who walk, roll, and rely on transit.
👉 Sidewalks are about mobility equity, safer streets, and reducing car dependency.
👉 Calls for “more studies” and endless deferrals aren’t caution — they’re obstruction. Delays at the expense of people who walk, roll, and rely on transit.
I hate to be the one to break it to the suburbs but the only way to truly get denser housing that 'matches the neighbourhood character' is to have built it that way decades ago.
Starting today, the only option is to change what you accept as 'neighbourhood character'.
Starting today, the only option is to change what you accept as 'neighbourhood character'.
January 12, 2026 at 1:27 AM
I hate to be the one to break it to the suburbs but the only way to truly get denser housing that 'matches the neighbourhood character' is to have built it that way decades ago.
Starting today, the only option is to change what you accept as 'neighbourhood character'.
Starting today, the only option is to change what you accept as 'neighbourhood character'.
Reposted by Rob Attrell
The #ManorPark sidewalk issue is not over yet…. still signs up in the snow!
It will come to @en.ottawa.ca Public Works &Infrastructure Committee in Feb - a staff report is expected.
@ecologyottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social @horizonottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social
1/
It will come to @en.ottawa.ca Public Works &Infrastructure Committee in Feb - a staff report is expected.
@ecologyottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social @horizonottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social
1/
January 12, 2026 at 12:17 AM
The #ManorPark sidewalk issue is not over yet…. still signs up in the snow!
It will come to @en.ottawa.ca Public Works &Infrastructure Committee in Feb - a staff report is expected.
@ecologyottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social @horizonottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social
1/
It will come to @en.ottawa.ca Public Works &Infrastructure Committee in Feb - a staff report is expected.
@ecologyottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social @horizonottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social
1/
Reposted by Rob Attrell
When you realize that #ottawa has a single metric by which it makes most decisions, this city makes a lot more sense:
“Travel times for people driving shall never be impeded”
This city is not designed or maintained for people to live. It’s designed and maintained for people to drive fucking fast
“Travel times for people driving shall never be impeded”
This city is not designed or maintained for people to live. It’s designed and maintained for people to drive fucking fast
January 11, 2026 at 10:24 PM
When you realize that #ottawa has a single metric by which it makes most decisions, this city makes a lot more sense:
“Travel times for people driving shall never be impeded”
This city is not designed or maintained for people to live. It’s designed and maintained for people to drive fucking fast
“Travel times for people driving shall never be impeded”
This city is not designed or maintained for people to live. It’s designed and maintained for people to drive fucking fast
Reposted by Rob Attrell
We should have several hundred thousand buildings like this throughout the country on interior residential neighbourhood streets.
Somehow this apartment building hasn’t stopped Admiral Rd from becoming one of the most expensive roads in downtown Toronto
January 11, 2026 at 6:15 PM
We should have several hundred thousand buildings like this throughout the country on interior residential neighbourhood streets.
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Half the discussions of zoning reform start off with “don’t fall asleep, I know zoning sounds boring”.
I always think: this is literally about what kinds of buildings and uses are allowed to exist in our cities! And by extension, what kinds of people can live there.
It doesn’t sound boring at all.
I always think: this is literally about what kinds of buildings and uses are allowed to exist in our cities! And by extension, what kinds of people can live there.
It doesn’t sound boring at all.
January 11, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Half the discussions of zoning reform start off with “don’t fall asleep, I know zoning sounds boring”.
I always think: this is literally about what kinds of buildings and uses are allowed to exist in our cities! And by extension, what kinds of people can live there.
It doesn’t sound boring at all.
I always think: this is literally about what kinds of buildings and uses are allowed to exist in our cities! And by extension, what kinds of people can live there.
It doesn’t sound boring at all.
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Oh yay, there's a sequel to "Dude, Where's My Bus?" These documentaries are just such great looks into the way a city can flail to get major projects done (and they're a cautionary tale about ever getting into a public-private partnership)
THE TRAIN TO NOWHERE - The fight for Ottawa's South LRT (Full Documentary)
YouTube video by GioTV1
youtu.be
January 11, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Oh yay, there's a sequel to "Dude, Where's My Bus?" These documentaries are just such great looks into the way a city can flail to get major projects done (and they're a cautionary tale about ever getting into a public-private partnership)
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Which style of flooded sidewalk do you prefer, Ottawa?
Driveways across sidewalks suck.
Driveways across sidewalks suck.
January 11, 2026 at 5:25 AM
Which style of flooded sidewalk do you prefer, Ottawa?
Driveways across sidewalks suck.
Driveways across sidewalks suck.
Reposted by Rob Attrell
The past year was huge for us here, and there's lots more to come in 2026. If you like what you've gotten so far, stay tuned for more, and have a look at the ways you can support this work on urbanism in Orléans:
What To Expect Here in 2026 - The New Orleans
After taking some time with family to relax and decompress following an action-packed 2025 for me and this site, I am ready to face a new set of challenges this year. I wanted to take a little time no...
theneworleans.ca
January 11, 2026 at 12:26 PM
The past year was huge for us here, and there's lots more to come in 2026. If you like what you've gotten so far, stay tuned for more, and have a look at the ways you can support this work on urbanism in Orléans:
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Building undulating sidewalks that rise and fall at every driveway kerb cut in a city famously known for its icy conditions maybe wasn’t the brightest idea …
January 10, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Building undulating sidewalks that rise and fall at every driveway kerb cut in a city famously known for its icy conditions maybe wasn’t the brightest idea …
Reposted by Rob Attrell
It’s so terrible. All for driver convenience. Just make it flat with a round curb at the end. Drivers then actually have to slow down before entering/exiting their driveway.
January 10, 2026 at 9:41 PM
It’s so terrible. All for driver convenience. Just make it flat with a round curb at the end. Drivers then actually have to slow down before entering/exiting their driveway.
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Edmonton Neighbourhoods United says the city’s recent zoning reform harms adjacent property values on one page (“$34,022 Lost per Home”).
While on another age saying it “drives up land values—leading to more luxury builds”. “There’s no evidence that supports blanket upzoning lowers housing prices.”
While on another age saying it “drives up land values—leading to more luxury builds”. “There’s no evidence that supports blanket upzoning lowers housing prices.”
FAQs 2 — Edmonton Neighbourhoods United
www.edmontonneighbourhoodsunited.com
January 10, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Edmonton Neighbourhoods United says the city’s recent zoning reform harms adjacent property values on one page (“$34,022 Lost per Home”).
While on another age saying it “drives up land values—leading to more luxury builds”. “There’s no evidence that supports blanket upzoning lowers housing prices.”
While on another age saying it “drives up land values—leading to more luxury builds”. “There’s no evidence that supports blanket upzoning lowers housing prices.”
Reposted by Rob Attrell
No. Because #ottawa does not believe a city is for living.
The highest value Ottawa upholds is the fastest possible driving times, absolutely everywhere. Every decision is weighed against this metric
The highest value Ottawa upholds is the fastest possible driving times, absolutely everywhere. Every decision is weighed against this metric
IMPORTANT: Paris has more than “vision.” They have clear plans. Including a 5-Year Pedestrian Plan:
- 300 million € invested by 2026
- 100 new hectares of ped space
- 100 more “streets for kids”
- Focus on 0 pedestrian deaths #VisionZero
- Longer ped cross times
Does your city follow smart plans?
- 300 million € invested by 2026
- 100 new hectares of ped space
- 100 more “streets for kids”
- Focus on 0 pedestrian deaths #VisionZero
- Longer ped cross times
Does your city follow smart plans?
January 10, 2026 at 3:04 PM
No. Because #ottawa does not believe a city is for living.
The highest value Ottawa upholds is the fastest possible driving times, absolutely everywhere. Every decision is weighed against this metric
The highest value Ottawa upholds is the fastest possible driving times, absolutely everywhere. Every decision is weighed against this metric
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Tom does it again.
January 10, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Tom does it again.
Reposted by Rob Attrell
Thank you, Ottawa Citizen, for publishing my op-ed today on the financial crisis that municipalities across the country are facing due to aging infrastructure.
To read the story, please visit the Ottawa Citizen web site and look for the Opinion section.
@OttawaCitizen.com
To read the story, please visit the Ottawa Citizen web site and look for the Opinion section.
@OttawaCitizen.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Thank you, Ottawa Citizen, for publishing my op-ed today on the financial crisis that municipalities across the country are facing due to aging infrastructure.
To read the story, please visit the Ottawa Citizen web site and look for the Opinion section.
@OttawaCitizen.com
To read the story, please visit the Ottawa Citizen web site and look for the Opinion section.
@OttawaCitizen.com
Reposted by Rob Attrell
A friend of mine cooked up a flag to show support for strong municipal services and this feels like the perfect emblem of the Mamdani Moment. I absolutely love it.
January 10, 2026 at 3:10 PM
A friend of mine cooked up a flag to show support for strong municipal services and this feels like the perfect emblem of the Mamdani Moment. I absolutely love it.
Reposted by Rob Attrell
I wonder if they considered spending $12.30 of their candy money on taking transit instead 😶🌫️
This city does not work for so many people, and certainly not for young people.
This city does not work for so many people, and certainly not for young people.
Ottawa police stop 13-year-old driver out to get candy in Barrhaven
Ottawa police stop 13-year-old driver out to get candy in Barrhaven
Ottawa police say they put an end to a slow-going candy-run in Barrhaven on Thursday morning.
bit.ly
January 10, 2026 at 4:28 PM
I wonder if they considered spending $12.30 of their candy money on taking transit instead 😶🌫️
This city does not work for so many people, and certainly not for young people.
This city does not work for so many people, and certainly not for young people.