Welcome to
My Urban Curious Blog:
Authoritative, Affectionate, and Occasionally Absurd
I have been writing about cities, urban design, and the quirks of how people live together for more than twenty-five years. Some of that writing has been technical, or professional. Some has been quirky, or heartfelt. Some has been—let’s be honest here—slightly absurd, usually after an unusually strong espresso.
Urban Planning Glossary
Listicle, McSweeney’s (Internet Tendencies)
Are you a citizen trying to understand urban planning? A newly minted planner who keeps accidentally saying “zoning entitlement” in casual conversation? A mayor who treats public hearings as open-eyed nap practice?
You’ve come to the right glossary. Only planners can magically turn a small park into a placemaking activation node. This glossary features definitions that tell the real story. Look for the one not-real-term-but-should-be.
Smart Growth, aka The Rose
Guest Column,
Spacing Magazine
City planners need to keep on top of changes in terminology at the risk of sounding outdated, or worse, like greenwashers. Why do some terms fall out of favour, and new ones take over? I explore the good, bad, and ugly of changing terminology in discussions of the built environment.
Planning Institute of British Columbia
President’s Report - Winter 2025
Staying at the leading edge of planning requires continuous learning. In this message, I outline ways in which the Planning Institute of British Columbia & Yukon supports planning practitioners throughout their careers, and how, by looking at and learning from the work of others, we can build better communities.
I Love These Streets. Come Walk with Me
The Tyee
See ‘the Drive’ through an urban planner’s eyes. I write a love letter to my imperfect neighbourhood, and ask readers to look around themselves, and share what they see, what they know. By sharing observations with their city — through surveys, public meetings or neighbourhood associations — all residents can advocate for thoughtful interventions that make their community more walkable and vibrant.