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.
Ten Ways to Loosen Our Zoning Corset: Paris Lessons for Canadian Cities
Why do Canadian cities feel so… well-behaved, compared to Paris?
The short answer: we’ve largely zoned out streetscape spontaneity.
In Canada, we need to shed—or at least rethink—a few old habits.
Eight Big Ideas from Paris: A Planner’s Photo-Essay
Paris rewards the flâneur and flâneuse—the idle walker-who-observes. Every corner, every café terrace, every balcony seems to hold a lesson in how cities can shine, and evolve. During my recent wanderings in Paris, I gathered eight ideas—small gestures and grand visions alike—that reveal how the French capital is quietly reinventing urban life.
What if a bus were my therapist?
Buses (like therapists) remind us that the world doesn’t revolve around us. That’s a good thing. It’s humbling. Sometimes, you end up in places you didn’t expect, but maybe that’s the point.
Just roll with it.
My Top Six Learnings from Amsterdam (with Photos)
Amsterdam rewards curiosity. I arrived with a notebook, my city planner’s lens, and my urban curiosity in full blaze. I left with new ways of thinking about bikes, water, greenery, and design.