Some chase landmarks and selfies. Some chase rest and Chardonnay. Some chase stories. Over the years, I’ve come to think of this as a spectrum of urban curiosity.

if I could unwrap just one thing this Christmas, it would be a connected network of true AAA bike lanes like the gorgeous ones that run through Downtown Vancouver; that lets families ride without fear, guilt, or grinchiness.

Because the best gift a city can give its residents is infrastructure that works to make us and our loved ones safe.

It’s that time of year again—the season when many of us are gearing up for winter travel. Maybe you’re off to Europe to wander Germany’s legendary Christmas markets, warmed by spiced wine and the glow of a thousand tiny lights (or perhaps a few steins of beer). Maybe you’re staying closer to home, revisiting a beloved main street or discovering a new one.

Either way, the Urban Curious among us share one instinct: we pack for the journey with our senses switched on.

Alice Cabaret is, in every sense, a city-building superhero—one who teaches us to look again, look closer, and look with feeling.