Imagine Wellington west, Bank street or Montreal Road. Imagine #OurBestOttawa, a #PlaceForPeople where parking is off street, creating room for businesses to grow and thrive.
With the red asphalting of the cycle paths, the extensive 15-month long roadworks on Utrecht's Amsterdamsestraatweg are now complete!
The work has transformed an unattractive and unsafe car-oriented shopping street into a green, safe and attractive street for cyclists and pedestrians!
The work has transformed an unattractive and unsafe car-oriented shopping street into a green, safe and attractive street for cyclists and pedestrians!
August 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Imagine Wellington west, Bank street or Montreal Road. Imagine #OurBestOttawa, a #PlaceForPeople where parking is off street, creating room for businesses to grow and thrive.
We’re already facing billions of dollars in underfunded infrastructure; it can’t go on. Let’s make a better city for all of us, and be #OurBestOttawa
@jleiper.bsky.social
@shawnmenard.bsky.social
@jchianello.bsky.social
@arieltroster.com
@neilsara.bsky.social
@jleiper.bsky.social
@shawnmenard.bsky.social
@jchianello.bsky.social
@arieltroster.com
@neilsara.bsky.social
October 1, 2025 at 5:09 PM
We’re already facing billions of dollars in underfunded infrastructure; it can’t go on. Let’s make a better city for all of us, and be #OurBestOttawa
@jleiper.bsky.social
@shawnmenard.bsky.social
@jchianello.bsky.social
@arieltroster.com
@neilsara.bsky.social
@jleiper.bsky.social
@shawnmenard.bsky.social
@jchianello.bsky.social
@arieltroster.com
@neilsara.bsky.social
Imagine #OttCity, also a G7 capital, having this kind of climate leadership. Imagine if we invested in sustainable transportation with the cheap easy low hanging fruit on things like bike lanes, trees, sponge parks and reliable public transit.
Imagine #OurBestOttawa
Imagine #OurBestOttawa
Pollution levels in London after 10 years of advancing sustainable transport.
September 3, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Imagine #OttCity, also a G7 capital, having this kind of climate leadership. Imagine if we invested in sustainable transportation with the cheap easy low hanging fruit on things like bike lanes, trees, sponge parks and reliable public transit.
Imagine #OurBestOttawa
Imagine #OurBestOttawa
Last muni election bike lanes were used as a divisive ploy; it’s not about biking from Carp to Navan for hockey practice in Feb; it’s about giving ppl a choice to bike to work, transit, store or school when and if they want to. We’d spend less, get more, create #OurBestOttawa if we cared more
“We can’t all be expected to bike.”
Fair. But that’s not the point.
“Not everyone can or wants to bike. But some people can & do—and they deserve a safe, efficient, affordable way to move through the city. It’s about freedom of choice.”
This & other useful comebacks, in @momentummag.bsky.social.
Fair. But that’s not the point.
“Not everyone can or wants to bike. But some people can & do—and they deserve a safe, efficient, affordable way to move through the city. It’s about freedom of choice.”
This & other useful comebacks, in @momentummag.bsky.social.
Your Comeback Guide to all the Anti-Cycling Arguments You’ll Hear This Year
Anti-bike arguments aren’t just frustrating—they’re outdated, inaccurate, and often repeated without a shred of evidence.
momentummag.com
September 5, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Last muni election bike lanes were used as a divisive ploy; it’s not about biking from Carp to Navan for hockey practice in Feb; it’s about giving ppl a choice to bike to work, transit, store or school when and if they want to. We’d spend less, get more, create #OurBestOttawa if we cared more
Bc @jleiper.bsky.social has been at the table fighting for better investment, better approaches, better clarity, better results. He’s seen, for 12y how the city wastes money, bogs down accountability and kills the innovation we need to be #OurBestOttawa
September 29, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Bc @jleiper.bsky.social has been at the table fighting for better investment, better approaches, better clarity, better results. He’s seen, for 12y how the city wastes money, bogs down accountability and kills the innovation we need to be #OurBestOttawa
Low taxes bring us an $11b backlog in infrastructure; a failing transit system; crumbling sidewalks and parks; and FTR it’s not just about the amount of taxes, but how they’re spent: we could spend smarter, deliver better and create #OurBestOttawa w/better approaches.
At a time when the cost of living is top of mind for so many residents, managing taxpayers’ dollars responsibly matters more than ever.
April 9, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Low taxes bring us an $11b backlog in infrastructure; a failing transit system; crumbling sidewalks and parks; and FTR it’s not just about the amount of taxes, but how they’re spent: we could spend smarter, deliver better and create #OurBestOttawa w/better approaches.
Don’t believe what you might hear. #OttCity isn’t broken, but I can be made better. Working together, rethinking design, making #PlacesForPeople is a way to make #OurBestOttawa; that’s key: #OurBestOttawa is within reach. We can do it if we want to. #OurBestOttawa is a city that works.
June 4, 2026 at 11:25 PM
Don’t believe what you might hear. #OttCity isn’t broken, but I can be made better. Working together, rethinking design, making #PlacesForPeople is a way to make #OurBestOttawa; that’s key: #OurBestOttawa is within reach. We can do it if we want to. #OurBestOttawa is a city that works.
Hoping that when @jleiper.bsky.social becomes our next mayor, he connects with great leaders like @brenttoderian.bsky.social and Carol Belanger in Edmonton (as sure @seandevine9.bsky.social will set up an intro, if not happy to)
Make #OurBestOttawa
Make #OurBestOttawa
I’ve worked closely with a LOT of municipal politicians over my 34 years in city-making.
Many come in thinking they already have all the answers.
Some come in asking really good questions.
I’ll talk with any Vancouver candidate who asks.
@wazaroff.bsky.social has been asking great questions.
Many come in thinking they already have all the answers.
Some come in asking really good questions.
I’ll talk with any Vancouver candidate who asks.
@wazaroff.bsky.social has been asking great questions.
“OneCity Vancouver is promising to make it cheaper to install heat pumps, provide cooling systems to hundreds of vulnerable residents, and reverse building-related climate policy changes made under Mayor Ken Sim...”
Vancouver must be a climate action leader again. dailyhive.com/vancouver/on...
Vancouver must be a climate action leader again. dailyhive.com/vancouver/on...
August 8, 2026 at 5:40 PM
Hoping that when @jleiper.bsky.social becomes our next mayor, he connects with great leaders like @brenttoderian.bsky.social and Carol Belanger in Edmonton (as sure @seandevine9.bsky.social will set up an intro, if not happy to)
Make #OurBestOttawa
Make #OurBestOttawa
Will you change procurement practices/policy so local firms can bid, have fair contracts and make #OurBestOttawa possible?
August 8, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Will you change procurement practices/policy so local firms can bid, have fair contracts and make #OurBestOttawa possible?
#OttCity, another G7 capital could be in the same #ClimateLeadership position; we don’t have to let the sarcasm of #Autowa be our reputation forever. Be the change, dream big, be #OurBestOttawa
@brenttoderian.bsky.social
@neilsara.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.com/e/designing-...
@brenttoderian.bsky.social
@neilsara.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.com/e/designing-...
October 1, 2025 at 1:35 AM
#OttCity, another G7 capital could be in the same #ClimateLeadership position; we don’t have to let the sarcasm of #Autowa be our reputation forever. Be the change, dream big, be #OurBestOttawa
@brenttoderian.bsky.social
@neilsara.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.com/e/designing-...
@brenttoderian.bsky.social
@neilsara.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.com/e/designing-...
We need more resilient infrastructure, from pipes to wires to community centres that serve as areas of refuge and places to gather, we need to invest in our city. That means better use of existing tax $ and modest increases where needed to make #OurBestOttawa
When I saw how strong tonight's winds were, I knew we were going to end up with large-scale outages. Looks like most of these began around 10:30pm. I'll keep an eye on it, but this is going to last through the night for most residents.
August 13, 2026 at 10:32 AM
We need more resilient infrastructure, from pipes to wires to community centres that serve as areas of refuge and places to gather, we need to invest in our city. That means better use of existing tax $ and modest increases where needed to make #OurBestOttawa
This is great and I love it.
What I’d love more is if we’d focus on making great public art without needing it to be part of a P3 project. There’s no reason we can’t commission great public art (and functional pieces like these benches) as a regular matter of course.
Let’s make #OurBestOttawa
What I’d love more is if we’d focus on making great public art without needing it to be part of a P3 project. There’s no reason we can’t commission great public art (and functional pieces like these benches) as a regular matter of course.
Let’s make #OurBestOttawa
Ottawa public art project invites residents to sit with Algonquin Anishinaabe art ottawacitizen.com/life/ottawa-...
September 30, 2026 at 3:29 PM
This is great and I love it.
What I’d love more is if we’d focus on making great public art without needing it to be part of a P3 project. There’s no reason we can’t commission great public art (and functional pieces like these benches) as a regular matter of course.
Let’s make #OurBestOttawa
What I’d love more is if we’d focus on making great public art without needing it to be part of a P3 project. There’s no reason we can’t commission great public art (and functional pieces like these benches) as a regular matter of course.
Let’s make #OurBestOttawa
Ottawa, like Paris, is a G7 capital. While we’ll never match Parisian culture, history, and shouldn’t strive to be like Paris (or London, or Berlin etc) we should strive to be #OurBestOttawa; that means we can learn from other places and strive to achieve similar goals: better #PlacesForPeople 1/
“Parisian car traffic fell by more than half between 2002 and 2023, while cycle lanes expanded sixfold. Bikes now make more than twice as many journeys as cars.”
www.ft.com/content/882e...
www.ft.com/content/882e...
How Paris beat the car
Though chaotic, the city’s transition has become a global role model
www.ft.com
March 14, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Ottawa, like Paris, is a G7 capital. While we’ll never match Parisian culture, history, and shouldn’t strive to be like Paris (or London, or Berlin etc) we should strive to be #OurBestOttawa; that means we can learn from other places and strive to achieve similar goals: better #PlacesForPeople 1/
Thanks to the folks at the Ottawa Mission for the tour today; learned several things about operations and history; orgs like this shouldn’t need to exist; we need to aspire to a city where #HousingFirst is the norm, ppl are treated w/dignity and respect and meals are available. #OurBestOttawa
April 9, 2026 at 11:55 PM
Thanks to the folks at the Ottawa Mission for the tour today; learned several things about operations and history; orgs like this shouldn’t need to exist; we need to aspire to a city where #HousingFirst is the norm, ppl are treated w/dignity and respect and meals are available. #OurBestOttawa
Austerity and poor planning continue to deprive us of being #OurBestOttawa; the Watson legacy lives on. Yes, line 2 will be good, but like nearly everything this city builds, is it good enough? My guess: 5 years and we start planning to double track at huge cost and disruption.
I'm excited for the Trillium Line to open as we all should be but there are still some glaring issues as this article says:
"Unlike the twin-tracked Confederation Line, the Trillium Line has long stretches of single track. If a train breaks down there, there is no way to bypass it." 1/2
"Unlike the twin-tracked Confederation Line, the Trillium Line has long stretches of single track. If a train breaks down there, there is no way to bypass it." 1/2
Here's what to expect after the LRT's Trillium Line opens Monday
Ottawa's north-south Trillium LRT Line returns to service with train service to Riverside South and the Ottawa International Airport
ottawacitizen.com
January 6, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Austerity and poor planning continue to deprive us of being #OurBestOttawa; the Watson legacy lives on. Yes, line 2 will be good, but like nearly everything this city builds, is it good enough? My guess: 5 years and we start planning to double track at huge cost and disruption.
Hallelujah. Toronto is figuring it out… will #OttCity be next in realizing that a few race to bottom to win a contract that is financially punitive, unfair, biased and may be uninsurable is no way to invest? Let’s do it. Let’s be #OurBestOttawa
“Five Design Teams Shortlisted for Park Competition in Liberty Village … the competition forms part of a larger municipal push to improve the quality of Toronto’s public realm through design-led procurement.” urbantoronto.ca/news/2026/03...
Five Design Teams Shortlisted for Park Competition in Liberty Village | UrbanToronto
The City of Toronto has shortlisted five design teams to advance in the international competition for a new 4,900m² park at 34 Hanna Avenue in Liberty Village. The next stage will see conceptual desig...
urbantoronto.ca
March 20, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Hallelujah. Toronto is figuring it out… will #OttCity be next in realizing that a few race to bottom to win a contract that is financially punitive, unfair, biased and may be uninsurable is no way to invest? Let’s do it. Let’s be #OurBestOttawa
We get designs that may not be as well suited to the needs to women and families and those in need. Change design process and become the best city we can. #OurBestOttawa
@arieltroster.com @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @stephanieplante.bsky.social
@arieltroster.com @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @stephanieplante.bsky.social
March 19, 2026 at 11:41 AM
We get designs that may not be as well suited to the needs to women and families and those in need. Change design process and become the best city we can. #OurBestOttawa
@arieltroster.com @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @stephanieplante.bsky.social
@arieltroster.com @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @stephanieplante.bsky.social
Imagine a #BetterByWard where business thrives bc it’s friendly, accessible, welcoming. Where more people pass by a store or cafe on their way home to family sized apts, and connector to the city thru a functional reliable transit system. Imagine #OurBestOttawa
@jleiper.bsky.social for mayor
@jleiper.bsky.social for mayor
“Local stores next to the protected bike-lane have seen a 49% increase in sales, compared to an average of 3% for Manhattan as a whole.”
(Among MANY other public benefits.)
Want To Make More Money? Build A Business On A Bike Lane.
#CityMakingMath via @fastcompany.com
#BikeLanesMeanBusiness
(Among MANY other public benefits.)
Want To Make More Money? Build A Business On A Bike Lane.
#CityMakingMath via @fastcompany.com
#BikeLanesMeanBusiness
Want To Make Money? Build A Business On A Bike Lane
Research from New York City notes that newly installed protected bike lanes do more than keep bikers safe--they raise the income of the stores they are in front of.
www.fastcompany.com
September 7, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Imagine a #BetterByWard where business thrives bc it’s friendly, accessible, welcoming. Where more people pass by a store or cafe on their way home to family sized apts, and connector to the city thru a functional reliable transit system. Imagine #OurBestOttawa
@jleiper.bsky.social for mayor
@jleiper.bsky.social for mayor
The city I believe can be #OurBestOttawa is a place where ppl are welcomed; that means basics like washrooms in public places like transit and parks. We could be a city of equity, access and yes, design if we believed in #PlacesForPeople @picardonhealth.bsky.social
November 20, 2025 at 12:39 AM
The city I believe can be #OurBestOttawa is a place where ppl are welcomed; that means basics like washrooms in public places like transit and parks. We could be a city of equity, access and yes, design if we believed in #PlacesForPeople @picardonhealth.bsky.social
What an absolutely excellent thread. Every single post contains a new information and helps. Illustrate the challenges. Ottawa has faced for decades. Ask yourself what we can change to make #OurBestOttawa
The City of Ottawa is nearing the finish line on its new zoning bylaw. Did you know Ottawa's zoning is only two degrees from Kevin Bacon? 🧵...
December 9, 2025 at 11:08 PM
What an absolutely excellent thread. Every single post contains a new information and helps. Illustrate the challenges. Ottawa has faced for decades. Ask yourself what we can change to make #OurBestOttawa
What does #OttCity compare itself to? Instead of saying “we’re not (Montreal, Paris, London etc)” start by advocating to be #OurBestOttawa; look around and ask “is this our best? Are we doing everything we can?” Let’s work on continuously improving, and being our best
@jleiper.bsky.social
@jleiper.bsky.social
“OUR city isn’t [insert name of a much more livable & successful city here].”
Trust me, we know that. It’s abundantly obvious that you’re not that city.
That city made, and continues to make, much better choices with fewer excuses.
The real question is, do you want YOUR city to be better or not?
Trust me, we know that. It’s abundantly obvious that you’re not that city.
That city made, and continues to make, much better choices with fewer excuses.
The real question is, do you want YOUR city to be better or not?
February 9, 2026 at 10:24 PM
What does #OttCity compare itself to? Instead of saying “we’re not (Montreal, Paris, London etc)” start by advocating to be #OurBestOttawa; look around and ask “is this our best? Are we doing everything we can?” Let’s work on continuously improving, and being our best
@jleiper.bsky.social
@jleiper.bsky.social
One that lives up to its potential, that we can all be proud of. That harnesses the talent of firms in our city who want nothing more than do our best, not our modestly minimal; we want #OttCity to thrive, to succeed. To be #OurBestOttawa
June 2, 2026 at 12:18 AM
One that lives up to its potential, that we can all be proud of. That harnesses the talent of firms in our city who want nothing more than do our best, not our modestly minimal; we want #OttCity to thrive, to succeed. To be #OurBestOttawa
As residence and taxpayers were continually faced with mediocre results in our built environment, despite spending billions of dollars annually. We’re expected to just accept mediocrity. Reform procurement to be #OurBestOttawa
“Patched” after what I believe is only 1-2 years with an asphalt ridge at Bob Macquarrie. Not falling apart per se but something went wrong and this is the permanent solution now.
April 27, 2026 at 4:50 PM
As residence and taxpayers were continually faced with mediocre results in our built environment, despite spending billions of dollars annually. We’re expected to just accept mediocrity. Reform procurement to be #OurBestOttawa
How about dedicated affordable housing for artists and creators (as Gatineau has done)? How about actually support for small biz that isn’t just butter tarts and photo ops? What if, hear me out, we made a great city that works? What if we made #OurBestOttawa?
@jleiper.bsky.social
@jleiper.bsky.social
August 13, 2026 at 1:43 PM
How about dedicated affordable housing for artists and creators (as Gatineau has done)? How about actually support for small biz that isn’t just butter tarts and photo ops? What if, hear me out, we made a great city that works? What if we made #OurBestOttawa?
@jleiper.bsky.social
@jleiper.bsky.social
Same in #OttCity; we cd put public land used for surface parking (including those at urban community centres/libraries) to better use. But it would take political will (which largely exists) + budget and a creative approach to thinking about design (both MIA); we can be #OurBestOttawa if we want
Parking! In the wknd Toronto Star I write about what to do with our underused parking lots & garages. New data shows lots profound emptiness. There’s more efficient & useful possibilities. City is already building some housing, but NIMBYs are protesting just as the sun rises. Ignore em & go harder.
Shawn Micallef: Let’s fix it: Toronto has more underused parking lots than you’d think. Here’s how to use them better
The subject of parking still seems to drive a lot of what happens in Toronto politics, but the underused lots around the city could be put to better use.
www.thestar.com
November 16, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Same in #OttCity; we cd put public land used for surface parking (including those at urban community centres/libraries) to better use. But it would take political will (which largely exists) + budget and a creative approach to thinking about design (both MIA); we can be #OurBestOttawa if we want