Can’t get enough of Spacing Atlantic? Then check out our new account on Twitter. We’ll be sending out links to stories on topics that don’t make it onto the blog, engaging fellow tweeters in spirited discussion of urban issues, and cracking all kinds of lame — but always thematically appropriate — jokes. Check us out at www.twitter.com/spacingatlantic. illustration by Rebecca Roher

HALIFAX - Halifax has a rich 260 year history. A lot of fascinating stuff has happened here, much of it has even been written down. Here’s a quick selection of some neat books I found on Halifax, and they’re all available through your local public library. 1. Halifax Street Names: An Illustrated Guide, edited by Shelia Mackenzie. Halifax: Formac Publishing Company Limited, 2002. 189 pages. If you find it at all interesting to know that Robie Street was named after Nova Scotian Judge Simon Bradstreet Robie (1770-1858), or that in the mid 19th century the south end of Brunswick street was known as ‘Knock-’em-down Street” because of the frequent brawls outside of the brothels and taverns on the east side, then this is the book for you. Halifax Street Names provides the reader with the histories of some of Halifax's over 5000 streets. The book also has a number of cool photos of Halifax over the years. Halifax Street Names is sure to bring a little added appreciation to your daily dog walks and bike rides.

For the next month, Spacing Atlantic will engage in an in-depth analysis of HRMbyDesign, the ambitious plan set fourth by the municipal government to transform the region over the next 25 years. This series of weekly installments will move through the plan's various nooks and crannies, and carve out a unique and fresh perspective on the HRMbyDesign process. ________________________________________________________________________ Odds are if you’re reading Spacing Atlantic, you have at least some knowledge about HRMbyDesign. While there’s been lots of coverage of  plan in the the media, most of it has not been particularly comprehensive. One reason for the limited nature of the coverage is the fact that the documents which lay out the groundwork for HRMbyDesign are composed of typically dry, jargon filled, government bureaucrat speak — not exactly a fun afternoon read. Luckily for the readers of Spacing Atlantic, I’m interning here for a month and I pretty much have to do whatever they tell me. Thus, we begin the first of Spacing Atlantic’s in-depth series on HRMbyDesign. This week we’ll be looking at the heritage portions of the plan. The majority of the information that will be looked at here was found in two documents: Downtown Halifax Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy [ PDF ] (which, for the purposes of brevity, I’ll call the Downtown Plan) and Barrington Street Heritage Conservation District Revitalization Plan [PDF](The Barrington Plan). The fact is, there are a lot of really cool old buildings in Halifax. Andy Fillmore, the Urban Design Project Manager for the Capital District, told me that there are currently 126 registered heritage properties in the downtown study area. The protection of these properties is a central component of the whole downtown plan. The main way that heritage properties will find further protection under HRMbyDesign is through the creation of heritage districts.

HALIFAX - Bad intersections, every major city in the world has them. They confuse us with complicated traffic signals, make us late for work, and probably cause more than their fair share of accidents. I decided to go on a quest to point out the worst intersections in Halifax, and maybe even suggest a few fixes along the way. Now you may be wondering, what exactly qualifies me to pontificate on the inadequacies of Halifax traffic infrastructure? Well, to tell you the truth, not much really. That's why I decided to contact the good people at the Cities and Environment Unit, in the Department of Planning and Architecture at Dalhousie. They all had a discussion and kindly got back to me with their own list of problem intersections in Halifax. As an added bonus they're actually qualified to suggest some legitimate fixes to our fair City's cruddiest crossroads.

HALIFAX - Whether you’re looking to get to work, have some fun or get some exercise, there’s really nothing better than a good old fashioned bike ride. Unfortunately for the cyclists of Halifax, the biking infrastructure in this town is a little bit short on ‘good,’ with a much greater emphasis on the ‘old fashioned’ part. In fact, biking on the peninsula can be down right dangerous. In most places cyclists have to share the road with cars, trucks,  and even the occasional rickshaw in the touristy areas. As if the the moving vehicles weren’t enough, bikers also have to worry about smashing face first into a car door as somebody gets out of their Honda Civic. The worst part of it all is that there’s a pretty easy fix for most of these concerns; more bike lanes! A quick look around Halifax and you’ll realize that the city is really lacking in adequate space to keep cyclists safe on the road. I think it would be tough to find a cyclist in this city that didn’t agree that Halifax needs more bike lanes, but where do we need them the most?

HALIFAX - A concert to benefit Out of the Cold, Halifax's emergency winter shelter, is taking place this Sunday, November 29th at the Paragon Theatre. Out of the Cold is based out of St. Matthew's Church on Barrington.  Every night they offer 15 beds to men and women. It receives no government funding, and is run entirely off of community and volunteer support. Benefit performers include Broken Ohms, Evolution Soldier, Ghettosocks, Jason and Adam McIsaac, The Baketones, The Nomadics, The Repercussionsits and The Troubleshooters. WHAT: The Emergency Winter Shelter Benefit Concert WHERE:...