Saint John, New Brunswick Photo by Gillian Barfoot, member of Spacing Atlantic's flickr pool.

An abridged version of this article appeared in Spacing Magazine's 18th issue, 'Oh, The Spectacle'. HALIFAX - The relationship between farm and city has been an ongoing dialogue among market-goers in Halifax — a city whose geographic and psychogeographic proximity to agricultural vitality provides ample opportunity for food politics to rise to the fore. Every Saturday morning, in grand tradition, this dialogue meanders its way through the labyrinth-like, historic Alexander Keith’s brewery, the site of Halifax’s beloved farmers’ market. But, as of this Saturday, this dialogue (along with many local producers, chefs, artists and crafters) will move to the long awaited Seaport Farmers’ Market — a state-of-the-art, environmentally focused waterfront facility widely heralded as a groundbreaking new model in the realm of green building and local ingenuity.

A series that examines urban and architectural issues in Halifax by way of unbuilt proposals authored by different designers, this week featuring a project by graduate architect Thomas Evans for a new library in downtown Halifax. All drawings and images courtesy Thomas Evans. Text by Dustin Valen. HALIFAX - Through a series of consultations between designers and community members, a design for the new Halifax Central Library is already well underway. In light of these real developments, recent thesis research by Thomas Evans entitled Meta-Library: A Public Platform for Information Exchange is a fitting example for a building that promises to be a significant landmark in the city. Evans’ research considers the many challenges facing the design of a contemporary library and public space in downtown Halifax. Importantly, his work surrounds the actual library project with hopeful optimism.

SAINT JOHN - Last Wednesday evening will prove to be a watershed for uptown development. Common Council voted 8-3 to award a $ 20.6-million tender to build a new police headquarters in the historic city centre district. What else could bring people back from the suburbs and encourage more visitors to the city?

HALIFAX - "How will my central library transform our lives, our city?", this is the question that Haligonians are being encouraged to ask themselves and eachother in preparation for the five stage public consultation process that will shape the Halifax Central Library. The site has been picked, the funding strategy is approved and the architects are ready to go.  And go they will.  The first place their going to is the public...five times.  The first time will be this Thursday at the Dalhousie Student Union ...

SAINT JOHN - It's been a mixed bag here in the Port City lately. Tuesday marked the 225th anniversary of the incorporation of Canada's 'original city'; Commercial Properties presented a town clock at the corner of King & Prince William streets, with organizers putting on a gala celebration at Harbour Station marking the beginning of an eight month extravaganza. The day before the festivities, marked the beginning of $35 million worth of construction work on the Saint John Harbour Bridge. Harbour Passage, the pedestrian route between the North End and West Side of the city and Uptown, is to be effectively closed this summer, autumn & next year (photos here). See you in 2012!

HALIFAX - About 25 people gathered in front on the Halifax Farmers' Market last Saturday to take part in Halifax's Jane's Walk. This year's walk, "Change of (s)Pace," wandered through the downtown, stopping to muse about all kinds of transformations the city is undergoing. photo by Alison Creba Hosted by Spacing Atlantic contributors, we followed the participatory principle that everyone is an authority on their community.  Anyone interested was given the opportunity to share thoughts and knowledge on their neighborhoods and city, taking up the megaphone whenever the urge arose.

This is a reprint of an article I wrote for the Dalhousie Gazette. HALIFAX - Despite what you might hear about dropping student enrollment, Dalhousie's student population is booming. In the past decade, seven massive new buildings have gone up just on Studley Campus, the last being the new academic building still being built at Coburg and LeMarchant. This growing list of new buildings includes the Computer Science Building, the McCain Arts and Social Sciences building, the Fountain House extension of Howe Hall, Risley Hall and the Rowe Management Building, all of which have a prominent, unavoidable presence on campus. Believe it or not, we are witnessing one of the most transformative moments in the University's history, the likes of which haven't been seen in 40 years. Surely these new buildings are in some way shaping the lives of the thousands of students who continue to use their lecture halls, live in their dorm rooms, smoke outside their front doors or simply pass by their shiny new facades on a daily basis. But how do they compare to the buildings already existing on campus? Are they an improvement, or a step in the wrong direction?