Across the Spacing urban blog network each week we're asking our readers in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Otttawa, and the Atlantic cities to let us know their favourite things about their respective city. THIS WEEK: What is your favourite pedestrian bridge(s) in your city? If possible, please provide a link to a photo you are commenting about. We suggest using Flickr as the photographers that use this site usually provide the best quality images (and often with ...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Currently designated a "primary bike route" in the city's Active Transportation network, proposed changes to Lower Water Street suggest that HRM has no intention of supporting their own plan."][/caption] HALIFAX - On September 19, 2011, traffic patterns in Downtown Halifax were altered in an attempt to ease congestion in the city's core. In this first of three planned phases, a number of streets that currently allow two-way traffic now only permit one-way traffic (including sections of Blowers, Market, Sackville, George, and Granville streets), while a section of Grafton Street will now allow two-way traffic. Subsequent phases in October and March will see Lower Water Street becoming one-way north bound, signals added to the Duke and Lower Water Street intersection, and bike lanes added to both Lower Water and Hollis streets. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Phase 1 came into affect September 19, 2011. "][/caption] In a report to Council, HRM Staff claim that “the highlight of this plan is the creation of new bike lanes on Hollis Street and Lower Water Street”. Why then does this plan sacrifice the safety of cyclists and efficiency of both its active transportation and public transit network?

SAINT JOHN – We are now a few months into the City of Saint John’s experiment with bike lanes on Main Street in the city’s North End and, from all reports, the world hasn’t ended yet. Traffic has naturally slowed to non-freeway speeds without backing up (or really being noticed at all) and the route sees many cyclists use it every day. It has even been popular enough with pedestrians that the City thought it was necessary to issue a statement saying that the bike lanes are approved for – you guessed it – bicycles only. Too bad for the pedestrians in need of a safer walking route, but that’s another story.

HALIFAX - Has ecocide caused something you love to become a zombie? Join Ecology Action Centre (EAC) and make a statement about the environment on Friday the 13th for EAC's Zombie Walk for the Environment. The event has been advertised as a messy, costume-heavy parade. WHAT: Zombie Walk for the Environment WHEN: Today - Friday, May 13, 2011, 5:30pm WHERE: Meet at Camp Hill Cemetery on Robie Street HOW MUCH: Free Ecology Action Centre (EAC) has noted that the tentative walking route for today's Zombie Walk will proceed from Camp Hill Cemetery at Robie street through the cemetery and emerge on Summer Street; the Zombies will turn left walking towards Spring Garden Road then turn left on to Spring Garden and will walk down Spring Garden towards Barrington. From Barrington the group will turn left on Grafton, right on Blowers, left on Argyle to the final Zombie resting place - Parade Square.

[caption id="attachment_9095" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="What is Swag? Walking."][/caption] HALIFAX - Haligonians enjoyed a quick respite from the seemingly endless deluge this past weekend while participating in the city’s well-timed Jane’s Walk walking series.  Over 100 people came out to walk, talk and learn about their neighborhoods.  A variety of folks, young and old, shared stories, maps and anecdotes about the places we live and the paths we use to navigate ourselves around the city. Janet Barlow, coordinator of the Active and Safe Route to School project, kicked off the series with a walk to school in Clayton Park, a suburban development off the peninsula.  Parents from the nearby Park West Elementary joined some curious city folk for a stroll, as we meandered through the system of cul-de-sacs. Although most children live within walking distance, 25% of them are chauffeured to school, causing unnecessary traffic congestion and danger. Barlow, a treasure trove of information, showed us the paths that connect the dead-end streets meant to encourage pedestrianism.  Unfortunately, some of the residents have been successful in shutting down these paths to public usage.  What would Jane Jacobs say? Trouble arises when a neighbourhood is designed in such a way where there are no eyes on the street to collectively supervise the goings-on. [caption id="attachment_9093" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Janet Barlow shows us the way to school."][/caption]

HALIFAX - Today and tomorrow ( May 7 and 8), Haligonians will take to the streets for a series of free urban neighbourhood tours that inspire citizens to get to know their city and each other by getting out and walking  for Jane's Walk Halifax. Jane's Walks' are coordinated nationally and internationally in the spirit of Jane Jacobs - a highly regarded community, grassroots urban planner. 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961); this critically-aclaimed publication serves as an ongoing powerful critique of urban renewal policies. Jacobs went on to publish other books and to successfully protest major urban projects that endorsed urban sprawl.  Her community-centred vision started with the idea that local residents know best how to shape and improve their neighbourhoods. Foremost is her simple yet revolutionary idea that dense, mixed use neighborhoods are the key to the health and survival of a city. Decades later, her vision and approach has become a model for generations of architects, planners, politicians and activists. Following Jane Jacobs' influential visions on what makes cities great and how to advocate for their inherent community value, Jane’s Walk was developed to cultivate further a broad understanding of how cities – their economies, neighbourhoods, communities, and institutions – organically develop and thrive. The Walks also work to advance walkable neighbourhoods, to increase urban literacy and promote neighbourhood cohesion, civic engagement and leadership. Jane's Walk Halifax coincides with more than 30 city walks across Canada and in more than 70 cities worldwide in celebration of Jane Jacobs’s birthday on May 4th.

HALIFAX -  Mobile txts are not an uncommon form of communication these days as people pull their smart phone devices out of their pockets to answer a SMS or BBM. But libraries have also used "mobile communication" through book mobiles; mobiles often outreach to geographically and socially segregated communities. Likewise,  the Roberts Street Social Centre's, Anchor Archive Zine Library is putting a concept back in context with their Zinemobile. A roving urban zine cart that will be put into urban action for the Centre and Library's fundraising initiative taking place from May 7 - 14, 2011. The Zinemobile will be pushed or pulled around Halifax, NS to promote and distribute zines. To contribute to the Anchorless Archive Zinemobille, the Zine Library is requesting donations of up to 6 copies of your zine to sell from the Zinemobile, with all funds going toward the operation of the Anchor Archive Zine Library and Roberts Street Social Centre. Submissions will be accepted until May 6th, 2011 and must be sent through the mail only, to :

HALIFAX - The CBC and YMCA buildings occupy a prominent corner in Halifax - a stone's throw from the bustling Spring Garden Road, the Citadel and Public Gardens. In recent years, its neighbours have undergone extensive changes, including the addition of the Martello atop Park Lane Mall and the construction of the Paramount Apartments, directly across from the Public Gardens. And while much of the block has “grown-up”, the CBC building and the adjacent YMCA have sat comfortably, tucked away between civic landmarks, new residential towers and a busy retail strip. But now, the CBC and YMCA are ready and willing to work together to exploit the potential of the strategic place that they hold in the city. View in Google Streetview [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="568" caption="Top: Current view of CBC building from Bell Road. Bottom: Conceptual rendering of proposed development."][/caption] View in Google Streetview [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="568" caption="Top: Current view from South Park Street. Bottom: Proposed development."][/caption] In December 2010, the YMCA and CBC Radio-Canada submitted a Plan Amendment Application to HRM Planning Services to allow for the joint development of their properties. The current application seeks site specific amendments to the Regional Municipal Planning Strategy, the Halifax Municipal Planning Strategy, the Downtown Halifax Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy and the Downtown Halifax Land Use By-Law. Current regulations limit post-bonus building height to 23 metres (CBC) and 49 metres (YMCA); the application seeks to increase the height limit only for the CBC site in order to match current height limits in place for the YMCA parcel.