iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Oh, you want to bike to the bookstore? Follow the rules, you scofflaw cyclist!

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

East extension testing going on today! 🚃🎉

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

It doesn’t sound like they’re preparing to fix the actual crossing slope, I’ll have to check it out next time I go by…

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

I am incredibly excited to announce my upcoming book: "New Suburbs: Life in the Modern Village"! 🏡 VISIT THE WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE: newburbs.com 👉 SUPPORT THE BOOK ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/cw/RobAttrell

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Tomorrow marks 1 year since I started @theneworleans.bsky.social (and 2 years since starting my urbanism blogging journey), and I have something very special planned. I’m hoping by talking about it here, I’ll prioritize actually getting the news out tomorrow. newburbs.com

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Another casualty lays fallen near the crosswalk. At least it’s not a person this time. Be safe out there, watch your signs.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Number 2: This one has "things my neighbours say they want" around the outer ring.

Venn diagram describing how you cannot have a city with less traffic, neighbourhood character, and budget "efficiencies".

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Trying out some new Urbanism Venn Diagram options. Number 1

Venn diagram describing how you cannot have a city with low taxes, nicely paved roads,, and single-family homes.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Yep, the brand new racks at the school down the street from me are the same…I don’t get it.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Let’s play count the signs in this brand new roundabout (the simplest of infrastructure). Every month or so another 4-8 signs go up in this intersection. Every few months one gets taken out.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

I swear these yield signs have been up for less than a week (and shouldn’t be necessary if we didn’t design roundabouts for driving speed). Making the lanes so wide, we’re literally asking people to go fast.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

@en.ottawa.ca @lauradudas.bsky.social tried to report a tree down via 311 app but there was no option other than a M-F one for general park requests, which I will try on Monday if needed. It’s in Father Richard Ward Park behind des Voyageurs school.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Hey @communauto.bsky.social, I spotted a car while out today in Orleans (Ottawa). Usually we have to go about 10 kms west to see one of your fleet! We don’t bite, bring some of your vehicles out east!

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Found out this morning that an interview I did was on the cover of the Ottawa Sun and Citizen today!

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

“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.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

For me, if goes Woonerf > Sidewalks >> street like it is and the way some residents are fighting to keep it. You will not find anyone in the city who wants 5,000+ Woonerf style streets in Ottawa more than me. That’s not on the table right now. I wish it were.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

My favourite page of “That’ll Never Work Here” from Patty Wiens, Bicycle Mayor of Winnipeg.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

I hate to be the one to break it to the suburbs but the only way to truly get denser housing that 'matches the neighbourhood character' is to have built it that way decades ago. Starting today, the only option is to change what you accept as 'neighbourhood character'.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

We all agree it’s very creepy that the potatoes in our pantries are just hanging out in there, fully alive, right?

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Looking forward to it…in a couple of months it would appear!

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

We’re certainly not going to raise taxes or densify (given current moods; of course it would be nice), so which services are going to be cut or “benefit from efficiencies” to pay for this? 😭

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Adventures in crossing suburban streets in the winter…

Cleared path in winter ahead of a 4-lane road and a connecting path across the road.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Reminder that using a car for simple errands like going for lunch or picking up takeout pizza is doing this in our atmosphere, even if you can’t see it.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

We’ve entered the phase in my neighbourhood where city plowing crews are accidentally plowing more than they’re supposed to, so now the path landscape is dotted with these signs. This represents a total failure to imagine spending money on people getting around in the winter outside of a car.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

These two photos are taken 20 feet apart and reflect our priorities for transportation spending during the winter months. This is right in front of a school where the vast majority of people who need to get there 5x a week are not able to drive. Our choices define our world.

Walking path with a sign that says don’t plow past here

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

People still want to walk around in the suburbs, exhibit #39562. People are blazing a trail across the unplowed MUP, and you can see the “sidewalk” I snowblowed because our street doesn’t have one, it will be specially cleared least until the big plows come.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Trying an experiment in suburban Ottawa on my street, clearing a path with the plow as a sidewalk (which we don’t have). Bonus, the sidewalk connects two multi use paths, making it easier to walk through the community, at least until the city plows come through to do the road.

A snowy road with a cleared path cut through it as a sidewalk.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Tools in the toolbox for retrofitting streets in Ontario for active transportation after Bill 60. Let's get moving.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

I need to pick up a few groceries. #DriveLess

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

It looks something like this. I don’t think small everyday errands should merit this amount of energy use. #DriveLess

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Sure, I’d love to come by for a coffee

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Let’s go to hockey practise.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

“I just have to pick up a couple things at the store…”

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

If people living in the suburbs aren’t willing to accept the housing density and mixed use that they need to be productive, the city should stop giving those communities any more funding than they bring in from taxes. Until then, infrastructure and services should only be funded to that lower level

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Last night, I watched the person ahead of me taking the 'scenic route' around a speed bump at Walmart. You know, so they didn't have to slow down while going up onto the sidewalk.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Whoops, looks like someone blocked off the outer lanes of Orleans Blvd 174 overpass very cheaply like we’ve been suggesting. As you can see, traffic was total pandemonium!

Overpass bridge reduced to 2 lanes by orange cones. Very few cars despite the lane reduction.

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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

I saw this one a couple months ago and it was also on clearance and was very cheap and seemed like they were pretty damaged just from being displayed for a while. Glad they exist at all though.

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