Today, I had the privilege of delivering a keynote to hundreds of community health leaders & front-line heroes across Canada (& the globe). I publicly shared my Place-Based Social Prescription Model for the first time. Okay, so let’s get into it…🧵

#health #healing #urbanism My evidence & practice based model is comprised of the following 4 categories, which include design, structural & social elements:

Place-Based Grieving & Healing Rituals 

Place-Based Routines

Place-Based Networks of Care

Place-based Storytelling, Commemoration & Celebration

Agreed. However, it’s crucial that personal discomfort isn’t conflated with safety. Personal discomfort shouldn’t be weaponized or impinge on the safety, joy or freedom of others in public spaces. Personal discomfort in public spaces can prompt growth & reflection. 🧵

https://twitter.com/BikeWestcliffe/status/1695390320396005410

Personal discomfort in public can signal our implicit bias—negative shit we’ve learned about different people. Pay attention to the types of people who “make you feel uncomfortable” & ask: What stereotypes have I been taught about these folks via media, family, community, etc.?

Every woman who’s been a “first” anything—especially women w/ lived experience of concurrently navigating gender & racial discrimination—understands the kind of unfair scrutiny Olivia Chow will experience. So, I want to share a few thoughts about how we can be supportive.🧵 Let’s celebrate her being the first racialized woman mayor but never exclude her credentials. Her story and values are likely largely informed by her identity, but make no mistake, her win was a result of intellect, hard work & the ability to imagine the almost unimaginable.

This Jane’s Walk thread highlights important points re: the power of the porch & its function—translated across place types & cultures in changing ‘hoods. The walk was led by Brazilian architect & urban designer Vivian Gomes (pictured below). Okay, join me on the walk recap… We met at The Fix, a really cool bike & coffee shop that sells delicious beverages, bikes & baked goods. The shop also offers bike storage for folks who live in smaller spaces, which is incredibly responsive. This popular gathering space set the perfect tone for the walk.

Passengers stood by while a coward choked out an unhoused young man experiencing a mental health crisis. This occurred partially because many people don’t know the difference between feeling UNCOMFORTABLE in public spaces & being UNSAFE in public spaces. Here’s what I mean 🧵 Sometimes the appearance, words &/or movements of individuals notably experiencing distress in public can make us feel UNCOMFORTABLE in public spaces. This does not make us bad people. Our feelings, which sometimes betray logic & our values, don’t define us—our actions do.

A few years ago, amid civil rights uprisings, I committed to launch a bi-national initiative to transform anti-Black public space discrimination to equitable public space through policy reform. Here’s our first BOLD Policy Project Brief:

windsorlawcities.ca/wp-content/upl… Huge shout out to my primary collaborator Professor @annekersmit & @WLCitiesCentre, my generous funders @UWGreaterTO (Trustee), @UnitedWayCgy & @TorontoFdn & Professor L. Anders Sandberg for their invaluable support.

Since the 15-minute city is trending again…

1. How does this concept contend with current amenity & infrastructure gaps within cities?

2. How does this concept contend with the current location of industry/employment opportunities—especially in relation to low-wage workers? 3. How does this concept address economic & racial stratification in cities created by inequitable planning policies & practices?

3b) How do we ensure this approach doesn’t reinforce privileged or marginalized 15-minute bubbles?

Great article interrogating homeownership narratives, systems & benefits. However, having purchased a home in the 1990s as a 30-year-old single mom & emerging professional, I have mixed feelings about the points raised. Here’s why…

theatlantic.com/newsletters/ar… I absolutely agree that there are numerous systemic barriers to homeownership for folks who are racialized &/or living on low-incomes but these same folks also face significant discrimination within the rental market. This is one of the reasons I purchased a home.

Housing is a human right & shouldn’t be entangled in partisan politics. However, understanding the province’s privileging of corporate interests & privatization, it’s alarming that so-called progressive urbanists aren’t skeptical. I want ACTION too but…

thestar.com/politics/provi… We need to move at the speed of equitable and sustainable approaches that meaningfully support the most impacted groups while achieving environmental imperatives that protect the planet.

Following news stories from earlier today, I’d like to share that Jay Pitter Placemaking is the Lead Consultant for the City of Kitchener’s Queen Victoria Statue Initiative. I’m approaching this work with immense humility & respect for community insights.

thestar.com/tr/news/waterl… My practice is developing the community engagement strategy, public education resources and co-developing a staff report that will include equitable placemaking recommendations to guide the future of the statue.

An excerpt from my Azure article re: the complexity of #streets:

Jane Jacobs talked about the ballet of the street. Lil Wayne exposed the mean side of the streets. Prince wanted to woo women in his daddy’s Thunderbird on Alphabet Street. Bruce Springsteen lamented young men scattered like leaves on street corners. And today, #feminists, #housing #justice activists, and climate crisis heroes use streets as sites for progressive protests.

Thread:

1.

Like many of you, I'm deeply inspired by the #MarchForOurLives speakers. These students modelled a couple of key changemaking principles, relevant to #cities and #urbanism, worthy of serious contemplation. 2.

@davidhogg111, a white male Parkland student noted that media didn't give his fellow #Black students equal space in the convo, Naomi Wadler, a brilliant Black girl addressed ways racialized victims are not equally valued + most of the students acknowledged their #privilege.