Kristian
@kristianblais.bsky.social
Research Fellow at Harvard Business School, studying transit, cities, and the economics of innovation. Canadian 🇨🇦 living in America
I spent to much time on this not to share: a (not completely insane) proposal for a shared regional-rail/REM tunnel bisecting downtown Montreal. Here's a quick thread on why it could be so impactful. (1/)
November 19, 2025 at 11:01 PM
I spent to much time on this not to share: a (not completely insane) proposal for a shared regional-rail/REM tunnel bisecting downtown Montreal. Here's a quick thread on why it could be so impactful. (1/)
Reposted by Kristian
Reposted by Kristian
YOU GUYS WANNA SEE SOMETHING CURSED???? HOW ABOUT NEON GENESIS LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS HOCKEY?????
November 16, 2025 at 11:25 PM
YOU GUYS WANNA SEE SOMETHING CURSED???? HOW ABOUT NEON GENESIS LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS HOCKEY?????
Reposted by Kristian
Reposted by Kristian
A Redditor made a graph of the percent of population of US and Canada metro areas over 1 million that live in a given density. When they ordered them by average density the lowest ranked Canadian metro area, Edmonton, was ranked 14th between Miami and Washington. 6 of the top 15 were Canadian metros
October 11, 2025 at 11:24 PM
A Redditor made a graph of the percent of population of US and Canada metro areas over 1 million that live in a given density. When they ordered them by average density the lowest ranked Canadian metro area, Edmonton, was ranked 14th between Miami and Washington. 6 of the top 15 were Canadian metros
Vaughan, Ontario: 2011 -> 2023
The level of urban, transit-oriented development that happened within a decade is absolutely insane. Went from an empty field, to having a subway station, a median running BRT line, and multiple high-rise developments.
The level of urban, transit-oriented development that happened within a decade is absolutely insane. Went from an empty field, to having a subway station, a median running BRT line, and multiple high-rise developments.
October 8, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Vaughan, Ontario: 2011 -> 2023
The level of urban, transit-oriented development that happened within a decade is absolutely insane. Went from an empty field, to having a subway station, a median running BRT line, and multiple high-rise developments.
The level of urban, transit-oriented development that happened within a decade is absolutely insane. Went from an empty field, to having a subway station, a median running BRT line, and multiple high-rise developments.
Tbh, the fact that the left one is getting sent to my boss/coworkers and the other is being sent to my friends is perfect.
The left one says: “Got it!”
The right one says: “I will follow you into the depths of hell. I would die for you in battle. No mountain too high, no valley too low.”
The left one says: “Got it!”
The right one says: “I will follow you into the depths of hell. I would die for you in battle. No mountain too high, no valley too low.”
The vibe difference between these guys is so stark, they simply cannot be considered the same emoji
August 22, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Tbh, the fact that the left one is getting sent to my boss/coworkers and the other is being sent to my friends is perfect.
The left one says: “Got it!”
The right one says: “I will follow you into the depths of hell. I would die for you in battle. No mountain too high, no valley too low.”
The left one says: “Got it!”
The right one says: “I will follow you into the depths of hell. I would die for you in battle. No mountain too high, no valley too low.”
If I had a nickel for every time a North American LRT system had two high-floor lines that share a common trunk through downtown, coloured Red and Blue, with a planned/constructed low-floor line that is coloured Green, I would have 15 cents. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened 3 times
August 21, 2025 at 6:42 AM
If I had a nickel for every time a North American LRT system had two high-floor lines that share a common trunk through downtown, coloured Red and Blue, with a planned/constructed low-floor line that is coloured Green, I would have 15 cents. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened 3 times
Reposted by Kristian
We spent the morning hanging out with the bison, herd in Riding Mountain National Park. These wild bison are pretty used to people and if you’re lucky, you can hang out with the herd for breakfast. The voice you hear in the background was the bison expert in the park for decades. 🦊🌿🦬
August 14, 2025 at 3:07 AM
We spent the morning hanging out with the bison, herd in Riding Mountain National Park. These wild bison are pretty used to people and if you’re lucky, you can hang out with the herd for breakfast. The voice you hear in the background was the bison expert in the park for decades. 🦊🌿🦬
Why did no one tell me that Claude Code was this good? It’s integration and workflow is better than any ai coding tool I’ve used by far
August 15, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Why did no one tell me that Claude Code was this good? It’s integration and workflow is better than any ai coding tool I’ve used by far
Reposted by Kristian
Bro put the US zoning system under control of the Squamish Nation
The entire substance of the Senakw zoning bylaw is less than half a page
partii-partiii.fng.ca/fng-gpn-ii-i...
partii-partiii.fng.ca/fng-gpn-ii-i...
August 7, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Bro put the US zoning system under control of the Squamish Nation
Real proud of my home province 🙃
Some doctors in Alberta have criticized officials there for not declaring a health emergency.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/w...
Canada’s Measles Outbreak Exceeds Cases in the U.S.
www.nytimes.com
July 31, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Real proud of my home province 🙃
Reposted by Kristian
inside you there are four wolves
July 30, 2025 at 8:32 PM
inside you there are four wolves
Is there any running bet on what Eglington Crosstown LRT station will have the lowest ridership once it finally opens? It has to be Aga Khan station right? I mean this is some of the worst land use I have seen adjacent to a station, and it'll only be 300m from the actually useful Don Valley station.
July 28, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Is there any running bet on what Eglington Crosstown LRT station will have the lowest ridership once it finally opens? It has to be Aga Khan station right? I mean this is some of the worst land use I have seen adjacent to a station, and it'll only be 300m from the actually useful Don Valley station.
I’ve never been, but is there a meaningful difference between Long Beach and Los Angeles? Is there a coherent reason republicans are neutral about the former but hate the latter?
July 26, 2025 at 1:50 PM
I’ve never been, but is there a meaningful difference between Long Beach and Los Angeles? Is there a coherent reason republicans are neutral about the former but hate the latter?
I'm actually dying at what someone put on the Rogers Stadium Wikipedia page
July 24, 2025 at 3:35 PM
I'm actually dying at what someone put on the Rogers Stadium Wikipedia page
Reposted by Kristian
City of Burnaby has now switched to height-based building policies, abandoning FAR/FSR density limits.
It's one of the first cities in North America to do so.
Intended to simplify processes & avoid unpredictable building heights/forms. #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/bu...
It's one of the first cities in North America to do so.
Intended to simplify processes & avoid unpredictable building heights/forms. #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/bu...
Burnaby switches to height-based building policies, abandons density limits | Urbanized
Moving way from floor area ratio (FAR) density calculations, the City of Burnaby has adopted the new Height-Based Development Framework.
dailyhive.com
July 23, 2025 at 5:47 PM
City of Burnaby has now switched to height-based building policies, abandoning FAR/FSR density limits.
It's one of the first cities in North America to do so.
Intended to simplify processes & avoid unpredictable building heights/forms. #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/bu...
It's one of the first cities in North America to do so.
Intended to simplify processes & avoid unpredictable building heights/forms. #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/bu...
Reposted by Kristian
CN Rail will end its lease for BC Rail's Sea to Sky railway segment between Squamish and 100 Mile House.
Local federal and provincial officials call this a historic opportunity to start rail public transit services to Whistler. #bcpoli #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/cn...
Local federal and provincial officials call this a historic opportunity to start rail public transit services to Whistler. #bcpoli #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/cn...
CN to exit Sea to Sky railway corridor, reviving rail transit hopes to Whistler | Urbanized
CN Rail plans to end its lease on the Sea to Sky corridor railway through Whistler by 2026, potentially allowing new passenger rail services.
dailyhive.com
July 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM
CN Rail will end its lease for BC Rail's Sea to Sky railway segment between Squamish and 100 Mile House.
Local federal and provincial officials call this a historic opportunity to start rail public transit services to Whistler. #bcpoli #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/cn...
Local federal and provincial officials call this a historic opportunity to start rail public transit services to Whistler. #bcpoli #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/cn...
How is MARTA so bad at real time information?? Any time I check maps or the Transit app, there’s never any real time estimates. Hell, no apps were even saying that red line trainers had to transfer at Lindbergh, despite that being part of the regular schedule. This transit agency needs help asap
July 19, 2025 at 6:51 PM
How is MARTA so bad at real time information?? Any time I check maps or the Transit app, there’s never any real time estimates. Hell, no apps were even saying that red line trainers had to transfer at Lindbergh, despite that being part of the regular schedule. This transit agency needs help asap
Reposted by Kristian
Garbage, Parking, and the Death of Small Businesses. Eager to hear your thoughts!
@jasonthorne.bsky.social @alexbozikovic.bsky.social @johnlorinc.bsky.social @holz-bau.bsky.social
@jasonthorne.bsky.social @alexbozikovic.bsky.social @johnlorinc.bsky.social @holz-bau.bsky.social
Parking, Garbage and the Decline of Toronto's Small Businesses
Kelly Alvarez Doran and Mithcell May examine how parking and Type G loading regulations lead to lacklustre retail in new buildings.
www.azuremagazine.com
July 8, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Garbage, Parking, and the Death of Small Businesses. Eager to hear your thoughts!
@jasonthorne.bsky.social @alexbozikovic.bsky.social @johnlorinc.bsky.social @holz-bau.bsky.social
@jasonthorne.bsky.social @alexbozikovic.bsky.social @johnlorinc.bsky.social @holz-bau.bsky.social
Visiting Toronto this weekend and thought it would be fun to visit Bessarion Station and make a joke about how it doesn’t exist. But I was kind of shocked at how much development has been happening here?? Like this isn’t the middle of nowhere at all, this is turning into a full fledged neighborhood!
June 22, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Visiting Toronto this weekend and thought it would be fun to visit Bessarion Station and make a joke about how it doesn’t exist. But I was kind of shocked at how much development has been happening here?? Like this isn’t the middle of nowhere at all, this is turning into a full fledged neighborhood!
Reposted by Kristian
Transit Stations Aren’t Designed for Women and Caregivers. Here’s How To Change That. nextcity.org/urbanist-new...
Transit Stations Aren’t Designed for Women and Caregivers. Here’s How To Change That.
Researchers have crafted a new framework for making mobility hubs safer and more comfortable for everyone.
nextcity.org
April 4, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Transit Stations Aren’t Designed for Women and Caregivers. Here’s How To Change That. nextcity.org/urbanist-new...
Reposted by Kristian
This is huge for Indigenous languages. I'm not wild about the comment that translated Hansard records will be used to train AI but I think it's realistic - whether they want it to or not, those resources will be AI scraped.
news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.h....
news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.h....
Province of Manitoba | News Releases | Manitoba Government Translating Government Proceedings into Indigenous Languages
Province of Manitoba
news.gov.mb.ca
April 2, 2025 at 8:38 PM
This is huge for Indigenous languages. I'm not wild about the comment that translated Hansard records will be used to train AI but I think it's realistic - whether they want it to or not, those resources will be AI scraped.
news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.h....
news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.h....
Reposted by Kristian
“American Cartoons don’t show beautifully animated food and slice of life cozy comforts the way Ghibli films do”
Oh yeh?? Then explain THIS.
Oh yeh?? Then explain THIS.
a cartoon of a man cooking on a stove next to a jar of sauce and a pot .
ALT: a cartoon of a man cooking on a stove next to a jar of sauce and a pot .
media.tenor.com
March 30, 2025 at 4:09 AM
“American Cartoons don’t show beautifully animated food and slice of life cozy comforts the way Ghibli films do”
Oh yeh?? Then explain THIS.
Oh yeh?? Then explain THIS.