Kristian
@kristianblais.bsky.social
Research Fellow at Harvard Business School, studying transit, cities, and the economics of innovation. Canadian 🇨🇦 living in America
That all being said, I don’t want you to think I disagree with your original point: I definitely agree that good transit access will be crucial for Canadian malls going forward! I just wanted to point out that, for WEM specifically, it does have good transit, and this metric for success is imperfect
November 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
That all being said, I don’t want you to think I disagree with your original point: I definitely agree that good transit access will be crucial for Canadian malls going forward! I just wanted to point out that, for WEM specifically, it does have good transit, and this metric for success is imperfect
As a small anecdote: WEM has a large space underground that the lease to a go-kart company. Is this an effective investment in terms of $/sqft? No. But most malls wouldn’t even be able to succeed lease a space like that.
November 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
As a small anecdote: WEM has a large space underground that the lease to a go-kart company. Is this an effective investment in terms of $/sqft? No. But most malls wouldn’t even be able to succeed lease a space like that.
Also comparing revenue/sqft isn’t really comparing success as much as it’s comparing spatial efficiency. WEM’s whole idea is to maximize area, so even if the revenue/sqft is lower, total revenue is still high
November 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Also comparing revenue/sqft isn’t really comparing success as much as it’s comparing spatial efficiency. WEM’s whole idea is to maximize area, so even if the revenue/sqft is lower, total revenue is still high
A quick point re: West Edmonton Mall. It doesn’t (yet) have an LRT station like Southgate mall does, but that doesn’t mean it has poor transit service. It has arguable the main bus hub serving the west side of Edmonton, with something like 18 different routes serving it.
November 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
A quick point re: West Edmonton Mall. It doesn’t (yet) have an LRT station like Southgate mall does, but that doesn’t mean it has poor transit service. It has arguable the main bus hub serving the west side of Edmonton, with something like 18 different routes serving it.
In addition, if we build this tunnel large enough to accommodate REM tracks, we could have a East/West REM to compliment the current North/South. Much of this proposal reuses existing rail ROWs to keep costs down, and even has a circle line!
November 19, 2025 at 11:01 PM
In addition, if we build this tunnel large enough to accommodate REM tracks, we could have a East/West REM to compliment the current North/South. Much of this proposal reuses existing rail ROWs to keep costs down, and even has a circle line!
The next benefit is the ability to through-run. Now trains coming from the South/West can continue on to routes in the North/East. This allows someone in Vaudreuil to take a one-seat trip to Mascouche. It would also allow High-Speed rail to go straight from Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec without reversing
November 19, 2025 at 11:01 PM
The next benefit is the ability to through-run. Now trains coming from the South/West can continue on to routes in the North/East. This allows someone in Vaudreuil to take a one-seat trip to Mascouche. It would also allow High-Speed rail to go straight from Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec without reversing
The biggest benefit of this is that it shortens the distance that commuter trains from the north/east have to travel to get downtown. Currently these trains have to make a long journey around Mont Royal to terminate at Lucien L'Allier (Look at Line 15!!). This significantly reduces that distance.
November 19, 2025 at 11:01 PM
The biggest benefit of this is that it shortens the distance that commuter trains from the north/east have to travel to get downtown. Currently these trains have to make a long journey around Mont Royal to terminate at Lucien L'Allier (Look at Line 15!!). This significantly reduces that distance.
I spent way too much time making this, but I have become slightly obsessed with this idea. If integrated with a new REM, you could save tons of money by using existing rail ROW (as the circle line and the western portion do), or even replace the disappointing Pie-IX BRT with elevated tracks.
November 19, 2025 at 9:53 PM
I spent way too much time making this, but I have become slightly obsessed with this idea. If integrated with a new REM, you could save tons of money by using existing rail ROW (as the circle line and the western portion do), or even replace the disappointing Pie-IX BRT with elevated tracks.
The dream: a tunnel below Rene Levesque Blvd with tracks for both the Pink Line and through-running regional rail/HSR. Hell this would even work for a revived REM de l'Est!
November 18, 2025 at 8:18 PM
The dream: a tunnel below Rene Levesque Blvd with tracks for both the Pink Line and through-running regional rail/HSR. Hell this would even work for a revived REM de l'Est!
Reposted by Kristian
I wanted to just say, I really appreciate this response. The internet can be so adversarial, that responses like yours that are just open and polite give me hope, so thank you
November 12, 2025 at 4:33 AM
I wanted to just say, I really appreciate this response. The internet can be so adversarial, that responses like yours that are just open and polite give me hope, so thank you
That is someone publishing a book review in a journal, which is very different from his book being peer reviewed.
November 11, 2025 at 11:35 PM
That is someone publishing a book review in a journal, which is very different from his book being peer reviewed.
Also, is the book peer-reviewed? By whom? I can’t find any info on that
November 11, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Also, is the book peer-reviewed? By whom? I can’t find any info on that
Okay I don’t really care about Jens, I believe you that he attacks academics that doesn’t agree with him and I think that’s bad.
I just also think that Condon is also bad, and I still don’t understand his obsession with the city centre. Housing is a regional issue.
I just also think that Condon is also bad, and I still don’t understand his obsession with the city centre. Housing is a regional issue.
November 11, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Okay I don’t really care about Jens, I believe you that he attacks academics that doesn’t agree with him and I think that’s bad.
I just also think that Condon is also bad, and I still don’t understand his obsession with the city centre. Housing is a regional issue.
I just also think that Condon is also bad, and I still don’t understand his obsession with the city centre. Housing is a regional issue.
I am not going to bat for the guy I cited, just the points he made against Condons points were good (don’t know about his other work).
Genuine question though, what’s with Condon’s obsession with city centre housing? It seems like a weird thing to focus on.
Genuine question though, what’s with Condon’s obsession with city centre housing? It seems like a weird thing to focus on.
November 11, 2025 at 10:59 PM
I am not going to bat for the guy I cited, just the points he made against Condons points were good (don’t know about his other work).
Genuine question though, what’s with Condon’s obsession with city centre housing? It seems like a weird thing to focus on.
Genuine question though, what’s with Condon’s obsession with city centre housing? It seems like a weird thing to focus on.
Oh I see, yes I have talked to him back when I was still using twitter. That was definitely an exercise in frustration lol
November 11, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Oh I see, yes I have talked to him back when I was still using twitter. That was definitely an exercise in frustration lol
I have not had the pleasure
November 11, 2025 at 10:26 PM
I have not had the pleasure
I assume by "building" you are implicitly saying that Vancouver has been building a lot more recently than in the past, but that just isn't accurate. Also, the blog this chart is from does a good job breaking down a lot of faulty assumptions that Condon uses (doodles.mountainmath.ca/posts/2022-0...)
November 11, 2025 at 9:13 PM
I assume by "building" you are implicitly saying that Vancouver has been building a lot more recently than in the past, but that just isn't accurate. Also, the blog this chart is from does a good job breaking down a lot of faulty assumptions that Condon uses (doodles.mountainmath.ca/posts/2022-0...)
He’s not entirely wrong (I support his idea for a LVT), but I will say that it’s telling that his only example of increasing supply not decreasing price is the incredibly cherry picked stat: “Since 1960s, no major North American centre city has added more housing units relative to its original base”
November 11, 2025 at 1:33 PM
He’s not entirely wrong (I support his idea for a LVT), but I will say that it’s telling that his only example of increasing supply not decreasing price is the incredibly cherry picked stat: “Since 1960s, no major North American centre city has added more housing units relative to its original base”
Of course these lists are waaaay to one-dimensional,
but I am happy to see Winnipeg finally get some of the recognition it definitely deserves! Imo, one of the most underrated cities in Canada for decades at this point. Affordable, lots of history, culture, and a great BRT system in the works.
but I am happy to see Winnipeg finally get some of the recognition it definitely deserves! Imo, one of the most underrated cities in Canada for decades at this point. Affordable, lots of history, culture, and a great BRT system in the works.
November 6, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Of course these lists are waaaay to one-dimensional,
but I am happy to see Winnipeg finally get some of the recognition it definitely deserves! Imo, one of the most underrated cities in Canada for decades at this point. Affordable, lots of history, culture, and a great BRT system in the works.
but I am happy to see Winnipeg finally get some of the recognition it definitely deserves! Imo, one of the most underrated cities in Canada for decades at this point. Affordable, lots of history, culture, and a great BRT system in the works.
Can we please stop platforming Patrick Condon, especially when it comes to his views on housing affordability? There are many professors at UBC who are more than qualified to talk about how this plan could impact affordability, but Condon isn’t one.
October 29, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Can we please stop platforming Patrick Condon, especially when it comes to his views on housing affordability? There are many professors at UBC who are more than qualified to talk about how this plan could impact affordability, but Condon isn’t one.
It’s giving no name brand
October 28, 2025 at 5:12 AM
It’s giving no name brand