Yousaf S
@yousaf.bsky.social
Planner, Land Economist at Urban Systems, AB (Calgary based). Opinions and snark my own. Not official.
The branding writes itself: We CANDU it!
November 20, 2025 at 12:58 PM
The branding writes itself: We CANDU it!
So not a glass of water into a swimming pool; an empty glass thrown into a swimming pool?
October 30, 2025 at 8:23 PM
So not a glass of water into a swimming pool; an empty glass thrown into a swimming pool?
Depending where, they’re either a duplex or semi detached. They’re all over Canada (i live in one, my hood in Calgary is predominantly these now).
October 2, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Depending where, they’re either a duplex or semi detached. They’re all over Canada (i live in one, my hood in Calgary is predominantly these now).
So the thing about smart cars/evs is that speed governors are easier to implement? U of I campus had an agreement with the local bike share company and the minute you crossed into campus grounds your scooter would rev down to Campus limit. Not sure about broader politics though
September 24, 2025 at 10:02 PM
So the thing about smart cars/evs is that speed governors are easier to implement? U of I campus had an agreement with the local bike share company and the minute you crossed into campus grounds your scooter would rev down to Campus limit. Not sure about broader politics though
Got a Seagull Rodina a few years back (can’t remember what watch it was an “homage“*cough knockoff* of) and qualitywise it’s really nice and has held up.
September 24, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Got a Seagull Rodina a few years back (can’t remember what watch it was an “homage“*cough knockoff* of) and qualitywise it’s really nice and has held up.
Petition to rename the Gardiner East “Tory’s Revenge”. That’ll give him a legacy.
September 6, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Petition to rename the Gardiner East “Tory’s Revenge”. That’ll give him a legacy.
Murray really doesn’t understand the policies is my read of him over the years. For one thing, he thinks official plan permissions are upzoning, when that’s not at all the case across the anglosphere.
August 20, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Murray really doesn’t understand the policies is my read of him over the years. For one thing, he thinks official plan permissions are upzoning, when that’s not at all the case across the anglosphere.
PM: I need you to whip up a rendering for this project.
Finance co-op: wat?
PM: I thought you kids could do anything with AI.
Finance co-op: wat?
PM: I thought you kids could do anything with AI.
July 28, 2025 at 8:08 PM
PM: I need you to whip up a rendering for this project.
Finance co-op: wat?
PM: I thought you kids could do anything with AI.
Finance co-op: wat?
PM: I thought you kids could do anything with AI.
We used to get excited outbursts from hospital staff “oh you have GREAT insurance” and still had to fight the insurance company for stuff that would be routine in Canada. Like, yes we have our own problems, but I’d rather wait 10 months for an appt than spend 10 months fighting insurance
July 20, 2025 at 7:33 PM
We used to get excited outbursts from hospital staff “oh you have GREAT insurance” and still had to fight the insurance company for stuff that would be routine in Canada. Like, yes we have our own problems, but I’d rather wait 10 months for an appt than spend 10 months fighting insurance
Oh goodness where to start; uniform facade, no ziggurat, very likely doesn’t fit with the character of the single detached neighbourhood 50km away…
July 12, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Oh goodness where to start; uniform facade, no ziggurat, very likely doesn’t fit with the character of the single detached neighbourhood 50km away…
Meanwhile, over in Calgary where the city is permitting multiplexes and duplexes galore in our inner city hood, our local elementary school that was bussing students in has had to switch to local only, transferring to overflow schools, and a lottery system for future enrollment
June 26, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Meanwhile, over in Calgary where the city is permitting multiplexes and duplexes galore in our inner city hood, our local elementary school that was bussing students in has had to switch to local only, transferring to overflow schools, and a lottery system for future enrollment
Oddly enough this is reasonably affordable and doable in so many quaint little college towns, but our cities, for all the studies they like to publish on this, can’t seem to do it without pricing everyone out
June 22, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Oddly enough this is reasonably affordable and doable in so many quaint little college towns, but our cities, for all the studies they like to publish on this, can’t seem to do it without pricing everyone out
Are work permit holders a lagging indicator of people who came on study permits between 2016-2020 and got their work permits post graduation?
June 18, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Are work permit holders a lagging indicator of people who came on study permits between 2016-2020 and got their work permits post graduation?
There’s a rogue AI advising them 🙃
June 11, 2025 at 1:37 PM
There’s a rogue AI advising them 🙃
Early stage cash grab in an attempt to become a virtual monopoly with obscene amounts of money to then invest and be (somewhat independent) of federal funding (too many strings). Guessing the silence now is also temporary because Trump is vindictive and mercurial, and they want to avoid his wrath
June 11, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Early stage cash grab in an attempt to become a virtual monopoly with obscene amounts of money to then invest and be (somewhat independent) of federal funding (too many strings). Guessing the silence now is also temporary because Trump is vindictive and mercurial, and they want to avoid his wrath
We will “being to colonize the galaxy” before the City of Toronto actually implements zoning changes does sound accurate though.
June 10, 2025 at 11:37 AM
We will “being to colonize the galaxy” before the City of Toronto actually implements zoning changes does sound accurate though.
I think in BC it’s now up to 6 storeys wood frame; but they’re trying to push that higher with reg improvements and mass timber (promising, but still working on making that pencil)
June 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I think in BC it’s now up to 6 storeys wood frame; but they’re trying to push that higher with reg improvements and mass timber (promising, but still working on making that pencil)
Because new growth can’t vote until the money has already been spent. Old growth keeps their property taxes low.
June 2, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Because new growth can’t vote until the money has already been spent. Old growth keeps their property taxes low.
No but I’d love to do a marginal cost analysis of the “benefit to existing” from increased level of service due to improved infrastructure. The weird presumption that somehow existing residents are fine with failing infrastructure and wouldn’t otherwise benefit is a bizarre one
June 1, 2025 at 3:26 PM
No but I’d love to do a marginal cost analysis of the “benefit to existing” from increased level of service due to improved infrastructure. The weird presumption that somehow existing residents are fine with failing infrastructure and wouldn’t otherwise benefit is a bizarre one
You just have to look at the tables in the DC background reports to see, and in the case of TO, it’s overwhelmingly affordable housing, Scarb Subway, and the Gardiner that’s the bulk of the DC funded capital program.
June 1, 2025 at 3:24 PM
You just have to look at the tables in the DC background reports to see, and in the case of TO, it’s overwhelmingly affordable housing, Scarb Subway, and the Gardiner that’s the bulk of the DC funded capital program.