In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Vanessa Wietrzyk shares her passion for traveling to concerts, particularly in Vancouver, and offers tips for making these trips affordable.

She emphasizes the joy of discovering new artists and the lasting memories created while attending live shows with friends. Vanessa also provides helpful advice on finding cheap flights and staying on top of concert alerts.

Her experiences showcase how traveling for music can deepen connections to both the artists and the cities you visit, making it a must-try adventure in your youth.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS President Callista Kruger highlights Edmonton's rising trend of adaptive reuse, where old buildings are transformed into modern spaces while preserving their historical charm.

From the revitalization of the Brewery District to the ongoing transformation of the Army & Navy Department Store, these projects blend sustainability, creativity, and heritage. By reimagining neglected structures, Edmonton fosters economic renewal and strengthens its community identity, offering a compelling alternative to urban sprawl.

Adaptive reuse not only celebrates the city’s architectural legacy but also paves the way for a vibrant, sustainable future.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS VP External Rylee Thomson explores how immigration policies shape relationships, particularly for undocumented individuals.

Barriers like financial instability, limited work opportunities, and the threat of deportation complicate love and family life for many, especially in mixed-status families. Despite these challenges, some couples navigate these obstacles, advocating for reform that prioritizes human connection over restrictive borders.

The post underscores the importance of policies that support love and family rights, calling for a future where immigration laws do not limit who we can love and where we can build a life together.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Elise Beaton shares three creative Valentine’s Day date ideas for urban planners.

From making mental maps of significant places to exploring the concept of 15-Minute Cities on a quick date, and even diving into the planning policies of your dream city, these suggestions offer a unique, planning-centric twist to the holiday.

Whether crafting maps together or discussing zoning laws, these ideas combine romance and urban planning for a memorable day.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Alazar Abebe discusses Edmonton's upcoming transformation of a series of parking lots into Warehouse Park, a $44.8 million urban park project aimed at revitalizing the city’s downtown core.

Set to open in Spring 2025, the park will provide residents with a much-needed green space for recreation and community engagement, offering features like picnic hills, dog parks, and playgrounds. This initiative, funded by the Capital City Downtown Community Revitalization Levy, addresses the challenges faced by residents in densely developed areas with limited access to nature.

The project aims to create an inclusive, year-round space that will enhance the city’s vibrancy and foster a collective identity.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Raymond Li explores the fictional city of Revachol from Disco Elysium and its remarkable representation of urban life.

Drawing parallels to real-life former Eastern Bloc cities, Revachol stands out for its deep socio-spatial conflict, making it a powerful example of urban storytelling. The post delves into the game's exploration of failed commercial areas and the underlying forces behind urban decay, questioning everything from neoliberalism to gentrification. It also highlights the game's unique Shivers mechanic, which enhances the player's spatial awareness of the city, blurring the lines between geography and the supernatural.

Through Revachol, Disco Elysium offers a compelling look at how cities shape and are shaped by their inhabitants.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS VP Internal Beth Bennett explores the growing connection between video games and map comprehension, noting how games like GTA V and Assassin’s Creed help players navigate real and fictional worlds with ease.

The post highlights how these games teach players to understand spatial relationships, scale, and geography, even without formal training. Drawing on a personal experience, Beth reflects on how the map of Los Santos in GTA V helped her better grasp the scale of real-world disasters, underscoring the power of maps in both digital and physical contexts.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS VP Planning Neil Roy Choudhury uses the video game Decimate Drive as a springboard to reflect on the absurdity of modern car-centric cities.

Drawing attention to the inherent danger of having pedestrians so close to fast-moving vehicles, the post critiques the societal prioritization of cars over human life. Neil humorously compares this to medieval philosophical debates, suggesting that we are too focused on optimizing traffic and infrastructure rather than questioning the foundational reliance on cars that leads to millions of deaths each year.

Ultimately, the post calls for a deeper rethinking of how we design cities for human well-being, rather than simply accommodating metal death machines.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Luka Zvonkovic discusses the overlooked impact of urban ambient noise, particularly from car traffic, on physical and mental health.

Highlighting the dangers of prolonged exposure to noise levels above 70 decibels, the post explores the health risks, including hearing loss, cardiovascular issues, and mental health problems, especially for children.

Luka proposes solutions inspired by Dutch urban planning, including redesigning roads into distinct categories, implementing traffic calming measures, and prioritizing pedestrian-friendly areas to reduce noise and create healthier environments.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Cole Swanson explores the potential of revisiting the New Town movement, often seen as a relic of the past.

While acknowledging its past flaws, the post argues that as global populations grow, the idea of creating “Newer” Towns offers an opportunity to build from scratch and design more sustainable, innovative communities. The challenge, however, lies in making these towns both economically viable and attractive enough for people to choose to live in them.

By learning from past mistakes, the post suggests it may be time to rethink these urban planning ideas in the face of modern housing and development challenges.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Robert Brooks highlights the growing threat of wildfires, using the recent destruction in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades as a stark example.

Drawing comparisons to past fires in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, the post emphasizes the increasing frequency of catastrophic wildfires driven by climate change and human development.

It urges communities, particularly those in fire-prone areas, to prioritize resilience planning—pointing out critical oversights in building design, evacuation routes, and emergency resources that have exacerbated the damage. With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, the need for proactive planning has never been more urgent.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Alex Cooke discusses the challenges faced by the Tren Maya project, a $30 billion initiative launched in 2023 to connect key tourist destinations in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Despite initial hopes of easing over-tourism and boosting regional travel, the project has been plagued by environmental concerns, underutilization, and incomplete infrastructure. The train system, which opened prematurely, has seen low ridership and limited service, far below projections.

While the project has potential, the early launch and ongoing mismanagement have hindered its success, leaving its future uncertain.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Maja Wilson shares her reflections on the downtown Edmonton pedway system after starting a position at Edmonton Tower.

While often criticized for detracting from street-level vibrancy and creating a class divide, the author finds value in how the pedways provide accessible, weather-protected routes through the city. Despite common critiques, the system is used by a diverse range of people and serves as a practical and efficient way to navigate downtown, challenging the typical anti-urbanist perspective.

The post suggests that the real issue may lie in the loss of active street-front retail, rather than the pedways themselves.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Elise Beaton shares her fascination with Tyndall Stone, a distinctive limestone found throughout many buildings in Edmonton and across Canada.

This rock, quarried in Garson, Manitoba, is rich with fossils from the Paleozoic Era, offering a unique glimpse into ancient marine life. From snails and trilobites to coral and nautilus shells, the post invites readers to explore the natural history embedded in iconic local landmarks like the Tory Building and Edmonton City Hall.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Maja Wilson reflects on their recent trip to Montreal and contrasts Quebec's cannabis distribution system with that of Alberta.

She shares their experience of navigating the provincial cannabis store, SQDC, noting the strict security procedures and limitations on cannabis products, such as the prohibition on fun-coloured edibles and public consumption.

The post raises questions about whether Quebec's more restrictive approach to cannabis is beneficial for public health or if it encourages illegal use, sparking a broader conversation about regional differences in cannabis policies across Canada.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Alex Cooke reflects on the high cost of intercity train travel in the UK, drawing a comparison to Canada's expensive air travel.

Alex explores how the privatization of British Rail in the 1980s and 1990s led to a flawed franchising system, where limited competition resulted in high fares, poor service, and frequent disruptions.

While the recent shift to public control under the Labour government offers hope for lower prices and better reliability, the post highlights ongoing uncertainties about the future of the system.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Cole Swanson examines Calgary's iconic Plus 15 Network, a series of elevated walkways spanning over 16 kilometres through the downtown core.

While the system offers significant benefits, such as protection from harsh winter weather and improved parking distribution, it has also led to unintended consequences. Urban planners and residents are concerned about the growing emptiness of city streets, the decline in street-level business activity, and the potential rise in crime.

As Calgary grapples with these issues, the future of the Plus 15 Network remains uncertain, with citizens divided on whether the system is more of a "plus" or a "minus."

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Hussain Cochinwala reflects on his 2023 trip to the United Kingdom, where he explored Cardiff's iconic arcades, which combine unique architecture with local commerce.

Inspired by these vibrant spaces, Hussain suggests that Edmonton could benefit from similar developments in its downtown area.

These arcades would enhance walkability, support independent businesses, and contribute to Edmonton’s Winter City goals by offering sheltered spaces for shopping and socializing during colder months.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Vanessa Wietrzyk reflects on the importance of ethnic enclaves in shaping cultural identities, with a personal focus on Edmonton's Polish community and its "Little Poland" area.

Highlighting the cultural significance of places like Polish bakeries, schools, and churches, the post also touches on the recent closure of St. Basil School and the shifting dynamics of immigration in the area. Despite these changes, the sense of community within Edmonton's ethnic enclaves, such as the Polish, Korean, and Chinese districts, continues to offer a unique sense of belonging and cultural exchange.

Vanessa encourages readers to explore and celebrate these diverse neighbourhoods through local food and businesses.

In this YIMBY Post, GAPSS Member Alex Cooke reflects on an unexpected trip to Lisbon during reading week that turned into a revelation about vibrant urban living.

After comparing costs, Alex opted for Lisbon over Toronto, discovering the city's efficient land use, lively streets, and diverse mix of residential, commercial, and leisure spaces. They highlight how Lisbon’s walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods foster social interaction and community vibrancy—elements that could benefit Canadian cities like Edmonton.

With recent zoning reforms and infrastructure improvements, Edmonton has the potential to create similar urban dynamics and bring European-inspired liveliness to local streets.