Rob Attrell

@robattrell
80 Followers
134 Following
630 Posts
Science and Tech enthusiast working at NSERC by day and training three junior scientists at night.
✨New Post✨ I wanted to call this 'The Ens**ttification of Cities'. 💸 Let's talk about how car dependence is costing all of us money while selling us the solution to a uniquely suburban problem.

The Programmed Decay of Suburb...
The Programmed Decay of Suburban Affordability - The New Orleans

You may have heard the term “ens**ttification“, sometimes used to describe what happens as big tech platforms like Amazon or Facebook have evolved their business practices to churn out ever increasing profits. It’s a predictable lifecycle where a service starts out great for customers, then slowly degrades its quality to make people pay more or […]

The New Orleans
✨Introducing✨ the Eastern Ottawa Urbanism Club, a weekly (virtual) social gathering for fans of good city-making practices in the east end of Ottawa. Follow the link to get your invite, first meeting is March 3rd. theneworleans.ca/urbanism-club/

security advice, 1996: writing your passwords down in a notebook is a very bad idea and nobody should do it

security advice, 2026: writing your passwords down in a notebook is one of the most secure storage methods for most users

(fun how threat models change over time, eh?)

Experts say government's latest return-to-office order ignores reality

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/no-desks-no-strategy-experts-say-government-s-latest-return-to-office-order-ignores-reality-9.7077299
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Les experts disent que le dernier ordre de retour au bureau du gouvernement ignore la réalité

// Article en anglais //

#Canada #CANpoli #CDNpoli

No desks, no strategy: Experts say government's latest return-to-office order ignores reality | CBC News

With federal public servants mandated to return to the office four days a week this summer, experts and unions are sounding the alarm over a lack of clear strategy or infrastructure to support such a move.

CBC

Sometimes it takes a seizure to learn how your city functions for people outside of cars.

“I thought losing my licence would make me more dependent on others. Instead, it taught me about interdependence. I can drive again now, or opt to walk or bike. But what if I couldn’t? Who would help me up the hill? And, who can I help?”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/first-person-losing-licence-9.7037254

#CarDependency #Whitehorse #ActiveTransportation

I’m declaring my yearly theme (Theme >> Resolution) for 2026 to be “Year of Focus”.

As part of this, I will be doubling down on advocacy for community building, street safety, and retrofitting suburbia to create villages.

I will be trying to be mindful of spending less time and energy on things that don’t meaningfully contribute towards those goals.

Spending time with family (and friends) will also be kept front and centre this year, as I put all this energy in for them.

✨New Post ✨ "Affordable Housing" vs. housing that is affordable. Are we solving the problem or subsidizing a broken system? It’s time to challenge the comfortable narratives in Ottawa. Read why the current approach is a myth. 📉 #OttPoli #HousingCrisis

The Myth of Affordable Housing...

This morning, board member Rob delegated at the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting on the Bill 60 fallouts. Read his remarks. 👇

#ottawa #onpoli #ottbike #BikeTooter

https://bikeottawa.ca/2025/11/27/potential-implications-of-bill-60-on-cycling-projects-recommendations-for-the-2026-capital-budget/

Potential Implications of Bill 60 on Cycling Projects, Recommendations for the 2026 Capital Budget

Good morning Chair, and members of the committee. My name is Rob Attrell, and I’m a resident of Ottawa living in Orleans with my wife and three young kids. I’m a community advocate who really wants…

Bike Ottawa
Bill 60's destruction of tenant protections has gotten the most coverage but it's also awful for transit/bike lanes and lays the groundwork for privatizing water infrastructure at a time when the government is also trying to shove through data centres https://www.communitybuildershub.ca/guide-to-bill-60
Guide to Bill 60 — Community Builders Hub

Community Builders Hub
✨New Post✨ We love to vacation in dense, walkable, vibrant places. Why not build those same joys of urban life right here in our own communities? #Urbanism #Ottawa

The Joys of Urban Life, Withou...
The Joys of Urban Life, Without the Pains - The New Orleans

The Vacation Paradox Many of us in the suburbs save all year to vacation in places like historic European cities, charming coastal villages, or bustling urban districts. We’re drawn to the vibrant energy of walkable streets, where cafes, shops, and parks are just a short stroll away. Then, our vacation ends. We fly home, get […]

The New Orleans