what
My school provides limited opportunities to learn critical, journalistic, and generally non-literary writing styles. Writing is one of my hobbies, but it's also a skill that I believe is crucial. Sporadically updating this blog is one way that I try to bridge the gap.
One aspect that I believe is essential to this blog, and my work in general, is taking a distinctly 'non-planner' view. Though some of my older, and perhaps even more recent posts might seem to contradict this statement, I fundamentally am of the opinion that by trusting rich, white, narcissistic, and racist city planners for a century (or centuries, depending on historical interpretation), we've thrown ourselves into a situation of real urban peril. Why should we continue to do the same?
Instead of looking at large-scale, 'planner-level' solutions, I attempt to look at smaller-scale issues that have potentially large impacts. For example, one of my most recent focus points is bus stop placement in Montréal. I will always be a strong critic of 'megaprojects,' 'master plans' and the like.
I am always open to feedback or discussion about any post herein.
who
I am an undergraduate student at McGill University, pursuing a double major in Geography (Urban Systems) and Software Engineering. I currently copy edit for the business section of the management magazine on campus called The Bull & Bear. This is helping my writing a bit and introducing me to a side of the world I don't frequent.
I'll take the bus over the metro any day. I'm aiming to have been on each STM bus route by the time I graduate. When I visit a city, the first thing I do is take transit. I believe you can learn a fair amount about a neighborhood just by taking the bus through it.
I'll take the bus over the metro any day. I'm aiming to have been on each STM bus route by the time I graduate. When I visit a city, the first thing I do is take transit. I believe you can learn a fair amount about a neighborhood just by taking the bus through it.
I love Montréal. It's critiqued in the general McGill community for being dead, poor, and low in real career opportunities, but I honestly can't think of a place that I've been to or heard of with a better quality of life, especially considering the cost of living. Many people ask me why I left Seattle, where I had lived since 2000, to come here. I guess big corporations and cultural homogeneity attract a lot of people.
If anything, moving to Montréal has been a huge lesson for me in countless ways. A large part of that comes from the people that I've met here. That includes both those who I've had brief bus stop conversations with as well as those who I'll know for a lot longer than the four years it should take me to polish off my undergraduate degree.
I can't thank my friends, family, and a few mentors enough for kicking my butt hard enough to keep this blog [barely, at times] going.
If anything, moving to Montréal has been a huge lesson for me in countless ways. A large part of that comes from the people that I've met here. That includes both those who I've had brief bus stop conversations with as well as those who I'll know for a lot longer than the four years it should take me to polish off my undergraduate degree.
I can't thank my friends, family, and a few mentors enough for kicking my butt hard enough to keep this blog [barely, at times] going.
jeremy.ma.steele@gmail.com
