0°Recent Blog Posts - Robin Mazumder
Sidewalk Snow Clearance is a Human Rights Issue
Another winter, another raging debate in my city about who should take responsibility for sidewalk snow clearance. Currently, residents are expected to clear their own sidewalks. Most of the people who are arguing against city sponsored sidewalk snow clearance are able bodied, so I imagine that i...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Another winter, another raging debate in my city about who should take responsibility for sidewalk snow clearance. Currently, residents are expected to clear their own sidewalks. Most of the people who are arguing against city sponsored sidewalk snow clearance are able bodied, so I imagine that i...
Published at Robin Mazumder
How Winter Cycling Saved My Mental Health
Who in their right mind rides a bike in the cold? Well, it turns out that riding a bike in the winter can actually help keep the mind “right”. It certainly did for me. Winter has always been challenging for me. I experience seasonal affective disorder, which amplifies the depression I normally de...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Who in their right mind rides a bike in the cold? Well, it turns out that riding a bike in the winter can actually help keep the mind “right”. It certainly did for me. Winter has always been challenging for me. I experience seasonal affective disorder, which amplifies the depression I normally de...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Building A Happy City May Be Easier Than You Think
Do you live in a city? Do you reflect on how it makes you feel? I do. I’m actually doing my PhD in cognitive neuroscience examining that exact topic. I chose to spend 5 years in grad school exploring this issue because of my frontline work as a mental health occupational therapist. Occupational t...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Do you live in a city? Do you reflect on how it makes you feel? I do. I’m actually doing my PhD in cognitive neuroscience examining that exact topic. I chose to spend 5 years in grad school exploring this issue because of my frontline work as a mental health occupational therapist. Occupational t...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Moving Meditation: How Riding A Bike Can Keep You Grounded
I’ve been trying to meditate more. It’s not a New Year’s Resolution. It’s a necessity. I think too much. Partly because my PhD requires it. But, a lot of my “thinking” is actually just worrying. Often about things I can do nothing about. It’s always been this way for me. I’ve learned to “cope” wi...
Published at Robin Mazumder
I’ve been trying to meditate more. It’s not a New Year’s Resolution. It’s a necessity. I think too much. Partly because my PhD requires it. But, a lot of my “thinking” is actually just worrying. Often about things I can do nothing about. It’s always been this way for me. I’ve learned to “cope” wi...
Published at Robin Mazumder
#QuickWins4KW
It’s been a few weeks since the municipal election and I’m ready to start talking about how we can get to work. I’m excited to see what the new councils for the City of Waterloo, City of Kitchener and Region of Waterloo can do to make our community safer, healthier and happier....
Published at Robin Mazumder
It’s been a few weeks since the municipal election and I’m ready to start talking about how we can get to work. I’m excited to see what the new councils for the City of Waterloo, City of Kitchener and Region of Waterloo can do to make our community safer, healthier and happier....
Published at Robin Mazumder
Flipping the Bird: On the Need to Slow Our Roll on Dockless E-Scooters
I was walking down a sidewalk in Madrid, deep in thought, reflecting on a full day of exploring the city, when I looked up and saw someone riding a LimeBike e-scooter in my direction at full speed. I quickly jumped out of the way to avoid collision. It was jarring, to say the least. I … Con...
Published at Robin Mazumder
I was walking down a sidewalk in Madrid, deep in thought, reflecting on a full day of exploring the city, when I looked up and saw someone riding a LimeBike e-scooter in my direction at full speed. I quickly jumped out of the way to avoid collision. It was jarring, to say the least. I … Con...
Published at Robin Mazumder
The Kids Are All Right…About Cities
This past April, I gave a talk and ran a workshop at the Modeshift Conference in Winnipeg. The workshop was an experiment of sorts. When Anders Swanson first reached out to me to speak at the conference, he communicated he wanted to avoid a “typical” conference, where participants wer...
Published at Robin Mazumder
This past April, I gave a talk and ran a workshop at the Modeshift Conference in Winnipeg. The workshop was an experiment of sorts. When Anders Swanson first reached out to me to speak at the conference, he communicated he wanted to avoid a “typical” conference, where participants wer...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Sharing Isn’t Caring: Shifting Gears on Shared Responsibility
We need to change the conversation on shared responsibility. This became glaringly clear to me recently, when I came across a social media campaign run by the Waterloo Regional Police, called #CareToShare. When I first saw the educational video pop up on my Twitter feed, I was excited to see what...
Published at Robin Mazumder
We need to change the conversation on shared responsibility. This became glaringly clear to me recently, when I came across a social media campaign run by the Waterloo Regional Police, called #CareToShare. When I first saw the educational video pop up on my Twitter feed, I was excited to see what...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Aiming for Bare Minimum: Why Cycletrack Networks Are the Only Way Forward
This past January, I finished my first year on the City of Kitchener’s Cycling and Trails Advisory Committee. And I was considering quitting. Like many volunteers on city committees everywhere, I had a full plate of other responsibilities and commitments. Time was a precious commodity, and ...
Published at Robin Mazumder
This past January, I finished my first year on the City of Kitchener’s Cycling and Trails Advisory Committee. And I was considering quitting. Like many volunteers on city committees everywhere, I had a full plate of other responsibilities and commitments. Time was a precious commodity, and ...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Street Smarts: Common Sense and the Smart City
Across Canada, we’re seeing municipalities putting their best foot forward with some great ideas for the federal government’s Smart Cities Challenge. I think it’s quite exciting. I have long advocated for data-driven city building, especially as it pertains to active transportat...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Across Canada, we’re seeing municipalities putting their best foot forward with some great ideas for the federal government’s Smart Cities Challenge. I think it’s quite exciting. I have long advocated for data-driven city building, especially as it pertains to active transportat...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Abominable Snow Maintenance and its Implications on Community Accessibility
When I was a community-based occupational therapist, a worry would come over me in late Autumn as I felt the change of the air on my skin. I knew that Winter would bring with it challenges for the clients I served in my role on a complex needs community support team. The term “complex needs...
Published at Robin Mazumder
When I was a community-based occupational therapist, a worry would come over me in late Autumn as I felt the change of the air on my skin. I knew that Winter would bring with it challenges for the clients I served in my role on a complex needs community support team. The term “complex needs...
Published at Robin Mazumder
2017: Year in Review (and tweets)
What. A. Year. While by all accounts 2017 was nothing short of a dumpster fire (largely credited to he who shall remain nameless), on a personal level it will go down as one of my most favourite years yet. Academically, it was an interesting year, completing two experiments that gave me more insi...
Published at Robin Mazumder
What. A. Year. While by all accounts 2017 was nothing short of a dumpster fire (largely credited to he who shall remain nameless), on a personal level it will go down as one of my most favourite years yet. Academically, it was an interesting year, completing two experiments that gave me more insi...
Published at Robin Mazumder
A City That Works For Everyone: Reflections on the Necessity of an Intersectional Urbanism
In the last few weeks, people have been discussing the issue of diversity in urbanism. At the recent CanU conference, there was an all-white all-male panel that got people talking. What happened at CanU isn’t uncommon; many urbanist conferences and often have a lack of gender and racial div...
Published at Robin Mazumder
In the last few weeks, people have been discussing the issue of diversity in urbanism. At the recent CanU conference, there was an all-white all-male panel that got people talking. What happened at CanU isn’t uncommon; many urbanist conferences and often have a lack of gender and racial div...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Shame, Blame and the City Building Game: Moving Forward With the Way We Move
I returned from Burning Man a few days ago. Similarly to last year, I’ve come back inspired – and somewhat tired. My week in Black Rock City was admittedly a lot tougher this year. It was oppressively hot, which took a toll on my energy to explore the expansive pop-up city. But, while...
Published at Robin Mazumder
I returned from Burning Man a few days ago. Similarly to last year, I’ve come back inspired – and somewhat tired. My week in Black Rock City was admittedly a lot tougher this year. It was oppressively hot, which took a toll on my energy to explore the expansive pop-up city. But, while...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Build A City I Can Be Proud Of: How Urban Design Impacts Civic Pride
Cities serious about cultivating civic pride and building their brand need to recognize how urban design can detract from their efforts. The best ambassadors for a city are its citizens, and so it would make sense that their ability to speak positively about it would be influenced by their experi...
Published at Robin Mazumder
Cities serious about cultivating civic pride and building their brand need to recognize how urban design can detract from their efforts. The best ambassadors for a city are its citizens, and so it would make sense that their ability to speak positively about it would be influenced by their experi...
Published at Robin Mazumder
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