As Edmonton prepares to look at its snow and ice clearing policies, we catch up with two people who hope things change.Giselle General came to Canada from the Philippines. But while many people told her how bad winter here would be, they didn't tell her how to walk. Some interesting things happened as a result.In act two we talk with Bean Gill, who…

La difficoltà di far uscire quello che sentoOgni tanto mi capita ancora di trovarmi con altre persone a far fatica ad esprimere quello che sento, non perché non ne sia capace, ma perché tendo inconsapevolmente a concentrarmi di su quello che pensano gli altri di me quando mi espongo.Due anni fa i 21 pilots, una band americana, uscì con una canzone …

L’inglese imperfettoUn mio amico è cofondatore e amministratore delegato di un’azienda italiana che sin dall’inizio ha puntato al mercato internazionale; il sito internet, i cui contenuti mostrano e mostravano la bontà del servizio che offrivano aveva la sua versione in lingua inglese.Un giorno però ho scoperto che i testi in inglese erano stati sc…

PONIAMO IL CASO CHE IO VOGLIA TRASFERIRE UNA FOTO DAL MIO SMARTPHONE AL PC VIA BLUETOOTH:Google → Aranzulla → soluzione.Mi piace smanettare col PC, ma malgrado sono sicuro che con un piccolo investimento di tempo e di fatica, questa soluzione riuscirei a trovarla da me, preferisco affidarmi al magico internet perché mi da la risposta subito (e quan…

As Edmonton councillors prepare to inspect the city's latest Vision Zero report we catch up with two people who have lost faith in the project.Jane Cardillo and Steve Finkelman lost their son, David, after a driver struck him in a crosswalk on Whyte Avenue in 2014. They were powerful advocates for Vision Zero. But now, four years later, after few r…

Il proverbio di Tania (1979).Avrò avuto 5 anni quando la mia vicina di casa Tania, 3 anni più grande di me, mi disse:“Chi va piano, va sano lontano … e chi va forte, va alla morte”.Non lo so se fu quella parola “morte” a far sì che questo proverbio si fissò nella mia mente, quello che so però è che fino alla settimana scorsa la mia interpretazione …

Quando e quanto vuoi stare bene?♫ “Vuoi stare bene?”L’anno scorso Caparezza è uscito con “Ti fa stare bene” una canzone che mi ha colpito da subito, non solo per il ritmo, ma per il senso che mi ha passato.Vuoi stare bene? = sì certo, ovvioDevi fare ciò che ti fa stare bene = meno certo, e ancora molto meno ovvio.Il punto numero 2 è direttamente co…

La signora Sally Forth.“La signora Sally Forth decide di andare nel bosco a impregnarsi della natura e stabilire un contatto col presente. Mentre è nel bosco, lascia dapprima alquanto vagabondare la mente, per poi concentrarla su tutte le cose che in quel momento dovrebbe fare a casa. I bambini, la spesa, la casa, le bollette da pagare... È tutto a…

Letteralmente una fotocopia della mia esperienza.Mi erano capitate per le mani delle fotocopie, e in una di esse c’era la storia di questa persona che in sintesi viveva così:Lunedì mattina: non vedeva l’ora che arrivassero le 5 di sera.Durante la settimana: non vedeva l’ora che arrivasse venerdì sera.Tra una tranche di ferie e l’altra: non vedeva l…

Sentirsi arrivato, da nessuna parte.Avevo il mio lavoro a tempo indeterminato, una figlia appena nata, una casa, un muto, una famiglia, e altre cose importanti che avevo imparato a perseguire come obiettivi.Per quanto mi sentissi fortunato e grato per tutto questo, quel giorno la mia frustrazione venne improvvisamente fuori in una chiacchierata con…

L’agenda del 1998 come regalo della banca.L’altro giorno mi è capitata per le mani l’agenda 1998 che mi aveva dato il Credito Cooperativo, e allora mi è venuto in mente che in quel periodo, verso la fine di ogni anno la mia banca mi regalava quel favoloso oggetto pieno di pagine bianche da scrivere per organizzare le giornate e preparare progetti. …

"When the LRT came to our neighbourhood, it was designed for an arena and a mall," says Scott Rollans, a resident of Central McDougall in Edmonton. In episode eight we ponder how that happened. Just who is LRT for? Is it for things and for people with money? Or is it for people who are on their feet and need transportation options? Edmonton recentl…

In episode seven we explore the intersection of walkability and accessibility on the still wintery streets of Calgary. Blogger and Twitter phenom Mike Morrison (@mikesbloggity) takes us for a walk and shows us just how bad snow clearing is on his city's sidewalks and pedestrian spaces. Morrison says he never thought about snow and sidewalks until h…

Urban LRT is supposed to revitalize neighbourhoods and put walkers first. So what does it mean when one resident along a future line in Edmonton says the design discussion is being driven by the concerns of motorists?Av Walkcast by Tim Querengesser

Rather than scream and throw accusations, Julie Kusiek and her group worked tirelessly to keep it positive and get their city to rebuild their streets to be more walkable and livable. Their approach could be the blueprint for how to get results.Av Walkcast by Tim Querengesser

In episode four we explore the theme of getting lost. First we meet Edmonton’s pedway "rat" and get lost with him—literally—in a mall, thanks to poor wayfinding. Thankfully we had some extra cheese.Next, we explore lost ambitions as we ride an LRT line back in time. In 1978, Edmonton built commuter rail into its northeast suburbs and dreamed of tra…

Journalist Tim Querengesser goes on a walk in Edmonton with Dr. Karen Lee (www.drkarenlee.com). Lee helped re-design Times Square in New York for pedestrians. And business boomed as a result. Lee is from Edmonton and her parents live in the city. How does she feel about walkability in their neighbourhood? "I worry," she says.* Thanks to SoundBible …

In episode two we speak with Dr. Darren Markland about the way we talk about drivers who hit (and often kill) pedestrians on our roads."If you want to kill somebody, you get into a car — because you can be assured you won't be charged with anything more than a minor driving fine," Markland says. "I think we really need to take away the blinders."…

Journalist Tim Querengesser goes on a walk in Edmonton with urbanist academic Kurt Borth (@kurt_borth) to talk about the theory of location efficiency. He also catches up with an Edmonton hotelier who's invested in a new hotel in what should be the city's most walkable neighbourhood, thanks to a $50M new street. But things didn't turn out so walkab…

On this episode I talk about customer experience.----------------------------------------------------------What is the Raw Business Walkcast?I , Andrew Barnabas Smith (@iamabsmith), record my thoughts while I travel to my office in Homer, Alaska. I discuss business, marketing, life, and anything else that comes to mind.Unscripted. Unedited. Raw. Bu…

On this episode I talk about the importance of lifelong learning.To get you started on your journery of learning, here is a link to get 3 months of learning for $0.99 from Skillshare: http://skl.sh/1Rm4OHy----------------------------------------------------------What is the Raw Business Walkcast?I , Andrew Barnabas Smith (@iamabsmith), record my th…

On this episode I discuss looking at potential clients relationally rather than transactionally.----------------------------------------------------------What is the Raw Business Walkcast?I , Andrew Barnabas Smith (@iamabsmith), record my thoughts while I travel to my office in Homer, Alaska. I discuss business, marketing, life, and anything else t…

On this episode I discuss building community through Facebook Groups.----------------------------------------------------------What is the Raw Business Walkcast?I , Andrew Barnabas Smith (@iamabsmith), record my thoughts while I travel to my office in Homer, Alaska. I discuss business, marketing, life, and anything else that comes to mind.Unscripte…

On this episode I discuss creating experiences that engage your audience.Here is the website for #TAKEMEANYWHERE. I was on this beach for 20 minutes after driving an hour up the road. http://takemeanywhere.vice.com/----------------------------------------------------------What is the Raw Business Walkcast?I , Andrew Barnabas Smith (@iamabsmith), re…

On this episode I discuss customer service in the Social Age. Let me give you a teaser. Don't use copy-paste.Here is a link the Facebook reviews at the unnamed establishment: http://bit.ly/rbw-customerservice----------------------------------------------------------What is the Raw Business Walkcast?I , Andrew Barnabas Smith (@iamabsmith), record my…

On this episode I discuss my further thoughts on storytelling in marketing. This time I discuss utilizing the framework of myth and fable to tell better stories in the digitoral (digital + oral) era through Facebook Video and Snapchat.This train of thought was launched by the book "Winning the Story Wars" by Jonah Sachs. I highly suggest you read i…

On this episode I discuss my thoughts about John Emory Powers' rules for advertising that he developed at the turn of the 20th century.1. Be interesting2. Stick to the truth3. If the truth isn't tellable, fix it so it isI came across these concepts while listening to the audiobook version of "Winning the Story Wars" by Jonah Sachs. I highly suggest…