Sasha on the Street

“We are a society that drives to the gym to run on the treadmill” Yesterday a friend of mine at work ran a session on how the built environment influences our physical activity regimes, based on a Transportation Research Board Report from 2005. The premise of his presentation is that the world is becoming less [...]

Last night while watching the news I was drawn in by a story about the Burlington Elementary school district. It was a walk to school program, encouraging parents and children to walk to school instead of driving. Like many of the surrounding suburbs of Toronto, Burlington has larger homes on bigger properties and streets that [...]

Usually so hard to keep. People talk about being more active, being a better parent/spouse/friend. Eating better. Living Cleaner. But so often people set lofty goals, which are too hard to keep. Setting realistic, simple goals is the path to reaching those bigger, more challenging goals. Here are my green New Years Resolutions: Be less [...]

Fall is definitely in the air here in Toronto – I had to use the defroster and the seat warmers this morning – but that also mean that back to school time is just around the corner. For most students day 1 is next Tuesday, September 8th. This back to school stuff got me thinking [...]

The angry environmentalist came out in me yesterday. I had ultimate frisbee last night at Sunnybrook Park (NOT transit friendly) so my bf and I decided to carpool – I would bike to work in the morning than bike over to his office to head over together. I was so caught off guard when I [...]

According to my bf yesterday I became a ‘real’ road rider. I had my first accident – It involved the streetcar tracks at Dundas and Ossington, my front wheel, which resulted in me lying on my back after being catapulted over the handle bars. Fortunately other than a few minor scrapes and bruises I walked [...]

That is the slogan for the 2009 Pollution Probe Clean Air Commute Week; contribute nothing to pollution. It is an attempt to get individuals to re-think how they travel to work everyday. Instead of driving, carpool, drive a hybrid, bike, walk, take transit or telecommute. I started my week off by riding my bike to [...]

To Ride Around the City or To Not Ride around the City? Sure saving the environment is extremely important but above and beyond that your personal safety is at the top of the hierarchy. Is it possible to ride through a city safely? Thanks to green LA girl for pointing me to this article at [...]

When people asked where I grew up the answer was always North Toronto. But depending on whom you ask you get different answers. The other day the Toronto Star published their version of the Toronto Neighbourhoods. Really all it is telling us is how to further divide ourselves culturally – I actually grew up in the [...]

While scanning my news reader this morning I happened upon this article on The City Fix. Get Fit For the New Year?  Consider Riding Your Bike To Work discussed the inverse relationship between those countries that utilize active transportation and obesity rates. Not surprising that European cities tended to have lower obesity rates and more [...]