[lrt's friend]

I remember my trip to Amsterdam. A great city with its history and canals. Its tramways and bicycle lanes made access to downtown easy and the streets were buzzing. Part of this was because of the density. It was the place to be, for shopping and whatever else. What Amsterdam did not have was the variety of immigration, which has enormously enriched Ottawa in the last generation. This greatly affects the dining choices.

I think inner city density affects how vibrant it is. Ottawa was only a small city when the automobile came on the scene. This is especially the case when comparing us with Toronto and the even older Montreal. People in dense neighbourhoods tend to spill out onto the streets and enjoy the culture of the city. The suburban lifestyle is entrenched on a more widespread basis in Ottawa, so instead of hitting the streets, we hop in the car and head for the nearest shopping centre and then retreat back to our suburban bunkers. This widespread suburban culture also affects the friendliness of the citizens.

This suburban culture can only be slowly changed with increasing density in the inner neighbourhoods and by providing broader access to high quality transit.