UrbanWorkbench

Sidewalk Design Parameters

Mike Thomas — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 00:18:00 +0000

Prototype Small Scale Solutions

Mike Thomas — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 23:27:40 +0000

As a resort community, Revelstoke sees a lot of tourist traffic in the downtown, both pedestrians and vehicles. Additionally, as a community to over 7,500 residents, Revelstoke boasts one of the highest per capita rates of active transportation in Canada, with over 22% in the 2016 census showing walking or cycling as the main mode …

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Deep Work and Time Blocks

Mike Thomas — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 17:00:46 +0000

How do you schedule your work day?

BC Wildfires 2017

Mike Thomas — Sat, 08 Jul 2017 15:07:39 +0000

There’s a lot to consider with how quickly these wildfire grew and how communities and agencies are reacting and responding. The best news is that proactive evacuations are in place, with the aim of reducing last-minute fleeing. I’ll update this page as news and images come in. (Due to the Storify service closing down, this …

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Camp Creek Mudslide

Mike Thomas — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 21:15:13 +0000

One of the challenges of living in the Interior of BC is that the routes between communities are through mountain passes and in bottom of narrow winding river valleys. The effort to keep these routes open year round is Herculean, with rock scaling and ditching in the Spring, paving in the summer, and snow removal …

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Support Mike in the Great Cycle Challenge

Mike Thomas — Fri, 26 May 2017 15:00:22 +0000

I have registered for the Great Cycle Challenge and my goal is to pedal 300 km this June and raise $500 to fight kids’ cancer! And my challenge starts NEXT WEEK. Why am I doing this? Because over 1,400 children are diagnosed with cancer in Canada every year. It will be tough, but it’s nothing …

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Engineering, the noble profession

Mike Thomas — Thu, 25 May 2017 16:54:26 +0000

“At its heart, engineering is about using science to find creative, practical solutions. It is a noble profession.” Queen Elizabeth II

Simple Solutions

Mike Thomas — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 15:08:26 +0000

How often do you feel that the world is unnecessarily complex? Here are some simple products and solutions I’ve enjoyed using recently. Sugru I’ve used Sugru for a couple of years now. It’s not an everyday product, but it has provided lasting solutions to a number of problems in our house, from a broken toilet …

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A Disturbing Trend in Local Government

Mike Thomas — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:00:02 +0000

The resignations of over a dozen mayors and councillors in British Columbia over the past two years is “a disturbing trend,” according to a veteran of municipal politics. Source: CBC – “A Disturbing Trend” “Long hours, low pay and increased complexity cited” as the main reasons. In the decade that I’ve worked for local government, …

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90% of Municipal Engineering is Communication

Mike Thomas — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 20:00:38 +0000

I’m regularly reminded of the importance of communication as a part of municipal #engineering as I provide updates on projects and operations to decision-makers. Unfortunately, most university programs in engineering, and many junior level positions fail to prepare graduates and young engineers for this reality. Design work, physics, materials, mechanics, chemistry, and hydraulics are foundational …

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