This compact view doesn't do anything like  justice to the latest cityscape captured by Justin Van Leeuwen; to get a much better view -- and the story of just where and how he took this amazing panorama shot -- click here.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="375" caption=""Ephemeral and temporary additions to the urban landscape which survive and flourish based on others' good will""][/caption] ________ There was some sad news over the past weekend of the passing of "Elmaks" the artist behind the delightful Swap Box creations. Elmaks did much to enliven public space in Ottawa, and he will be missed. For those that don't know of Elmaks and Swap Box story, below is a re-posting of an interview Elmaks gave Spacing Ottawa a year and a half ago, while he was living in Montreal and studying at Urban Planning at McGill. A few years ago little wooden boxes started appearing, nailed to telephone poles across Ottawa. Inscribed with the motto "Take something - Leave something" the cheerful little cubes – always whimsically decorated – were seen by thousands of Ottawans every day. They were a mystery to some, a source of delight to others, and in time new "Swap Box spottings" became a coffee-shop topic throughout the urban core, and a point of reference in the local blogoshere. Probably no blog celebrated the Swap Box phenomena more than the excellent Knitnut, by Zoom. In fact, clues as to new locations of Swap Boxes were sometimes left as comments below KnitNut posts. There aren't as many swap boxes as there used to be; rain and wind have taken their toll, as have vandalism, bylaw enforcement, and souvenir hunting.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk, Ottawa, October 2, 2011"][/caption] photo by Justin Van Leeuwen

EDITOR'S NOTE: Long-time supporter of Spacing, Robert Ouellette, wants residents of Canadian cities to take part in his new project called MESH Cities. Whether they knew it or not, anyone who followed Toronto’s Port Land debacle over the last few weeks got a first-hand introduction to the power MESH Cities have to shape our communities. Let me explain. We’ve been hearing a lot about so-called “smart” cities in the news recently as the major computing and infrastructure players like IBM, Cisco, GE, and Siemens look at the next frontier in the trend towards ubiquitous computing. That new frontier is our cities. Whatever you might think about a computer-driven modernity, MESH Cities are not just smart cities. MESH Cities go beyond the management of infrastructure to the heart of what makes cities worthwhile—their livability. Metaphorically, MESH Cities are the offspring of an improbable marriage between Jane Jacobs' ideals and ubiquitous city computing. Their kids, in this context, are named MESH: M=Mobile, E=Efficient, S=Subtle, H=Heuristics This is how the www.meshcities.com website introduces the concept.

[flickrslideshow acct_name="spacing" id="72157627506461395"] If you were at the launch of Spacing's first ever national issue at the NAC this summer you'll know that Spacing contributor Adam Bentley has created buttons based on his iconic Ottawa Transit Map of the Future -- they were selling like hotcakes at the door and suddenly were appearing on shirts and lapels all over the venue. But if you missed the launch, that's OK - Adam has made them available via Paypal for the low price of only $3.41 each - including tax and shipping. The 1.5 inch buttons come in two versions - ...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="598" caption="Going for a Danish at the Next City Café - everyday cyclists in Copenhagen"][/caption] ____ Next City Café is a new monthly discussion forum that explores the spaces, places and ideas that matter in Ottawa.  Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, urban enthusiasts, activists, planners and residents will get together to explore, talk and be inspired to contribute to making this city’s spaces even better. Come join the conversation! Ottawa is a beautiful city to cycle around but is it the best city to navigate as an everyday ...

Full details here - we'd love to see you!

What: The summer installment of Urban Drinks, the evening cocktail party co-shaken by the Apartment 613, Open File Ottawa, and Spacing Ottawa blogs. When: Thursday, August 18, from 8.00 - 10.00 PM Where: Shanghai Restaurant, 651 Somerset Street West. 6 Following on from the fabulous Urban Bloggers United event this past winter on Bank Street, this time we're taking the party to Chinatown for some tasty summer-time refreshments from the people that have been mixing them right, since 1971. Just like ...