Is this Menswear?VOLUME IISSUE I

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I - ReflectionII - Culturally Modified Trees III - Fall / Winter Looks IV - JSB Site VisitV - Serial Vision

The Process

IV - JSB Site Visit by Iain Russell

V - Serial Visionby Jason Niles

How you get to 1014 Meares Street, is a trip. There is a 100% guarantee your route will be a combination of great architecture, streetscapes and green spaces.

The first question people usually ask me about the store, is the location. I respond often by using neighbouring businesses, landmarks, and nearby intersections in order to form relationship of A to B. Spatial awareness and mental mapping is different for everyone. There is a difference in spatial intelligence and ability between men and women, but I will save that for a later blog post. Exploring spaces and the way we use maps is rapidly changing. Folded maps with grids and indexes (A-4, C-6, D-E); daring a companion to ask a stranger for directions; or staring at the big red "You are Here" dot, are all becoming customs of the past.

With a 97 WalkScore, our store is part of a community where being a pedestrian is an enjoyable mode of mobility. Since opening two weeks ago, approximately 60% of our customers have arrived by bike! Being on a designated cycling route, we are excited to help the city achieve the objective of prioritizing walkability and cycling over other modes of mobility.

People are navigating environments in a new manner. With nearly half of all Canadians having a smartphone equipped with GPS, a two-way relationship is occurring simultaneously. Users are accessing data for their own needs as well as crowdsourcing data-sets to be used at a later time. This reaches beyond pipes and pavement. Recently, Google Earth Outreach recently hosted a workshop at UVic with Indigenous organizations from around BC to attach cultural knowledge to the land via mapping practices. Raleigh Seamster, Outreach Programmer states "People have a kind of geo-literacy with Google Earth . . . It helps speak a common language to explain complex issues.

Since June 2012, I have volunteered as a member of the Johnson Street Bridge Replacement Citizens Advisory Panel for the City of Victoria. This 6 person panel, made up of various professionals and municipal staff, meets 6 to 8 times a year. Our mandate is to provide input, ask critical questions, and to be routinely updated with the overall work plan.

I am honoured to be involved with a project of this magnitude. Not only for the scale of civil engineering and infrastruc-ture construction, but also towards the cultural impact for Victoria. This bridge for me symbolizes progress in Victoria and the Capital Region. Ideas around cycling, connecting walkable neighbourhoods, and revitalizing waterfront spaces, are being realized. It reminds me that Victoria is a leader, nationally and internationally. A centre where creative ideals and ideas thrive. When I look at my city, I see: a Provincial Capital; a city part of a larger urban network (Vancouver and Seattle); the largest urban centre on a majestic island; and the last city in Canada to see the sunset. Below, are photos from our early morning site visit last week. All photos are shot on 35mm film with my trusty Yashica T4.

Is this Menswear?1014 Meares StreetVictoria, British Columbia, Canada. www.Isthismenswear.com

VOLUME I / ISSUE I

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