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Share your 15-minute neighbourhood story with us!
Is your neighbourhood a 15-minute neighbourhood? What do Ottawa neighbourhoods need to become walkable and bikeable? 💡
We asked some Ottawans about the walkability of their neighbourhoods. Here's what they had to say! Watch the video below:
Interested in contributing to our second video? We would love to hear from you! Please see the submission guideline below.
Submission Guidelines
Submit a video that includes images and clips for your neighbourhood- for example—your commute to work or school. You may choose to film yourself speaking in the video while filming or choose to do a voiceover or use text on screen. Please ensure that the video is filmed vertically (in portrait mode), and has clear audio and video. Please do not include music, or we won't be able to share it! Your video should be 30 seconds or less, in MP4 format, and should not exceed 4GB. Videos can be in English or French. To submit your video, post a reel on Instagram tagging @ecologyottawa and @walkableottawa OR DM us. Alternatively, you can email it to [email protected] with the subject line “15 Minute Neighbourhood Video Submission” or upload the video to the following google drive folder. Thank you for your interest and contribution to this project!
We will post the videos on our social media, and create a compilation video this fall. Stay tuned!
Questions to Inspire Your Story
- Do you live in a walkable neighbourhood?
- Is it hard for you to access grocery stores, pharmacies, and other necessities without driving a car in your neighbourhood?
- Do you live in a 15-minute neighbourhood but still drive?
- How do walkable neighbourhoods support a car-friendly culture?
- What makes your walk or bike ride to necessities safe and enjoyable?
Pro Tips for Producing Short Walkable Neighbourhood Videos:
For All Videos
- Make sure the sun is behind the camera so that it’s shining on you, your streetscape, etc.
- Hold the camera as steady as possible.
If Your Video Focuses on a Neighborhood Scene/Element:
- If you are speaking during the video, make sure you speak loudly enough to be heard (test this), as there may be background noise. Speak clearly and a bit more slowly than in typical conversation mode.
- Don’t rush the scene – pick something you want to focus on. Start on a bigger picture and then move slowly and HOLD on the thing you're talking about.
- Example: How front porches are important social elements that encourage walkability. Start with the street scene (10 secs), then slowly pan (10 secs) to a side of the street that shows just one nice porch right beside you and hold (10 secs).
If Your Video Includes Your Face or Someone Else’s Face Talking:
- Have your face fill 1/3 of the screen.
- Leave a bit of space above your head.
- The camera should generally be just above the person’s nose, not looking down, and not shot from below a person’s head.