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pbilk.bsky.social
Fietser (Utilitarian Cyclist), Photographer, Videographer, Gamer (PC and Real Life) Volunteer @cyclewr.bsky.social
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A year-end thread of some of my favourite urbanism discoveries of 2024. I’ll start in NYC where I got to tour the beautiful new East Midtown Greenway.

space fireworks to celebrate the new year 🎆

Can going out to run errands by bike help tamp down some of the holiday blues? Guess I'll find out...

Ruelle verte (green alley) in the borough of Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, Montreal

This post from Tom Flood just cracked me up, and once again, he got me thinking. 🧵

Lukewarm take, but in order to seriously change the transportation system in car-oriented places, you need to view drivers as potential allies.

Ok Urban Arrow people, time to customize those black boxes with some full sized decals. 👇 www.etsy.com/shop/Cargobi...

If you’re interested in cities and how to make them better, scroll to my “Starter Packs” section & explore 4 Packs I’ve created: - Urbanism & City-Building - Better Transportation & Mobility - Canadian Urbanism - Smart Cities & Climate Action Please help share them, especially with NEW audiences!

I’m very excited to share the news that I will be taking on a new role as the Chief Planner at the City of Toronto! I’m looking forward to working with a very talented City planning team, with the Mayor & Council, and with all Torontonians on continuing to build an amazing city tinyurl.com/5n6ntrcy

You can bike to school year round in Calgary! #yycbike #biketoschool #bicycle #bicycling

Happy #InternationalWorldCitiesDay! Here is some safe infrastructure to inspire you!

we figured out what it takes to get toronto police to enforce traffic laws

PSA: If you thread the pin through the bottom of your poppy, it can’t fall off.

if she did this it would be so over for doug ford

‘De vorm van een stad verandert sneller dan het hart van de mens.’ (Jacques Roubaud, dichter, wiskundige) De #Lange_Jansstraat in #Utrecht, gefotografeerd in de jaren '60 (voor de sloop van de zuidelijke straatwand) en door mij in 2024. #stadsmens @zowasutrecht.bsky.social

'Herbestemming is de meest duurzame vorm van bouwen.' (Ellen van Loon, architect) De #Neude in #Utrecht met kantoorgebouw #Neudeflat en hoofdpostkantoor - nu appartementengebouw en openbare bibliotheek; gefotografeerd in 1978 en door mij in 2024. #stadsmens @zowasutrecht.bsky.social

Walk for fun. Go for 10 minutes, go for 2 hours, it doesn't matter. With the obvious disclaimer that this may not be for everyone, it is the cheapest form of therapy, one of the most accessible, yet effective forms of exercise, and the best way to see a city.

Doug Ford's Ontario Place, Highway 413 and 401 Tunnel projects still have the chance to fail, stop and die out. Whether they are still a thought, being evaluated, approved or in motion. #OntarioPoli #Environement

Heat pump are super efficient because they simply move heat around and don’t convert energy to heat (like an electric heater). But the name is terrible because people think “heat” means “warm/hot” instead of “thermal energy”. On Twitter, we settled on “Icy Hot Fan Blaster”.

In a 30 km/hr (20 mph) city, traffic lights and stop signs are entirely unnecessary. At such speed, with a few road markings, traffic situations can be solved with eye contact; allowing everybody to get where they are going more safely, more quietly, and—ironically—more quickly.

Engineering is great to create safer streets and a better modal split, but it requires time and funding. 30km/h on residential streets is an important first step for #VisionZero – long hanging fruit Illustrative example from Munich (h/t www.20splenty.org/) vimeo.com/456479894

My latest in Policy Options : There was a moment in the pandemic that could have served as a critical juncture for crafting a new industrial policy. Today, the conditions are less favorable - but... policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/se... via @irpp.bsky.social

I want to get a starter pack going of people who post about news, events, politics in Waterloo Region so we can start to get the local conversation to be a bit more interesting. So far it's tiny. Who should I add?

We want to see the new transit hub built as much as anyone, but better access to the current station is very welcome!

Join us at Waterloo Public Square on Sat Oct 19, 1-3pm to call for better public transit funding! (1/3) RSVP here: forms.gle/tKREcD4EaaRc... Learn more about actions across Canada here: environmentaldefence.ca/transit-acti...

YAY! IT'S PREMIERE DAY: Pls tune in at 2 pm EST / 8 pm CEST for Part Two of my on-bike interview w/ my good friend, urbanism and safer streets advocate @filmendefietser.bsky.social. We'll be exploring a brand new car-free/car-lite community and much more. Join us if you can 👇 youtu.be/WVck0Oe83_o

IMPORTANT: According to the City of Paris, in the last 10 years 150,000 trees have been planted and 45 hectares of parks created in the city, all intended to not only improve quality-of-life today, but also help the city adapt to and manage summer heatwaves of 50℃ (122F) by 2050.

Be the envy of the school dropoff line

Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #1,434,016! 😊

Great video on an important part of urban livability: playgrounds! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq1k...