BrentToderian

BrentToderian, 6 months ago to Amsterdam

BREAKING: Today Amsterdam introduced 30 kmh (20 mph) maximum speed limits on most streets, citing increased road safety, reduced pollution, lower noise levels, and fewer injuries/casualties. 20-30% fewer accidents, predicts the Vice Mayor. Via @copenhenken #Amsterdam #Dutch

BrentToderian, 6 months ago to random

READ: This is a very good article, worth reading and thinking about, on a very controversial (and politicized) but incredibly important city-building subject in Bogotá, and many cities around the world. Hat tip @kimmelman and thanks @dhidalgo65 #Bogota #BRT https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/07/headway/bogota-bus-system-transmilenio.html

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BrentToderian, 6 months ago to random

BIG NEWS: Paris is getting a whole new Metro network. It’s huge. And built fast.

“The venerable #Paris Métro is about to get its most significant upgrade in decades with the arrival of the Grand Paris Express, a new 200km system with 4 new lines & 68 new stations.”
https://www.cnn.com/travel/paris-new-metro-network/index.html

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BrentToderian, 6 months ago to random

IMPORTANT: Whether or not people bike-ride in winter isn’t determined by winter weather or temperatures.

Should I repeat that?

Bike-riding in winter IS determined by whether there’s a safe, protected bike infrastructure network, and smart snow clearance.

WATCH, via @notjustbikes
https://www.google.com/search?q=winter%20cycling%20finland&tbm=&shem=rime&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:cced4ea0,vid:Uhx-26GfCBU,st:0

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BrentToderian, 6 months ago to random

IMPORTANT: Whether people bike-ride in winter isn’t determined by winter weather or temperatures.

Should I repeat that?

Bike-riding in winter IS determined by whether there’s a safe, protected bike infrastructure network, & smart snow clearance.

WATCH, via @notjustbikes
https://www.google.com/search?q=winter%20cycling%20finland&tbm=&shem=rime&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:cced4ea0,vid:Uhx-26GfCBU,st:0

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BrentToderian, 6 months ago to random

As I put it last year in my blunt advice to Irish cities, “Your goal SHOULDN’T be to replace a million fossil fuel vehicles with a million electric vehicles. It should be to replace a million fossil fuel vehicles with 250K electric vehicles. The main answer HAS to be FEWER cars."

BrentToderian, 6 months ago to random

LISTEN: Referring to crashes as “accidents” or claiming that “speed wasn’t a factor” in a crash, are not random language choices. They’re the result of PR campaigns. Listen to this really important interview with Grant Ennis by @BrooklynSpoke @Naparstek @TheWarOnCars on “Dark PR.” https://thewaroncars.org/2023/10/24/113-dark-pr-with-grant-ennis/

BrentToderian, 6 months ago to random

NEW: Paris has released a new 5-Year Pedestrian Plan!

• 300 million € to be invested by 2026
• 100 new hectares of pedestrian space
• 100 more “streets for kids”
• New focus on 0 pedestrian deaths #VisionZero
• Longer pedestrian cross times geared to seniors

Leadership.

HT @david_belliard

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BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

This is amazing, and frustrating. The City of Barcelona eliminated 3 lanes of vehicle traffic & converted this street into a 4.7km green pedestrian corridor in the heart of the Eixample grid. Businesses sued, and eventually won in court. Then the businesses admitted they like it. https://citylabbcn.org/the-legal-attack-on-superblock-barcelona/

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BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

READ: If you care about how we’ve been “planning” our cities and suburbs, and how we need to plan them much better, this is REALLY important.

I’ve been saying this in various ways for years now, but I haven’t put it in writing very much. I don’t use these kinds of words lightly, or often. But too much patience is part of the problem.

Please share.

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

What 6 (at least) ideas should every city steal from BARCELONA? As I prep to reconnect with one of my favourite world cities, Barcelona (as part of my role in Pamplona speaking at the 7th International Congress of Architecture), I’m reminded of one of my fav @Citylab articles:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-11-30/6-ideas-every-city-should-steal-from-barcelona

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BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

It’s time for another big transportation shift in cities.

“This time around, change should be driven not only by shifting public tastes, but by public-health concerns, from tackling climate change through to promoting individual health.” — @picardonhealth
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-cities-need-to-make-space-for-transportation-alternatives/

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

"There's always going to be debate in city planning. Always. But there's good faith debate, based on disagreements, and then there's deliberate lies and misinformation." Print article of my @abcnews interview on the truth and lies about “15-Minute Cities.”

Keep calling out the lies.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-27/the-15-minute-city-conspiracy/102015446

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

BREAKING & HUGE: The British Columbia Govt has announced they’ll be ending Public Hearings for housing rezonings that conform with city-wide plans. They’ll also be over-riding municipal zoning to allow up to 4 homes per lot, and 6 near transit, across BC. Also lowering or removing parking minimums near frequent transit.

A very big deal.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-municipalities-small-scale-multi-unit-homes-single-family-lots

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

Suburban #Sprawl costs 38% more in upfront public costs & 10% more in ongoing costs than compact development, PLUS has only 1/10th the tax revenue per acre, confirms report summarizing 17 studies. Important #citymakingmath via @CityLab & @SmartGrowthUSA:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-05-21/quantifying-the-cost-of-sprawl

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to Halloween

“The unvarnished truth is that the real and greatest threat to our children on Halloween is the automobile. Kids are three times more likely to be hit by a car on #Halloween than on any other night of the year. By focusing on imagined dangers, communities are failing to take action that could actually protect children.”
https://ctmirror.org/2023/10/23/who-hijacked-halloween/

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

The Dutch invest €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone. That’s how smart govts do the math on investing in better mobility.

Let’s be clear — it wastes public money to NOT do it.

#CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

“There is a large and preventable burden of respiratory health due to current urban and transport planning. Our health and wellbeing should be the core of planning and policy-making.”

Why health and wellbeing should be at centre of urban planning.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/20/why-health-wellbeing-should-centre-urban-planning

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to Copenhagen

“While Mayor, I was often asked ‘how have you been able to afford this in #Copenhagen?’ I’d reply, ‘how have you been able to NOT afford it? 25 years ago we were a few days away from going bankrupt. So the city invested in the cheapest infrastructure… bicycling.” — @mortenkabell

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

I don’t hate cars. Like most North American males I was raised to think cars are cool, and as a design nerd, few objects are more eye-catching.

I hate surrendering our streets, our cities and our lives to them.

Cartoon by @cowanrob #CarDependency

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

Remember, when it comes to the actual likelihood that a vehicle crash will occur at all, AND whether the consequences of a crash are serious, or even deadly, or not, speed is ALWAYS a factor. Including when the legal speed limits are currently too high. #SpeedKills #VisionZero

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

This video camera study showed that less than 5% of people on bikes break traffic laws while riding, yet 66% of people do so when driving. And if you REALLY want even MORE bike-riders to obey laws, build more protected bike infrastructure. Via @CarltonReid
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/05/10/cyclists-break-far-fewer-road-rules-than-motorists-finds-new-video-study/

BrentToderian, 7 months ago to random

A smart urban street tree canopy shouldn’t just be considered urban infrastructure… given all the many quantifiable and unquantifiable public interests supported by urban trees, they should be considered ESSENTIAL infrastructure. HT @davidlois_UNED for the graphic.

BrentToderian, 8 months ago to random

The busy bank of the Seine in Paris. This used to be space for cars, now for several years it’s been a special place for people. All it took was leadership. Oh, and fighting and winning a court battle when that leadership was challenged. HT @EmmanuelSPV for pic.

BrentToderian, 8 months ago to random

The “E-Bike Effect:” Those who bought e-bikes increased their average daily bicycle use from 2.1km (1.3 miles) to 9.2km (5.7 miles), a 340% increase. The e-bike share of all their transportation increased dramatically too; from 17% to 49%. Via @Treehugger
https://www.treehugger.com/e-bikers-ride-much-farther-and-more-frequently-than-regula-bikers-5076231