These aren’t helpful subtitles @netflix.com 🤌

Some shots of the recent @academyofurbanism.bsky.social 20th anniversary party at the Rum Warehouse in Wapping. A great event and significant milestone for the Academy. Really enjoyed catching up with and meeting so many fellow academicians and young urbanists

One of my first bone fide heroes who I ended up seeing in my local co-op. Always had a weird thing for bass players and left backs RIP Mani

Proud to have led the masterplan for St.Michael’s, Huyton, submitting a hybrid application for £200m regeneration including a new Council HQ, community facilities, hotel, affordable & market homes amongst a transformed public realm. Lucid acted as masterplanner & landscape architect

A good write up about a key figure in UK urban and economic development - my friend’s father and someone who I was lucky enough to collaborate with on occasion too… www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Well, there goes my favourite planning question… “why are there no new towns in Yorkshire?” www.gov.uk/government/n...

Més que un club #nufc

New independent Design Review Forum confirms appointment of members to champion design excellence news.salford.gov.uk/news/new-ind... Pleased to be appointed to this panel - even if I did miss the photo opportunity today!

Just been called the ‘Jan Gehl of the North’ in a meeting. Completely embarrassed but of course secretly totally chuffed

A-level results day and we have a happy (maybe relieved!) household. Hope everyone out there got what they needed

So after a spell visiting various cities in northern Spain I’m left asking eternal question ‘why can’t we just do that?’… Generous well maintained public space Seating & public toilets Play in every public square Underground car parks Public lifts & escalators Street cafes not all about booze

Pamplona

San Sebastián

A CD revival in our house led me to rediscover my MA design project on New Islington/Ancoats (while studying in London). The illustrations not quite up to current standards but I’m sure the thinking was sound! Basically all of this area has been redeveloped in the intervening years

In a cafe and noticing a bit of an Isak resemblance here. Never too much? #nufc

Red Riding trilogy on Netflix. Powerful performances and captures a grim world brilliantly. From this to Spiderman for Andrew Garfield - where did it all go wrong?!

A life in construction! Here’s my first foray into building the homes we need - laying foundations for my Aunty’s new house in Whitley Bay with my Grandad, Dad and Uncles

GM is growing fast. We will expand @BeeNetwork over the next decade to meet the needs of our bigger economy. BUT There’s a limit to what we can do on a congested surface. It’s why I am asking TfGM to start planning for an underground for GM around a remodelled Piccadilly.

Youngest turns 16 today. A 16 year old me would have wanted exactly the same presents I think

New towns, if they are to be successful, will need to be shaped and developed with the relationship to and needs of existing places firmly in mind. To put any potential barrier between local authority involvement and support makes no sense to me

Massively satisfying to visit an old project - Oughtibridge, Sheffield. Building’s & trees originally planned for removal still bringing bags of character & enhanced riverside creating a nice habitat for people & wildlife. Great to speak to residents & hear what works & what could be better

Fascinating evening exploring issues and solutions to the building inclusion emergency with keishathompson.com @marsharamroop.bsky.social www.gracechoi.co.uk

#28yearslater Well that was a mad but very enjoyable watch. In stark contrast to all the of trailers before it. Thank god for Danny Boyle returning and saving us from movie boredom. Even hearing actors trying to do a Geordie accent didn’t spoil it!

All the Isak rumours are feeling very Andy Cole like. Lack of support for Howe over an extended period giving Keegan walking away vibes too. Hoping #nufc can break the habit of a few lifetimes this summer and not throw away the chance to build on something special

Stockport on a day off

Having left London c20 years ago to move to Manchester the divergence over that time has been stark even given Manchester’s own transformation. It almost feels like a transport system in a different country when visiting London - there’s a reason for that…

£140 billion is enough to buy seven Elizabeth lines It's more than the entirety of capital spending on transport in the North since the turn of the millennium

Stockparty Stockport (y)

Proud parent moment - a-level art exhibition this evening

I’m sure there’s a limit on how many times you can watch this but I’ve not got there yet #nufc

Covid inquiry: 180,000 lives could have been saved www.channel4.com/news/covid-i...

Somehow I’ve managed to never watch the deer hunter until this weekend. Loved it & especially enjoyed the working class Slavic Pennsylvania backdrop. Such an interesting view into small town USA communities & contrast to the horrors of Vietnam war

Genr8 Kajima & Knowsley Council, today launched consultation on the future of Huyton town centre. www.lucidstudio.co is acting as masterplanner & landscape architect shaping a mixed use environment that supports the high street & revitalises the centre. Details here: stmichaelshuyton.co.uk

“Keep out” “No ball games” and we wonder why kids feel discouraged from playing out or engaging in society This bit of scarce and precious public park space is apparently only for a select few 🤨 #stockport #heatonmoor

Almost too perfect to pick

Interesting piece on density here… www.centreforcities.org/blog/whats-h...

Circular car park bonus points for #nufc cup parade 👌

Back to university - this time with the urban design students at @sheffielduni.bsky.social

Last Sunday was an unbelievable day - decades of frustration and stress poured out. So glad these two don’t have to experience that and loved sharing the moment with them 🏆🖤🤍 #nufc

In design as in life - where there is choice there is meaning

Sunny Stockport

Watched a great little film on Washington New Town. Here it is as nature intended - between Newcastle & Sunderland but not in either. My cousin always jokes that he flies from North Sunderland airport - turns out it was actually a thing

An album that always takes me right to a place and time

Renaissance art #nufc

This is interesting and all but why are there so many different fonts used in that small diagram?

I really feel we should give this kind of thing a go in some other cities

#nufc back in toon

Happy New Year. Back to work then…! Thanks to @placenorth.bsky.social @placenorthwest.bsky.social for covering our launch www.placenorthwest.co.uk/ex-open-dire...