NEW: A mega snow storm - SNOWPOCALYPSE - recently hit residents of Juneau, Alaska. I spoke to heat pump owners there to find out how they coped. Their heat pumps did great, apparently! www.thereengineer.pro/p/my-heat-pu...

Half of Irish businesses view housing as the biggest barrier to competitiveness

Soooo what say you climate peeps? What path are we actually on so far in the 21st century? Seems like maybe somewhere between SSP2 and SSP3?

Another busy week: - interviews for a new intern project officer to join the RTPI Scotland team - an outing to Glasgow Uni to discuss metropolitan mayors and other regional-ish options for policy coordination - a night in London for the @rtpiplanners.bsky.social Awards for Planning Excellence

Our travel survey is out. Please take part and help us better understand how we can help people to use their cars less and to walk, cycle and use public transport now. Fill it in here and you could win £50 in our prize draw: forms.gle/rYhnGvTEwuuH... #Portobello #Craigmillar #Edinburgh

Dear @lner.co.uk thanks for sending me a text letting me know which seat I have reserved for my journey to London this morning - Welcome as that was, it would have been more useful to know that the train was cancelled….

Traffic deaths are policy choices.

Event alert! 📣 Guest lecture: Prof John Tomaney (UCL) on Mayors & 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Discussants: Dr Caroline Brown @drcarolinebrown.bsky.social (RTPI) & Prof Iain Docherty (Stirling University) 🗓️ Wed, 26 Nov, 4-6pm 📍 Clarice Pears Bld, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow Come & join us! www.eventbrite.com/e/mayors-exp...

Just picked up this, and cannot wait to get into the story and see where Lyra and Pan end up…

We will have to do some sleuthing on Jean to see if the RTPI records can shed any light on this… #WomenIPlanning

National Planning Conference gets underway…

Did my bit for @rtpiplanners.bsky.social today, spending 2hrs at a high school careers fair talking about planning as a career. Many thanks to everyone who came along. I forgot to take a photo of my stall & banner, so all I have to show is this almost empty box of chocolates! #PlanningCareers

Nathan Gill is no fringe politician. He was the leader of the Reform Party and before that UKIP in Wales. A Brexit Party MEP. A friend and ally of Nigel Farage, who in 2016 called him: "terrific," and "as honest as the day is long." This is a MASSIVE story www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Keynote speaker @profjennyj.bsky.social prepares to open the RTPI Scotland Annual Conference 2025

Last chance to book for the RTPI Scotland Annual Conference in Perth next week. The theme is healthy and resilient places, and we’ve got walking tours, a sketching workshop and lots of fab speakers…. www.rtpi.org.uk/find-your-rt...

Congratulations to the 5 winning entries for the 2025 RTPI Awards for Research Excellence. 🙌 Discover the winners 👇 https://www.rtpi.org.uk/events-training-and-awards/awards/rtpi-awards-for-research-excellence/

Meet the young people who are ready to change the future... introducing the winners of the fourth global Students Reinventing Cities competition. From Amman to Tshwane, over 1,200 students from 150 universities took on the challenge of reimagining urban spaces across 11 cities this year.

Sunshine after the rain: dropping into the Planning Research Conference in Belfast today.

Had a lovely jaunt out to see old colleagues and friends at #HeriotWatt University today - and to meet the class of 2025 as they start their journeys as #FuturePlanners! Welcome to the planning family and best of luck with your studies.

Great to see Issue 201 of the #ScottishPlanner out this week - it’s a wee festival of planning celebrating this year’s winners in the Awards for Planning Excellence plus all the usual contents, including the latest episode of my Podlicious recommendations… www.rtpi.org.uk/media/21122/...

2 weeks ago I noticed this: a shop unit in George Street - a prime retail street in Edinburgh city centre- which has been repurposed from a bank into a screwfix store. Last week I noticed a branch had popped up on Nicolson St too. It seems like a good thing to me - but one to keep an eye on.

Excited for this! @hannawheatley.bsky.social @cdoyle34.bsky.social @academyofurbanism.bsky.social @drcarolinebrown.bsky.social @clesthinkdo.bsky.social @neilmcinroy.bsky.social @planningaidscot.bsky.social

Rochdale's Medical Officer of Health made the case for housing reform and comprehensive planning in 1911. My new post examines the town's early housing history and first council housing: municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2025/07/08/a...

A day out of the office with Heads of Planning Scotland for the second day of their conference and AGM in Kilmarnock. Good to hear about the vision for town-centre cultural regeneration linked to the renewal of the Theatre.

One for @blackfordsaferoutes.co.uk!

It’s been quite the week, but very pleased to be at the HOPS AGM in Kilmarnock today. Timely conversations about digital planning led by Aline Kirkland from the Improvement Service.

An excellent start to the week, we had RTPI chief executive @victoriartpi.bsky.social in Edinburgh to help Convenor Laura Robertson open RTPI Scotland’s new office. And, this evening we all celebrated the best of Scottish planning practice with our RTPI Scotland awards. Well done all!

It is very sad to hear of the death of Professor Sir Geoff Palmer. He was always a delight to speak to and a true pioneer.

Spending a few minutes of my lunch break looking through the programme for this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival. Looking forward to exploring the Repair theme - and hoping we can manage another #RTPIScotland team away day there!

A momentous day today: after 30 months, the solar panels on our roof have generated a total of 10 MWh of electricity. The recent sunny days have helped speed us to this nice round number - but the cloudy days play their part too.

Looking forward to Reform’s forthcoming campaign re: potholes in which larger and heavier vehicles are banned, taxed or both in order to address the pothole issue…

Four questions for people who say their driving is essential: 1. why is it essential to drive THAT car? 2. do you drive it as little as possible? 3. why is it essential to drive it that fast? 4. why do you need priority over people who aren't driving?

Bringing the 2025 Scotland Young Planners Conference to a close with a keynote from John Alexander from SSEN Transmission solution. Focussed on ‘The purpose of planning’ the whole day has been a fabulous insight into the variety of career paths open to planners.

Over the years I’ve been in Edinburgh I must have walked past Magdalen Chapel on Cowgate countless times without paying it any attention. The volunteer there when we went in for the first time yesterday was very happy to see us. I don’t think they get many visitors.

👏 Congrats to Prof Johan Rockström on receiving the #EdinburghMedal for his impact on global sustainability & Earth resilience. We were honoured to host him as speaker at our 44th #TBMacLecture, watch his talk - “A safe and just future for humanity on Earth.” 🌍 🎥: ow.ly/GZY050VCROO

What's next for the Planning and Infrastructure #Bill? Our Senior Public Affairs Officer goes through the next stage of the Bill and what happens after Parliament returns from recess 👇 Read more: www.rtpi.org.uk/blog/2025/ap... #PlanningReform

A wonderful evening at the Edinburgh Science Festival listening to Dame Jo da Silva talking about climate, nature, hope and the work of Arup.

? Do you live in areas below 🙋‍♀️ Influence local transport/planning ... join your #CommunityCouncil HERE-> www.edinburgh.gov.uk/community-pl... @edi.bike @urchaidh.bsky.social @helenrambler.bsky.social @nialla.bsky.social @portyenergy.bsky.social @edcriticalmass.bsky.social @infrasisters.bsky.social

Really delighted to announce THIRTY bursaries for study on a postgraduate planning degree in Scotland in 2025/26. The pipeline of future planners is being well supported by the Scottish Government. Details 👇 www.rtpi.org.uk/plannerbursary

Another Tuesday another lovely day to cycle there and back again. I was in the office this morning and joining a TRUUD workshop this afternoon. Lovely to see @irenebeautyman.bsky.social there!

TCD researchers seek input from e-cargo bicycle owners around Ireland Researchers are looking for electric cargo bike and trike owners to fill in a survey which takes approximately 17 minutes to complete. They hope that the answers to their questions can help future policy decisions. The questions…

Really delighted to announce THIRTY bursaries for study on a postgraduate planning degree in Scotland in 2025/26. The pipeline of future planners is being well supported by the Scottish Government. Details 👇 www.rtpi.org.uk/plannerbursary

🚨 Outrage as 20 police officers break into Westminster Quaker Meeting House and arrest six. 🚨 This shocking violation of a place of worship is a direct result of crackdowns on protest and dissent - freedom of speech, assembly and democracy are at risk.🕊️ 👉 www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Today’s things of joy: cycling into the office, and then to lunch with Johanna Boyd from Planning Aid Scotland. Marvellous.

#RoseburnPath misleading poster appearing Our position: We urge good 🚲🚶👩‍🦽 conditions, whether #tram is offroad or onroad MORE-> www.spokes.org.uk/2024/06/gran... @edi.bike @edinreporter.bsky.social @edinburghtrams.bsky.social @urbaneprofessor.bsky.social @sw20ed.bsky.social @thecockburn.bsky.social

📣 BREAKING NEWS: Entries are now open for the 2025 RTPI Awards for Research Excellence with renamed categories in honour of late planning academics: 🎓 Tony Crook Award for Early Career Research 🎓 Patsy Healey Award for Academic Excellence Learn more: www.rtpi.org.uk/news/2025/ma...

Starting from April I will run 1 hour long online mentoring calls for women, trans and non-binary folks in the built environment industry. See link for more details and please share with anyone you think might be interested: www.linkedin.com/posts/vicky-...

“Copenhagen reported that 62% of its residents are now commuting to work or school by bike — an increase from 52% in 2015 & 36% in 2012, when the City Council launched a 14-year-plan to improve the quality, safety & comfort of cycling.” #Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.

"I would encourage anyone within the profession, no matter your seniority, to get out to events and promote the value of planning." Connor Sheffield, Senior Planner at Stantec, highlighted five key benefits. Read more: www.rtpi.org.uk/blog/2025/ma...