Bluesky is at 40 million and the urbanism community on here seems to keep growing. Here’s my updated Starter Pack of Canadian planners, architects, advocates and urbanists. Some well known faces … and some you should get to know! Give them a follow! go.bsky.app/AEYL7FZ

A global network of urbanists shaping the cities of tomorrow. From sustainability to resilience and fairness, we’re all tackling the same challenges—and we have so much to learn from each other. As climate change and other crises intensify, sharing ideas has never been more urgent.

Canadian Cities Guru Teams Up with Paris Mayor for Groundbreaking New Exhibition. momentummag.com/from-paris-t...

I saw this happen over visits during the last 20 years. It’s amazing.

We could have nice things. Paris quickly cleaned up their air, reduced traffic jams while improving mobility and overall livability 💚

“Recent studies show that between 80% — 89% of the world’s population wants to see climate action. Members of this ‘silent majority’ come from all walks of life…’” #ClimateChange

“One of Hidalgo’s most transformative achievements has been her push to reduce car dominance in Paris, a city historically shaped by automotive culture. Since 2014, her administration has added over 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of bike lanes, making cycling a viable and safe option for commuters.”

Important piece by Brent—please check it out!

This book is my current transit commute read! I attended the pre-launch of the book "Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Urban Transformation", by our old friends Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com at the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Vancouver. #UrbanismBookClub 1/

“But urban thinkers see another way: cities designed for people, not cars. It sounds utopian, maybe even naïve, but these three urbanists say it’s achievable if city builders are willing to take bold steps and rethink the status quo.” www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article...

Really happy to reconnect with old friends Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com back visiting Vancouver from their amazing global work championing smart urban biking. Great fun at the Dutch Consulate special event celebrating their inspiring new book “Women Changing Cities!” #UrbanismBookClub

“Fast forward to today, and the transformation is astonishing. Paris has quietly—and quickly—become one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world” with pop-up bike-lanes during the pandemic evolving “into a permanent cycling network spanning hundreds of kilometres.” Via @momentummag.bsky.social

“The change shows how ambitious policymaking can directly improve health in large cities. Air pollution is often described by health experts as a silent killer. Both PM 2.5 and nitrogen dioxide have been linked to major health problems, including heart attacks, lung cancer, bronchitis and asthma.”

All the haters who are constantly accusing us of not changing the conversation about better cities must feel pretty stupid right about now.

The bike lane infrastructure in Paris was amazing. I couldn’t get over how many cycle lanes there were. The city is incredibly bike-friendly, with countless protected paths that are fully separated from cars and traffic, making it safe and enjoyable to get around on two wheels.

“The redevelopment plan includes planting more than 225 trees and adding vegetation-covered pits, most of which will also serve as rain drainage. The city will also add more seating along the street and an illuminated canopy, which will be present year-round.” #Montreal www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Great NEW Starter Pack on Canadian Urbanism and Planning, curated by none other than Toronto’s Chief Planner @jasonthorne.bsky.social! That doesn’t happen every day! #UrbanistShoutOut

If you think climate change has gotten worse during your lifetime, you're right and there's a good reason. If you're Gen X like me, more than 3/4 of fossil fuel CO₂ emissions have occurred in your lifetime. Even if you're a Millennial, it's at least half. 📊: @neilrkaye.bsky.social

My street has a huge green canopy of trees now - it makes a huge difference at street level.

"Most recently global top urbanist Canadian @brenttoderian.bsky.social has been contributing to the #FromParisToBelém project, an international effort celebrating urban #ClimatePolicy & connecting it to global #ClimateGoals ahead of the #COP30 climate summit in #Brazil." [art by #ShepardFairey]

The design of your city can help make you healthier, study finds. “A new study in Nature found when people moved from less walkable U.S. cities to more walkable ones, they increased their levels of physical activity and saw health benefits.”

“Paris, and Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social, have been the most inspiring in the world over the last 10 years…Not because they’ve been perfect — no city has been — but because they’ve been strategic, determined, & fearless.” — @brenttoderian.bsky.social interviewed by @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com.

Helsinki goes a full year without a traffic death. “A city traffic engineer credits the success to lower speed limits and smarter design.” #VisionZero

“The Seine riverbanks are no longer high-speed roads but instead pedestrian-friendly areas with parks, walkways and cultural spaces. Close to 130,000 trees have been planted on Paris’s streets since 2020 to help create new green spaces…” #Paris

“Every city needs to go much further and faster. The powers that city leaders have to decide urban densities, land-use mix, transportation, infrastructure, & more are game-changing for addressing the climate crisis.” — @brenttoderian.bsky.social discussing the Paris Exhibition with @carltonreid.com.

“Wildfires and heatwaves grip southern Europe as evacuations ordered. Deadly blaze in France and mass evacuations in Spain and Portugal as extreme temperatures fuel fire risk.” #ClimateChange

STILL TIME to check out and apply for this really important PLANNING MANAGER position! Posting closes end of the day on Monday! #Coquitlam

“Nearly 2000 children under 5 are dying every day from air pollution, which has become the 2nd biggest health risk factor for young children around the world.” “More than 8 million deaths of children & adults were caused by air pollution in 2021.”

“In the 1960s, the children’s television show Sesame Street was being conceived at the same time that the urban design book ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities’ by Jane Jacobs was exploding in popularity.“

A free, child-friendly exhibition staged in the City Hall, Paris, on how large cities around the world are fighting back against climate change opened last month. “From Paris to Belém: 10 years of global climate action” runs until mid-December. #ClimateChange www.forbes.com/sites/carlto...

Check out this important PLANNING MANAGER job posting, closes August 11th!

Paris reopens the Seine River to public swimming after a century-long ban! “About 1,000 swimmers a day will be allowed to use three bathing sites after €1.4bn clean-up programme.”

Awesome city planning job alert! MANAGER, COMMUNITY PLANS & POLICY. One week to go to apply. Join my great team — I’m looking for a smart, creative, strategic leader to help shape the city. A very important role in a dynamic, transforming B.C. city! #Coquitlam www.coquitlam.ca/414/Career-O...

NEW: “Canadian urbanist @brenttoderian.bsky.social teamed up with the city of Paris and, in particular, its mayor, @annehidalgo.bsky.social on a new exhibition that shines a light on cities and global climate action.” Thanks very much @momentummag.bsky.social for the great questions! #Paris

Not Complicated.

'a partnership between the @toronto.ca the Gattuso Centre, & the @unitedwaygt.bsky.social – Dunn House is a 4-story, 51-unit building that supports people transitioning out of homelessness, with a focus on frequent emergency care users.' - @ihpmeuoft.bsky.social ‬ ihpme.utoronto.ca/2025/04/inte...

“Burned-Out Parents Need Better Public Spaces: To ease the burden on families, we need places to let the kids roam free.” Via @langealexandra.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Air pollution has dropped significantly in #Paris in the last 15 years. Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social’s leadership has traded car space for green space, safe bike space, kid space.. and traded pollution for people. Good trade.

“Protected separated bike-lanes was one of our biggest factors associated with lower fatalities & injuries for all road users. If you’re going out of your way to make your city safe for a broader range of cyclists, we’re finding that it ends up being a safer city for everyone.” @usa.streetsblog.org

“…this extreme car dependence is affecting Americans’ quality of life, with a new study finding there is a tipping point at which more driving leads to deeper unhappiness…having to drive for more than 50% of the time for out-of-home activities is linked to a decrease in life satisfaction.”

Paris, France.

“When mayors in other cities ask me how #Copenhagen afforded to invest in its cycling networks, I ask them how on earth they have been able to afford highway projects. We invested in bike lanes because that was the cheapest option.”

“People also deserve freedom, & freedom lies in the presence of choices. For people who do not drive, who cannot afford a car, or don’t want to drive, the presence of alternatives determines how free people are.” — @humantransit.bsky.social, interviewed by @davidzipper.bsky.social on his great book.

“91% of the revenue generated by these businesses came out of the wallets of customers who walked, cycled or used public transport to reach them. Customers that drive to the shops accounted for just 9 per cent of sales.”

NEW STARTER PACK! Who are the most creative, persuasive people and organizations that are truly CHANGING THE BROAD CONVERSATION ABOUT BETTER CITIES? The game-changers & mind-changers? This one I teamed up with superb marketer/brander @tomflood.bsky.social to curate. Please share! go.bsky.app/7iNmiCU

Some recent #CanadianUrbanism friends and colleagues who’ve joined Bluesky: @canurb.bsky.social @brentbellamy.bsky.social @jaypitter.bsky.social @ericturcotte.bsky.social @reneedsc.bsky.social @jwhiteyvr.bsky.social @spacing.bsky.social @penalosag.bsky.social And more every day! #UrbanistShoutOut

"Paris started with periodic, strategic closures of key streets, then day-long closures of the entire city center, always in the context of the conversation about air quality, livability & noise…It's a very smart way of doing it." — @brenttoderian.bsky.social in BlogTO www.blogto.com/city/2024/12...

"Paris started with periodic, strategic closures of key streets, then day-long closures of the entire city center, always in the context of the conversation about air quality, livability & noise…It's a very smart way of doing it." — @brenttoderian.bsky.social in BlogTO www.blogto.com/city/2024/12...

We dropped to one car because we have an e-bike and an e-cargo bike that also carries our toddler. That one car only got 6,000km on it last year. I just took it in for its “annual” oil change.

Riding bikes is 10X more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities. And that’s just the climate emissions part. #ClimateCrisis theconversation.com/cycling-is-t...