"Building a short section of cycleway, or proposing to take away a car park, gets more column inches in the media – and more scrutiny from both local and central government politicians – than any multi-billion-dollar mega-project ever experiences. All of this is the opposite of how it should be."

#RailNews: The Golden Triangle is home to 40% of NZ's population with huge flows of people and freight. Electrifying its rail could make a real difference to its mobility By @darrendavis.bsky.social via Adventures in Transitland: adventuresintransitland.substack.com/p/electrifyi...

omg so true bestie, totes #twinning over here too 🚗✨

Here's one of Barcelona's famous superillas, or superblocks, on Rocafort-Consell de Cent. All of this used to be asphalt and space for moving and storing cars. Now it's green, quiet, calm, and safe.

Despite the so-called “war on cars”, there are still lots of roads in Montreal to drive or park your car on. Most of them, actually.

Three major crashes today on roads where the current NZ govt *increased* the speed limit (previously lowered for safety reasons) in pursuit of "productivity"? Serious injuries. Lengthy closures. Costly disruptions to lives, whānau, the transport network, our health system. This is not productive. 😞

🎉🚲 It’s (nearly) the most wonderful time of the year… and no, it’s not Christmas! 😉 Biketober is here — a whole month packed with rides, workshops, and celebrations all across Tāmaki Makaurau. Check out the full calendar at biketober.nz and join the fun! #Biketober #BikeAKL #BetterByBike

We’re in this list and we like it. 😊#GlobalUrbanists

It’s just over nine months until Te Huia’s five year trial comes to an end in mid-2026. There’s lots to be done to secure it as a permanent service between Auckland and Hamilton. Read on for what this involves. open.substack.com/pub/adventur...

In my latest blog post, I delve into KiwiRail's emerging thinking on the electrification of the Golden Triangle linking Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. open.substack.com/pub/adventur...

Happy 200th birthday to passenger rail travel! Although, as my piece shows, actual history is messier than that: www.forbes.com/sites/carlto...

Wow look at this street. There must be incredible productivity gains on this crucial economic route from Simeon Browns blanket speed increases. So safe, and so fitting at 50km/h!

Hi @npr.org! We worked late tonight putting together this handy pocket guide! It doesn't address road design issues, but if we're going to educate road users, we should include drivers. It's the size of a folded business card. Print it, fold it, put it in your wallet!

There’s a lot wisdom in here, thanks @haydendonnell.bsky.social thespinoff.co.nz/politics/23-...

Our Friday roundup, featuring stories about cities and transport that caught our eye this week. Have a great weekend, and roll on Daylight Saving Time (and Biketober)! www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/26/w...

I want to live in cities where a scene like this is fairly unremarkable.

A viable cycling network is a vital safety-net for people and the economy. Is the cheapest transport network to install and maintain. A measure of a city’s competence and civility. www.rnz.co.nz/news/pinchpo...

Use this simple trick to ensure parking is always free.

More housing was the winner on the day: our wrap-up of this week's decision by Auckland Council to move ahead with the new Plan Change. www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/25/p...

"The showdown vote (won 18-5) came after a marathon council hearing with sometimes fiery exchanges between supporters of the plan for greater density, and staunch opponents."🔥 Simon Wilson reports in detail on Auckland Council's decision to crack on with putting new homes where it makes most sense.

It's weird - but now in Oslo, there's so many EVs that you notice the noise and the smell from individual ICE cars, and you realise how much we've been normalising it for ever. You can smell them half a street away. And inside parking lots are just *quiet*.

#RailNews: KiwiRail has unveiled its plans to transition to a low carbon, climate resilient business as it prepares the network for the growing impacts of climate change. Via Scoop: www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU25...

"Wtf is going on?" You can count on @haydendonnell.bsky.social to ask the major questions – and today's live-blog of Auckland Council's housing debate was no exception. (Includes faithful transcription of some highly questionable metaphors.) thespinoff.co.nz/politics/24-...

The outcome of today's debate at Auckland Council: the city will now move ahead with Plan Change 120, enabling more housing near town centres & transport links (and not in areas prone to flooding). Still to come: public consultation and hearings. But housing was, and will be, the winner on the day.

Today the Auckland Council Policy and Planning Committee will meet to decide if Auckland proceeds with Plan Change 78 or it's replacement (now called Plan Change 120). Livestream available here: councillive.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/live-stream/

Follow along as @connorsharp.bsky.social live-skeets Auckland Council's zoning debate: ❓stick with Plan Change 78 (3x3-storeys almost everywhere as of right 🏘️🚗) OR ❓move ahead with Plan Change 120 (build more homes around town centres & rapid transit lines/hubs 🌇🚆🚌, no new builds in risk areas 🌧️)

This is such a great article, and goodness yes, I adore perimeter blocks (there was something similar in Chicago as a classic urban-form for the city, namely the u-shaped mid-rise apartment block). This would be so great in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Perimeter block housing: street-business at the front, kid-friendly garden party at the back! A guest post from Women in Urbanism Aotearoa on the all-ages appeal of this most urbane of design patterns... and Auckland's fresh chance to get in on the action: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/23/y...

"I don’t know about you, but paying $180 million a year for a project that delivers an annual $63 million (or $79 million) in benefits doesn’t sound like a very good deal." Today's post: Matt does the numbers on last week's report from Infrastructure NZ: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/22/g...

ICYMI: Auckland Council's Transport, Resilience & Infrastructure Committee (aka this one neat TRIC 🙃) met last week. Matt Lowrie looks at some key reports, which include updates on the Central Rail Link (nearly there!) and plans for more bus+transit lanes: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/03/c...

ICYMI: Auckland Council to hand control of our city's transport future to central government, in what's being hailed by some as a "victory for democracy". 🧐🤔 But what does this actually mean for the people & streets of Tāmaki Makaurau? Matt Lowrie digs in: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/08/a...

"How have we allowed the humble bicycle to be weaponised? How have we created a property right in curb-side parking? [...] Transport policy is not just about least-cost now. Policy choices shape where we live and how we live our lives." A good read from Rod Carr: www.thepost.co.nz/business/360...

Weekly Roundup: our regular Friday post of eye-catching stories about transport and urbanism. This week: relaxing bus journeys, the state of our cities, local voting gets under way, positive coverage of cycling (including "mosh pits on wheels"), and more! www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/12/w...

Electrifying news from KiwiRail: they're working on a plan that would effectively electrify the whole North Island rail network.⚡🚆 Matt Lowrie looks at what this would mean for both freight and passenger rail – if and when the plan is approved and funded: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/11/e...

#RailNews: KiwiRail recently spoke with the Waikato Regional Transport Committee about a plan to effectively electrify the entire North Island rail network. Via @greaterauckland.bsky.social: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/11/e...

IMPORTANT STUDY: “On average, the implementation of 30 km/h speed limits in European cities demonstrated a 23%, 37% & 38% reduction in road crashes, fatalities & injuries respectively. Lower speed limits also yielded environmental benefits.” www.nrso.ntua.gr/review-of-ci...

In the midst of a transit strike that has shuttered every London Underground train, the cycleways pay off.

"How have we allowed the humble bicycle to be weaponised? How have we created a property right in curb-side parking? [...] Transport policy is not just about least-cost now. Policy choices shape where we live and how we live our lives." A good read from Rod Carr: www.thepost.co.nz/business/360...

Radical urbanism in a children’s picture book

Some good transport news for Greater Wellington/ Te Pane Matua Taiao – with immediately obvious potential for other regions. As covered in today's post: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/09/w...

👀🥺

ICYMI: Auckland Council's Transport, Resilience & Infrastructure Committee (aka this one neat TRIC 🙃) met last week. Matt Lowrie looks at some key reports, which include updates on the Central Rail Link (nearly there!) and plans for more bus+transit lanes: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/03/c...

ICYMI: Auckland Council to hand control of our city's transport future to central government, in what's being hailed by some as a "victory for democracy". 🧐🤔 But what does this actually mean for the people & streets of Tāmaki Makaurau? Matt Lowrie digs in: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/08/a...

From 2030, Greater Wellingtonians will enjoy "climate-friendly, comfortable & inclusive journeys" on "the first fleet of battery-electric trains in the Southern Hemisphere"⚡🚆🎉 Naturally, our thoughts turn towards intercity rail at our end of the island...🤔 www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/09/09/w...

Beware of any politician doing this. It’s a major red flag of the most cynical political opportunism, weaponization of lies & misinformation, and manipulation of some consultant’s idea of a “wedge issue.” It would waste public money, risk or even cost lives, weaken the city, make traffic worse, etc.

A message for European, Aussie/Kiwi and other global urbanists in time zones where you’re awake now! What would be the best way to grow the “Urbanism on Bluesky” participation in your part of the world? Take a look at the accounts in this Starter Pack of mine, share it, and tell me who’s missing!

ICYMI: "Our community chooses 30" – how one neighbourhood is expressing its preference for safe, people-friendly streets. An inspiring post about a creative local response to the government-mandated reversal of safe speeds across Auckland's neighbourhoods. www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/08/06/t...

A deep dive into the unintentional political commentary of a weird internet game made by a Nimby activist group. thespinoff.co.nz/politics/26-...

"There’s devil in the details, and some strange things"... Curious about the latest batch of proposed zoning reforms for Auckland? @scootfoundation.bsky.social has the scoop, in this recent post. 🏡🏘️🏢

ICYMI: "Ewww, Ow and Sick?" Auckland Transport releases its first official map of the rapid transit network with the Central Rail Link, set to open in 2026. The (draft?) map includes a few interesting design choices, and names for the lines. We have notes: www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/08/05/a...