the degree to which they want to destroy one of the jewels of the American republic—our exceptional research universities—is just gobsmacking

Chambéry -> Milano

One reason I've strongly supported BART's new fare gates, which have significantly improved conditions within stations and on trains.

Such incredible parallels to big tobacco's playbook: deny any connection of harm from your product until the consensus is overwhelming, but of course there is no repentance and no change in the companies' behavior.

So far this year we've had: the warmest winter on record in the mountain west, a record-shattering heat wave in Europe, once in a thousand year rainfall and flooding texas and forest fire smoke blanketing the mid west and the north east. Feels like something's going on with the climate!

I’m a card carrying socialist & union member & all that and/but this book fucking torpedoed for me the myth that Democrats & Republicans are “the same.” The massive, fundamental differences btwn D & R administrations in regard to disabled ppl’s lives is INSANE.👩🏻‍🦼‍➡️❤️ judithheumann.com/being-heumann/

It's unusual for me to find a politician that's more YIMBY than I am, but Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek's administration is proposing to essentially replace local zoning on most parcels in the state with the last 4 pages of this document www.oregon.gov/lcd/LAR/Docu...

First morning in Chambéry of the month that has had a touch of fall in it – cool and breezy

it's the biggest technological revolution of our lifetimes and you almost never hear about it (because it threatens to bankrupt many of the fossil fuel interests who currently run our society)

Coverage of SF lowering the inclusionary zoning requirement from 15% of units to 5%: missionlocal.org/2026/07/sf-i...

I tend to think that the expansion of Waymo to new cities will nearly always come with a dose of "not sure it will work here" because of some combo of local weather, drivers, and streets.

No. This thinking needs to change. Apartments are homes and should not be thought of merely as buffers between busy roads and 'real' neighbourhoods. Just stop. www.therecord.com/news/waterlo...

Above Annecy

Waymo's US map is about to expand dramatically:

in a lot of ways the current republican government is just the worst, extractive red state governance taken national. total hostility to public goods, total indifference to long-term investment, and a monomaniacal interest in using the state to enrich private benefactors

SF adopted a stricter ceiling-height minimum (7'6") than state law requires (7'), preventing a Cole Valley homeowner from legalizing two basement units for 20+ years. A supervisor is now advancing legislation to align SF's rules with state code. www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

The Oil and Gas Industry! www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/c...

Love this little bike repair station

Happy Bastille Day from Savoie! 🚴🏻‍♂️

Present disasters not future threats

Interesting new study on Paris voting behavior and bike lanes: findingspress.org/article/1639...

Bike-parking station at Chambéry's train station.

"To lose her on a morning commute at an intersection the city has explicitly documented as dangerous for years is just an unmitigated tragedy, a systemic failure." Deaths like Louisa's occur because our leaders prioritize the convenience of drivers over the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

All-timer today, Lac du Bourget and surroundings 🚴‍♂️

Check out the growth in German solar output over the last couple of years. *GERMAN SOLAR OUTPUT RISES TO RECORD 57,317 MW ON FRIDAY: EEX

Great news! www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/h...

Appreciate Roger @streetsblogsf.bsky.social covering our new study demonstrating the benefit of protected bike lanes on bike-share ridership! sf.streetsblog.org/2026/07/08/s...

Instead of a National Climate Assessment produced by hundreds of experts and a rigorous, years-long process, we appear to be getting one led by a climate denier “…who has been soliciting ideas on X for what he should include in the next version of the assessment.”

Back roads of Savoie by 🚴🏻‍♂️

SB 79 has been law for less than a week but we're already seeing the early stages of a flood of NIMBY tears in Palo Alto. This is the second proposed SB 79 project in PA *this week.* And that's just the ones we know about. www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2026/07...

Details in Chambéry

Insane details from SF's housing market right now: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/t...

Aside from all of the terrible policies, I really thought the *daily chaos* would be what would keep enough Americans from voting for this person again. Obviously I was wrong.

Possibly the first SB79 project in existence is a proposal to turn an old motel on .38 acres of land near the California Avenue Caltrain Station in Palo Alto into a 76 apartments. 200 units per acre, on a parcel where housing was not previously allowed. We absolutely love to see it!

Most people don’t need a car bigger than this.

We rolled out the red carpet for buses on Madison and Lexington Avenues. The result? 150,000 New Yorkers have faster daily commutes. Fast and reliable buses now cruising along an avenue near you.

Enjoyed writing this reflection essay for the Berkeley Planning Journal: "In Defense of 'Slow Research' in Urban Planning" (which could also be titled "Why did I walk to roughly 3,000 bus stops?") berkeleyplanningjournal.com/blockbyblock...

YIMBYism is absolutely a precondition for decarbonizing the United States and it drives me insane that a lot of legacy climate orgs, particularly here in California, remain hostile to dense housing construction. www.sightline.org/apartments-a...

By Dawn's Early Light. This morning in Chicago on Independence Day, America 250.

Chambéry, a French city of ~60,000, has done some lovely street pedestrianization in the last five years

SF remains undefeated

Access to two oceans!

Temperatures are soaring in NYC, but this high-rise is staying cool with no fossil fuels in sight.

Goes hard today

As the USA commemorates its semiquincentennial, the question arises: What's the best way to celebrate a country's birthday? Fifty years ago, over 4,000 riders embraced the Spirit of '76 by cycling from sea to shining sea. It was known as Bikecentennial. 🧵

"The entire National Science Foundation budget is less than what we spent in the first week of the war with Iran." www.nytimes.com/2026/06/20/o...

Beams of light surround the Eiffel Tower at 23h on 3 July to celebrate the USA's 250th birthday with America's first ally for independence. #paris #eiffeltower #toureiffel #250th #4thofjuly #lightshow #independanceday

This has been my first time seeing BYD cars in France, including outside of metro Paris