No one person can care about everything that deserves caring about. I need reminders of this, and we all need to extend grace to each other concerning what issues we let lie.

Important article from Beck Johnson on Kansas City's fundamental economic quagmire: www.linkedin.com/pulse/kansas...

Any other midwestern asthmatics been struggling over the past week, or is it just me? Trying to figure out if I'm fighting sickness or just allergies. Bronchitis is the worst (well, next to pneumonia).

Been working through my photo editing backlog. Here's a gallery documenting PorchFest KC in October of 2023: mattstephens.zenfolio.com/porchfestkc2... #porchfestkc

Housing advocates / YIMBYs and map geeks, the National Zoning Atlas is a promising project with growing influence around the country. Check out this article and interview with its founder: www.bloomberg.com/news/article... #housing #YIMBY #zoning

Don't miss KC Library's next installment in the Making a Great City lecture series, to be hosted at the Plaza Branch at 6pm, Tues, Sep 30. Chuck Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, will address the US’s housing affordability crisis. RSVP at kclibrary.org/events/housi....

Fun with the American healthcare system, episode #5384: During a recent routine gynecological visit my wife was informed of some abnormalities. The doctor we've known for years, who delivered one of our children, assured us she wasn't concerned, but surgery could be involved. Then it got worse. 1/

A tad belated, but always timely: “Mental Health Awareness Month shouldn’t just be about personal coping strategies and mindfulness reminders. It should include a reckoning with the systems that make us sick in the first place.” www.fastcompany.com/91330344/car...

Sight triangles done right make an extraordinary impact on intersection safety.

I felt a little more human and a little more hopeful after reading this. Warning: It's long. But I thought it was worth the time and effort to read. (Thank you, Isaac and the team at @tanglenews.bsky.social.) www.readtangle.com/charlie-kirk...

I now own my 2020 VW, free and clear! Payoff day feels great. 😊 #smallwins

Thoughtfulness may well be my favorite trait a person can embody. Kindness is up there with it. If everyone were thoughtful and kind, the world would be alright.

Fellow fans of bike lanes: are you fans of two-way cycle tracks running adjacent to two-way streets? I am generally not a fan, as I do not feel safe riding against the direction of car traffic or across the paths of motorists turning into said traffic lanes from side streets & driveways.

Would love to invite a dialog about the contrast of Rule 66 of Jeff Speck’s Walkable City Rules to the city of Hoboken, NJ’s famously successful Vision Zero campaign, which has relied heavily on “daylighting” to improve visibility at intersections. Speck critiques the practice.

En route from KC to Louisville, a solid 90% of motorists were driving 10+ mph above the speed limit (some much faster) *in construction zones* along I-70 and I-64. That’s not bad road design. That’s heartless insanity. Incredibly discouraging.

Leading starts with listening.

Anyone know a RE development firm or other business in the AEC space that’s hiring comms people or would consider someone without industry experience for some kind of mgmt role? I’m looking for an on-ramp into the industry.

Where’s the best place to watch the Mizzou-Kansas 🏈 game tomorrow? Brewer’s Corner is under new ownership. They were my go-to.

I’m a quality of life advocate first, a YIMBY second. Density, supply, and affordability should all serve the goal of improving the QOL for residents. QOL research should inform development plans/projects of all kinds.

When you’re surrounded by conflict, day in and day out, is it neurotic to develop conflict avoidance? One would think a person might develop conflict tolerance—grit—after so much practice. But it has the opposite effect on some of us. Why?

Sometimes (in the short run), efficiency looks like slowing down. However, the extra time upfront pays off in the long run.

In 2025, a $300K, 30yr fixed mortgage costs over $3K/mo. A HH needs at least $108K in annual income to afford this $300K loan. The median home value is $443K. (80% of this is $354K.) The median HH income is $80K. The median HH cannot afford the median-priced home. The system is broken.

The downed tree limbs across Kansas City today… YIKES. 😬 There’s a massive one blocking 2/3 of NB Roanoke/SW Tfwy at the Westport Triangle.

New urbanist acronym: NIYFY — not in your front yard. I might be one of these. 😬

Morning commute: 19 min in one direction; 35 in the other. 😑

Name one food you did not try until adulthood that you now love. I will start: artichokes.

If you discovered one morning that someone had trimmed your tree’s low-hanging branches or your shrub’s sidewalk-encroaching branches, would you be: A) thankful or B) annoyed ?

From AAA (the source cited by MoDOT in the image) aaafoundation.org/impact-speed.... Same time too, so I don't know where MoDOT is getting those numbers.

These numbers seem low. More than 46% of pedestrians hit by a car going 40mph will die, I’m sure of it. Any other good data sources available?

First or second largest waste of city resources in KC: fighting and settling lawsuits. Change my mind.

Why is Ben Healy’s helmet always crooked? #TdF2025

Flight time: Space Camper IPA showdown: 🍺 Chill Break 5% 🍺 Juice Nova 9% 🍺 Quantum Hop Imperial 9.5% Can’t decide whether Juice or Quantum is my favorite, but I think it’s Quantum.

Inspired by the TdF, I set out to ride 43 miles of hilly terrain in brutal heat after being off the bike for the better part of three weeks. I made it 38 miles. 🥵

A bit of my story as it relates to my passions, vocation, and career journey, with some advice sprinkled in. Enjoy! www.linkedin.com/pulse/passio...

Worst rush-hour traffic in Kansas City is on the east side, on and adjacent to Hwy 71, hands-down.

We already miss Brewer’s Kitchen. 🥺 Who’s going to take their place?

Exhibit A in things I’ve been doing to keep myself busy: making and installing cabinetry.

Adventures in pet land // mildly amused // definitely relaxed.

Any fellow iPhone users experiencing the same issues as I am with my voicemail settings? I can’t update any of them; it’s nuts. Spent time chatting with Apple Support to no avail. “Call your carrier,” they said. The problem started when I activated my new phone 3 days ago.

The countdown is on: one week till I leave for my debut European adventure. What must I absolutely do/see during my 5 days in Amsterdam? How about with 2 days in London?

Never become a solo marketing manager/director unless (1) you plan to stay in the role for a very long time and (2) the industry has enough supply of such roles that you can find another if needed. Ignorance of these facts fucked my career. Now I’m starting over in middle age. Bad deal.

My new column at Governing is on my family's choice to take the convenience of an urban neighborhood over a larger home and yard. Not everyone wants to raise kids in this environment, but more families should be able to make this choice if they want to: www.governing.com/urban/high-d...

If you are a young person who wants to become a great city planner, you need some real technical skills. Learning to draw (a skill often neglected in planning schools) is a good start.

Travel advice & must-do experiences for central Switzerland and Amsterdam—whatcha got? First time European traveler here. One month out from my trip.

So much musical and production talent is wasted on the Xian music industry. It’s a huge industry that’s come a long way since Carmen and MW Smith.

This just in: Waymo is rebranding to Nomo.

Holy shit balls—how are there humans who can afford nearly $100 per 4-oz. of meat?! This is at Costco, and allegedly discounted $100.

“If you can build up to four units in low-density zones and up to six stories everywhere else, you could house an incredible number of people and businesses. This mix creates a walkable, but not overbearing, streetscape.” —B. Stevens, The Birth of a Building, 293.

“Paris is denser than New York because of its consistent height throughout” (5–6 stories tall): B. Stevens, The Birth of a Building, 292. I literally just learned this. Where have I been?