Here’s the blunt #UrbanTruth — safer urban design and infrastructure is a matter of life and death.

enjoy

They make up fake conspiracies about common sense ideas like having more things we need close by, so that we’re distracted from the REAL conspiracies happening right under our noses. #UrbanTruth “Teachers Asked to ‘Turn Off Lights’ in County Packed With Data Centers.”

“However exceptional it may feel, the heatwave hitting France fits the scenarios outlined in climate projections. For decades, researchers have repeated that human-caused climate change, mainly driven by fossil fuel use, has increased the frequency, intensity and duration of these extreme events.”

1. Congratulations to the #WorldCup host cities, like Vancouver, who have leveraged the games to successfully pedestrianize streets for people. 2. Never forget, we don’t need football to successfully open streets for people. #UrbanTruth

Paris urban biking investment helps cut pollution in half: “Between 2005 and 2024, levels of nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter — 2 of the most harmful pollutants to human health — have been slashed by 50% and 55%, respectively.” Via @momentummag.bsky.social momentummag.com/paris-proves...

“In 2025 — yes, after the games — Parisians approved another referendum to pedestrianize and plant 500 additional streets, removing another 10% of Paris's on-street parking; about more 10K spots…no one calls these car-free streets, rather, they're rues-jardin— literally, garden streets.” #UrbanTruth

Cities can transform their streets for people instead of cars without hosting the World Cup. It takes leadership, and a smarter perspective on what streets are for. Our own @brenttoderian.bsky.social makes the strong case for #OpenStreets in his city after the Games are over, and beyond. #UrbanTruth

"Once upon a time, six companies controlled the media in this country. That, it turns out, was the good old days… ... How 2 Companies Came to Dominate the Media Business" www.thenation.com/article/soci... @thenation.com @urbantruth.bsky.social @brenttoderian.bsky.social @tomflood.bsky.social

Cities can transform their streets for people instead of cars without hosting the World Cup. It takes leadership, and a smarter perspective on what streets are for. Our own @brenttoderian.bsky.social makes the strong case for #OpenStreets in his city after the Games are over, and beyond. #UrbanTruth

Weird how any negative framing of our auto culture is automatically anti-car & radical yet the billions of dollars spent on aggressive car ads and auto first infrastructure isn't framed as anti-pedestrian, anti-bike, anti-transit, anti-person, anti-senior, anti-child or anti-planet.

3 months ago, our website went live. Today we passed 10,000 followers here on Bluesky. Thank you to every one of you out there who are helping to call out disinformation, and spread the #UrbanTruth.

So true. Auto manufacturers, car dealers, auto lenders, the oil industry, and other greedy corporations deliberately keep the public captive by opposing public transit and other alternatives to car dependency. Ruining countless lives and destroying the environment in the process.

When we launched the #1HourCityConspiracy campaign, calling out the lies & disinformation about 15-Minute Cities, @carlosmorenofr.bsky.social (originator of the game-changing Paris program) weighed in with strong support. “The real ‘urban conspiracy’ isn’t proximity, it’s distance.” #UrbanTruth

ICYMI: The One-Hour City Conspiracy! “Here's the REAL conspiracy: Too many people are forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, crashes, noise, air pollution, social isolation —& less space for everything our streets should be giving us.” Thx @usa.streetsblog.org #1HourCityConspiracy

“In Toderian’s view, the dividing line between cities that succeed and those that stagnate isn’t geography, wealth or even size—it’s mindset. Some places embrace experimentation, risk…Others default to caution, delay, and a reflexive belief that change is impossible.” momentummag.com/urban-truth-...

Does this street look closed to you? We shouldn’t need to host the #WorldCup in order to open streets for people. #UrbanTruth #Vancouver

The Road Lobby claims cars deliver freedom. But what about the freedom to NOT have to drive? #UrbanTruth Our #1HourCityConspiracy Campaign points out how the REAL conspiracy isn’t about proximity. It’s about distance, and dependency, all by design. Read & share. usa.streetsblog.org/2026/04/27/u...

“Since New York City introduced congestion pricing, the state has heralded significant reductions in traffic and rush hour delays, fewer crashes and noise complaints, & toll revenue projected to hit $500 million by the end of 2026. Now, Cornell researchers have tallied the environmental benefits.”

Remember, if our solutions for homelessness don’t start with more housing, we don’t really want to solve homelessness. And if you think building public/social housing costs too much, it costs much more public money to leave people unhoused. #UrbanTruth

We shouldn’t have to travel to other cities on holidays to experience smart city-building for people. It should be allowed in OUR cities. #UrbanTruth

ICYMI: “How To Fight Back Against Anti-Urbanism Lies!” Our @urbantruth.bsky.social podcast interview with top YouTuber #NotJustBikes is on Nebula, Spotify & here on YouTube. We talk about better communication, more REPETITION, and we REVEAL our first big campaign, the #1HourCityConspiracy! LISTEN!

Yes, I want to these things in U.S. cities and towns: • permanent pedestrian zones • pedestrian-first design of streets and neighborhoods • connected+protected networks of bike lanes • low-traffic networks of slow streets • better transit I wish I didn't have to travel to see or use these things.

What if we came back from vacationing in great cities around the world and made the great things about them legal in Canadian cities? #UrbanTruth

3 months ago we launched the website & social media accounts for our new initiative, @urbantruth.bsky.social. The response has been AMAZING, and we thank you all for following us, helping to spread the word about our mission, & boosting our posters/campaigns. We’re just getting started! #UrbanTruth

I wonder if when Spanish people visit here, they marvel at & romanticize the highway interchanges, the 4 lane fast boulevards through our cities, the beg buttons.

What if the things we love about the cities we visit on vacation weren’t illegal in OUR city? #UrbanTruth

“Amsterdam is set to ban climate-damaging advertising [fossil fuel & meat adverts] in public spaces, following a trend spreading across Dutch cities. France has also enacted legislation outlawing adverts from non-renewable energy companies, & one Italian city has plans to do the same.” #UrbanTruth

“The Bullshit Asymmetry Principle, also known as Brandolini’s Law, states that the amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it.” Useful article. As we look at solutions though, our priority is demanding upstream leadership. #UrbanTruth

Want people to know and understand the #UrbanTruth? Repetition, repetition, repetition.

READ THIS: “The Highway Lobby has been shaping transportation policy conversations for decades in its interests.” And they spend MILLIONS buying car dependency, to make sure all of us have to spend BILLIONS. #UrbanTruth Via the Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org. blog.ucs.org/kshen/the-hi...

“Every $1300 New York invested in new bike-lanes in 2015 provided benefits equivalent to 1 added year of life at full health over the lifetime of all city residents.” Among many other benefits, bike-lanes are a really smart public health investment. #CityMakingMath www.reuters.com/article/busi...

“Compared with non-active travelers, the cyclists had a 19% lower risk of all-cause dementia, a 22% lower risk of Alzheimer's, a 40% lower risk of young-onset dementia (before the age of 65), & a 17% lower risk of late-onset dementia.” Connecting bike-riding with reduced dementia risk. #UrbanTruth

ICYMI: The One-Hour City Conspiracy! “Here's the REAL conspiracy: Too many people forced into car-dependent lives, with more health harms, crashes, noise, air pollution, social isolation —and less space for everything our streets should be giving us.” Thanks @usa.streetsblog.org #1HourCityConspiracy

Currently walking through London and it's definitely costing me money! 😅

*Keep Posting* I hear from both shoulders as the angel and devil find something they agree on

They want us to be afraid. And angry too. And they definitely want us to stay dependent on cars. THAT’S the real conspiracy. #UrbanTruth

Every day I surprise my patients. By telling them their disease is not from poor personal choices, but rather from poor land-use decisions by their city. No access to safe walking & biking, more diabetes and kidney disease. They get it. @urbantruth.bsky.social #UrbanTruth

Safe, protected bike-lanes are: Better for business Better for emissions Better for air quality Better for space Better for public health Better for noise Better for equity Better for affordability Better for public costs Better for safety for EVERYONE Better for oil independence Better.

Here's some data on lowering speed limits for those in search of some.

This is what @urbantruth.bsky.social is warning us about

It’s a pleasant surprise that a federal website is displaying accurate information under this post-truth administration, and this is a message that cannot be repeated often enough in #Phoenix

I learned more about the history of “vehicular cycling” while chatting w/ Urban Truth Collective founders earlier today. It reinforced my perspective that one of the biggest barriers to expanding cycling is cycling culture itself. Truth-telling begins with examining urbanism histories & movements.

STUDY: “We found that the way neighborhoods are planned and maintained mattered for happiness, health, and trust. Our findings suggest that mixed-use neighborhood designs that enable residents to shop and socialize within walking distance to their homes have direct & indirect effects on happiness.”

We’re sometimes told trees can’t grow in hot, dry cities. Not true. In fact trees do the MOST good in hot, dry cities. “Trees in hot, dry areas can have a greater impact than in humid cities. Trees in areas like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson are particularly effective at reducing heat.” #UrbanTruth

“Google’s AI Overviews are peddling misinformation on a scale that may be virtually unprecedented in human history. A recent analysis conducted at the behest of The New York Times found that the AI-generated summaries, which appear above Google search results, are accurate around 91% of the time.”

How many more studies does your city need proving that people on bikes and on foot spend more on shopping streets than people in cars? Bike-lanes mean business. #UrbanTruth

In 2014, New York City lowering the speed limit from 30 to 25 mph. In just the 1st year: Traffic fatalities fell by more than 22% Pedestrian fatalities fell by more than 25% The most dangerous drivers, those driving over 35 mph, slowed down the most. Via @transalt.org Speed is always a factor.

In 2014, New York City lowering the speed limit from 30 to 25 mph. In just the 1st year: Traffic fatalities fell by more than 22% Pedestrian fatalities fell by more than 25% The most dangerous drivers, those driving over 35 mph, slowed down the most. Via @transalt.org Speed is always a factor.

“Changing those narratives isn’t just about better wording. It’s about repetition, reach, and scale.” @tomflood.bsky.social is blunt about this: “There’s a reason why car companies don’t show a car ad just once.” Read our profile in @momentummag.bsky.social. momentummag.com/urban-truth-...