Leith’s Gordon St is a modest yet perfect encapsulation of “affordable homes in medium density community plus trees”. Particularly lovely in Spring.

It was frankly weird to be hanging out on the south side of Dublin, but its loveliness cannot be denied.

“Benches aren’t just disappearing from large railroad stations, but also from subways, parks, plazas, sidewalks, and esplanades…in the past decade, across the U.S., hundreds of places to sit in public have quietly disappeared.” The Disappearance of the Public Bench. By @placesjournal.bsky.social

Had a Director’s health and safety walk along our Shawfair district heat network and admired some beautiful pipes! Seeing the T connection that will supply our new high school with low carbon heat was particularly cool.

The most stunningly located social housing development in Scotland / UK / the World? #Dumbiedkyes #ArthursSeat

Looking at big ships while eating chips is a good Friday evening occupation.

“How to, with John Wilson…” touches on a lot of things town planners are into (wandering around places thinking about why things are the way they are) so I’m very much looking forward to this. www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...

Correct, these are minerals.

First known instance of attempted arrest under Town & Country Planning Act?!

Love to watch this every year. Even when no ☀️ it’s always a lovely moment of reflection. www.gov.ie/en/office-of...

'Snow in the Suburbs' by UK printmaker Gail Brodholt #WomensArt

Getting the glam on while checking the 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 score under the table at Learning Spaces Scotland awards. Wins on both accounts!

After living through the Nazi & atomic bomb eras, Tove Jansson writings would often encompass fearful ideas about loss of a familiar world. However she would balance this with characters who encompassed #kindness & #community, even in the darkest times #WomensArt #WorldKindnessDay

Absolutely gone at this story from Harris on FB, the last sentence is pure Atlantic coast magic.

Great to celebrate the work we are doing with Vattenfall Heat UK through our JV bringing low carbon heat to homes in Midlothian 🍾 heat.vattenfall.co.uk/news-and-ins...

Edinburgh’s Architecture

The Old Tollbooth on Royal Mile last night. A higher quality waiting for taxi environment than most cities can offer.

Cycling through Edinburgh with afternoon sun catching on the cupolas and I want to reread @kathleenjamie.bsky.social essay Skylines in Findings as she captures this whole business in words much better than my photo can.

Maybe we should bring back city planning as a competitive sport! www.planetizen.com/node/87885/g...

The home of the O'Donovan family is being used as a polling station in Coolmoyne, Co Tipperary. Around 250 people are eligible to vote at the house and after they cast their ballot, they will be treated to a cup of tea, a slice of apple or rhubarb tart, or a scone | More: rte.ie/b/1540324

Tragic step count requires a drum and base / kitchen dancing solution.

Civic/sports buildings are an underrated attraction in France. They are plain, well built, abundant and do a lot. We ate charcuterie while a rock band played at a local centre with a thermal pool and physio classes. Next door were the judo and basketball halls. Nearby, very exciting hairdryers. 🇫🇷

Love the intermingling of home and barn in Alsace. Courtyards accommodating multiple generations of families, workers’ flats and equipment and buildings that can shape-shift over centuries.

Incredible thermal inversion over Edinburgh from the pentlands this morning. Taken from Carnethy hill looking north-east, you can see Turnhouse, Castlelaw, Allermuir and Caerketton hills. What you can't see is any of the city of Edinburgh! @threadinburgh.scot @secretedinburgh.bsky.social

Malevolent and mysterious vibes from the Scott Monument this evening.

Today, The Word for World: The Maps of Ursula K. Le Guin opens at AA Gallery in London! Curated by Sarah Shin and Harriet Jennings, the exhibition presents a selection of Ursula's maps, including some that have never been exhibited before.

The southwest façade of North Bridge is on show again! We can now see the expert hand finished details in all their glory. Work is continuing to ensure that this unique piece of Edinburgh's history is preserved for future generations.

Manchán Magan 1970 - 2025 💔 Craoltóir, scríbhneoir agus Gael. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann. Thar na blianta, chruthaigh sé & chuir sé i láthair an t-uafás cláracha do TnaG & TG4. Tá oidhreacht shaibhir fágtha aige dúinn a thabharfaidh inspioráid don chéad ghlúin eile 🕯️ 🔗 www.tg4.ie

The V&A East Storehouse is full of stunning surprises like this complete office that Frank Lloyd Wright created for Pittsburgh retail magnate Edgar J Kaufmann in 1935-1937 (THREAD)

Fascinating to get summary of research from the hugely influential @jennyjroe.bsky.social on benefits of green space on mental health, setting scene for day of discussion at @rtpiplanners.bsky.social Scotland conference on making healthy places for happy people.

Kate Macintosh designed Dawson’s Heights for Southwark Council in 1964 aged just 28. (She's alive and well and still fighting for high quality social housing.) English Heritage described it as ‘an example of the almost-lost art of romantic townscape’ municipaldreams.substack.com/p/dawsons-he...

William Playfair was the brother of architect James and minister and mathematician John. His nephew William Henry Playfair is renowned as the architect of Edinburgh's 3rd New Town and more than a few neoclassical landmarks in the city.

They aren’t just flower beds!!! Fascinating peak beneath the surface of one of London’s new Cycleways - you can see the complex drainage system that ensures bike lanes help protect the capital from heavy rain & the effects of climate change. And don’t they look great when they’re finished? 💚🚲👍

Always enjoy this mansard-forward development in Musselburgh. It has some lovely touches. Today it looked like it was enjoying the sunshine.

HAMMERMEN'S ENTRY:—To earn an honest bob. #Edinburgh #hyperlocal #news

Speaking as Midlothian Energy Director this morning at really great event by Clean Heat Edinburgh Forum that focused on what Not for Profit could mean in delivery of heat networks. Considering where and how we ensure communities are embedded in delivery was great way to reflect on DHN benefits.

⭐Doors Open Day 2025 at Edinburgh Futures Institute⭐ 🗓️ Saturday, 27 September | 10:00 to 16:00 Join us on Doors Open Day 2025! Meet our staff, students and partners and discover how they are shaping better futures for all. 👉 Free entry! See the full programme efi.ed.ac.uk/event/doors-...

“The transport revolution isn’t coming from engineers in Detroit or techies in Silicon Valley, but women taking action. Discover the personal, political, inspiring stories of streetfighters transforming neighbourhoods through sheer determination.” -J. Sadik-Khan www.modacitylife.com/women-changi...

The Joy of Kerbs may be the title of my memoir. Really nice succinct and accessible guides on public realm (neglected) basics.

I am in awe of this product design! Whoever came up with a zero mess honey dispenser for those required to eat in transit deserves all the awards.

Bemused Scottish folk flying DUB to EDI observing queues of families and babies wanting to be photographed with the Sam Maguire cup today. Was nice to have a celebrity in our midst!

Glorious colours on the allotment today. Intimidated by sheer volume of plums harvested.

Some beautiful work on display at the Out of the Blueprint Print Expo 2025, celebrating 10 years of supporting young / emerging artists in Edinburgh. Zines and teeshirts on sale to support their excellent work.

“Institutional memory is important..” Know where the plugs are.

🧵 Scottish art is a subject I’ve always been interested in & includes many fine artists, some of whom are of national & some international importance. Let’s take a look at some Caledonian magic! [1]

Huge fire on Arthur's Seat visible from miles out the A68, hope everyone's ok

Fire at Arthur's Seat #photography #edinburgh #wildfire

Truly brilliant show about our relationship with land and customs and culture around it. Dialogue free with jaw-droppingly creative set pieces. So easy to bounce out of a bah-humbug festival mindset when you actually go see some shows. Art, eh?!

This is such a great perspective on how you can positively present city living.

🙌Landmark Scottish Passivhaus school is outperforming targets! Monitoring data from the first year of Riverside Primary - the first Passivhaus certified school in Scotland - demonstrates it is more than delivering on energy and indoor comfort. projectscot.com/2025... @sarahlewis.bsky.social