Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 15/10/2026Traders have a tendency to overestimate how many of their customers arrive by car and underestimate the increase in spending that accompanies more walkable and bikeable streets. 082
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Recent visits to a range of historic town centres in Europe has refreshed my understanding of what Jane is saying here… 031
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Interesting graphic from www.visualcapitalist.com/where-work-l... about relative work life balance in US states. Nearly all the states with the highest are progressive, and those with the lowest are in the south. 062
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Rode some transit in Rome while there last week. All pretty easy and seamless. 040
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 09/09/2026The pantheon in Rome is such a gem of a building - one of my favourites. 052
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Although I’m not really a fan on the “war on” language, it resonates with me that the claims about demonising the car are ill founded. What most western cities have really done is designed out walking to accommodate the car. 130
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Spot on. Walkability is not just, or even mainly, about distance. It’s also about how a walk feels - if it feels safe, comfortable and interesting, more will walk. 041
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Sunday ride along the Brisbane River in our city’s spectacular winter. 031
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 21/08/2026It’s well proven that widening roads doesn’t solve congestion, but that still hasn’t shifted the dial on the common belief and political expediency of continuing to do so to pander to that belief. This graphic from Russell King is a handy simple explanation of the problem. 020
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 19/08/2026Brisbane’s new RolanStreet station building is starting to shape up okay! 140
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 19/08/2026Like most places, Qld road toll is increasing & vulnerable road users are more at risk. Queensland Walks, the walking advocacy body I chair, joined with the state motoring & kindred organisations to call for safer roads via campaign 107, the likely no. who’ll die on our roads from now till Christmas 130
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Thanks to Russell King on LinkedIn for this insight. It’s not about what you think! 1135
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 15/08/2026Hobart’s MONA (Museum of Old & New Art) is a real knock out. Been there many times but today explored the new additions, most in areas carved out of the rock under the ground. 071
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 13/08/2026If you really want to rebalance transport in your city, build a proper bikeway network quickly. 042
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Stage 3 of Gold Coast light rail from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads opened yesterday to huge crowds. It will be a great success and makes a mockery of the ill judged decision not to build stage 4 to the Gold Coast airport. I predict that’ll happen eventually. 0100
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 08/08/2026We all know what our city could do better. But catching a trademark city cat to Howard Smith Wharves under the landmark Story Bridge on a winter evening, under clear blue skies and a temperature around 19C just reminds me that Brisbane is a GREAT city. 080
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Some big things opening in public transport in Oceania: Gold Coast light rail stage 4, connecting Broadbeach & Burleigh opens this weekend Auckland’s City Rail link opens 13 September. I predict they’ll both be huge successes! 140
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 01/08/2026“Despite the widespread harm caused by cars & automobility, governments, corporations, & individuals continue to facilitate it by expanding roads, manufacturing larger vehicles, & subsidising parking, electric cars, & resource extraction… Currently, 1 in 34 deaths are caused by automobility. 173
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 24/07/2026Doing a tour of the Queensland outback with a couple of mates. Boy, a lot of the small outback towns have made a lot of effort on their main streets. They all seem to be thriving post covid with so many people touring around, camping grounds and hotels are all pretty full. 010
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 02/07/2026@greaterauckland.bsky.social @patrickreynolds.bsky.social making sure the shirt is seen around the country! 090
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 01/07/2026This is a special place for me. Where we had many family holidays and I now have holidays with my children and their children. And where my late wife’s ashes were spread 7 years ago this Sunday. Just a lovely part of the world called Moffat Beach. 020
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 27/06/2026Rode my bike along the river today. Spectacular morning, well done Brisbane! 030
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 27/06/2026Brisbane’s new Cross River Rail station at Roma Street is becoming more visible! 140
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 24/06/2026Went to a meeting this arvo that was nothing to do with planning or cities, but the room had excellent wallpaper! 050
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 23/06/2026My @greaterauckland.bsky.social tee shirt arrived! I’m pleased to continue my support for this excellent community based organisation that has had a profound impact on the maturing of Auckland into a great city. Don’t believe me? Have a squiz at their website www.greaterauckland.org.nz/our-impact/ 1101
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 21/06/2026Mucking around with watercolours - all new to me, just finding my way… 040
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 18/06/2026These types of signs in Vancouver show just how car centric our language about roads has become. It’s not closed, it’s closed to vehicle traffic. It could just have easily read “road now open to people only” or something similar… Thanks to @urbantruth.bsky.social for the image 142
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Power outage in my street today, scheduled to replace a power pole. So I walked my dog Peanut around the corner to our local village at Rosalie for breakfast and coffee at my local cafe. Walkability is real! 030
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 10/06/2026The rise of huge SUVs is one of the most corrosive trends in transport of recent times. They create a vicious circle almost like an arms race. Russell King on LinkedIn nails this in this graphic and also identifies 4 key measure to turn this vicious circle into a virtuous one. 072
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 09/06/2026The biggest misconception: Low rates of walking, biking and transit don’t mean people prefer driving, it means cities have been designed for car use at the expense of safe, convenient and practical walking, biking & transit. Via Propel Bikes on FB 15114
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 08/06/2026Cities making progress on better suburbs don’t ask "how do we move more cars?" but "what is the good urban life, & how do we build toward it?” They pilot things at a meaningful scale & put place-makers in charge, not engineers. Via Russell King on LinkedIn integratedtransport.org.uk/downloads/De... 171
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 06/06/2026One of the simplest & wisest quotes about cities is Fred Kent’s: “If you plan cities for cars & traffic, you get cars & traffic. If you plan for people & places, you get people & places.” Enlightened cities around the world are doing this. Some still think cars & traffic are the answer. 0125
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Really? Park the huge 4WD ute half on the footpath next to a 10m wide road pavement? 130
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 29/05/2026One of Brisbane’s great attributes is large areas of bushland close to inner suburbs. Five minutes from home I get to walk in places like this with a mate and our dogs. 080
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 18/05/2026The term “rush hour” is one of transport’s big misnomers (right up there with freeways and greenways). 1334
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 13/05/2026Vested interests manipulating public perceptions and government to invest in things that make cities worse, cost billions and defer better solutions just to ensure they make huge profits? Who would have thought it. 14811
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Love this one from @tomflood.bsky.social’s LinkedIn feed (developed with The Biking Lawyer LLP): 010
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 02/05/2026One of the all time classics: a major intersection which only has pedestrian crossings on 3 of the 4 legs, meaning anyone not driving has to go the long way around and wait for 3 light changes. 040
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Rightio: characteristics of motor car dominance time. Nominate one. I’ll start: When vehicle traffic is being excluded from a road/place/street, signs are erected saying “road closed”, rather than “road closed to vehicle traffic” (and open for all other users!) 361
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 01/05/2026Your Andy Singer classic for today, from some years ago, seems particularly relevant today. 140
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 01/05/2026I was, by some margin, the oldest user of these slides yesterday. 031
Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 30/04/2026Some classic city books contain timeless wisdom, like Kevin Lynch’s Image of the City: 063