iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Whats the point of making places better for walking, did I hear people asking? Well here’s 50 - count ‘em, there’s FIFTY - benefits of more walkable places! www.fastcompany.com/3062989/50-r...

fastcompany.com

50 Reasons Why Everyone Should Want More Walkable Streets

From making you live longer to making cities more resilient: If you want a reason to make your city more walkable, it's in here.

011

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Recent 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 · 05/10/2026

Interesting 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.

051

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Just back from a few weeks there, mostly in Puglia, and have cycled in many places throughout the country over the last 15 years. The only time you hear is a car horn is a polite one to let you know they are there, or as a greeting. So refreshing compared to our hostile roads.

120

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Thanks for this Chris, just donated.

110

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Split in Croatia is a spectacular city in a wonderful setting but boy is it car dominated - parking all over footpaths and in every spare space. Need to get Enrique Penalosa in to sort it out!

150

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Rode some transit in Rome while there last week. All pretty easy and seamless.

040

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The pantheon in Rome is such a gem of a building - one of my favourites.

041

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Definitely. It was a conscious decision to design cities for cars. Not good design though!

010

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Although 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 · 02/09/2026

Spot 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 · 23/08/2026

Sunday ride along the Brisbane River in our city’s spectacular winter.

031

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

It’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 · 20/08/2026

Dog parks - the modern community gathering place!

020

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

That should be Roma Street, autocorrect strikes again!

000

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Brisbane’s new RolanStreet station building is starting to shape up okay!

140

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I contrast this with the city of Helsinki which, through decades of heavy investment in safe walking paths, bike infrastructure and reliable public transit to reduce car dependency, lower speed limits, smart street design and automated enforcement recently recorded a full year of zero road deaths.

010

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Yet road deaths have been normalised as “just what happens” when we make driving the dominant and favoured means of transport. These deaths aren’t inevitable. The transport systems we design and vehicle choices we make as a society cause them.

110

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Like 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 · 16/08/2026

Thanks to Russell King on LinkedIn for this insight. It’s not about what you think!

1135

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Hobart’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 · 13/08/2026

If you really want to rebalance transport in your city, build a proper bikeway network quickly.

042

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Folks, it’s Queensland Walks Month. Let’s celebrate walking and its fundamental role in individual and community health and well being. Share your stories! The President of Qld Walks made a bit of a video with more about this. (Spoiler alert: the President is me!). youtu.be/GAtBrcf3zGs

youtu.be

Queensland Walks Month is celebrated by Greg Vann our Queensland Walks Incorporated President

YouTube video by Queensland Walks Incorporated

041

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Indeed. We are social animals and need to herd. Seeing each other in real life is a fundamental foundation to our well being.

020

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I like this tagline from @urbantruth.bsky.social: “Mobility freedom comes from mobility choice”. When cars are in plague proportions in cities, this limits mobility choice and therefore mobility freedom. In other words too many cars limit our ability to move around easily.

140

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Stage 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 · 08/08/2026

We 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 · 07/08/2026

Some 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 · 07/08/2026

This is alarming for Australia, which has the highest ranked income required to be happy at $161k a year, and an average wage of $59k. No wonder there are so many agree folk here in the “lucky country”… www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-incom...

visualcapitalist.com

Ranked: Where Wages Come Closest to the Price of Happiness

In this ranking Slovenia is the only country where wages exceed the “price of happiness”, the income level where happiness plateaus.

011

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 · 30/07/2026

Brisbane in winter. Spectacular time to ride a bike!

030

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

I know Vancouver well and think making Granville Street car free would be a great idea! Brisbane did it in the 1980s and it has made its main street Queen Street into one of the worlds great pedestrian areas.

0467

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Agreed. Queensland’s new laws about this are fundamentally flawed because this wasn’t appreciated. Power assisted bicycles (“pedelec”) aren’t the problem, they are part of the solution to urban mobility. Electric motorbikes are the problem and should require licensing of both machine & rider.

48217

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Doing 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 · 14/07/2026

Who was the Local Hero in the movie of that name - Mac, Gordon, Happer, Ben Knox, Danny, Marina, Stella?

000

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

This 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 · 30/06/2026

“Since 2001, approximately 30 to 50 people have been killed in Germany as a result of Islamist terrorism. …. In contrast, an estimated 7,600 people died in Germany during the heatwave of summer 2003 alone” Yet huge amounts are spent on one & the other is still largely ignored.

0298

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Rode my bike along the river today. Spectacular morning, well done Brisbane!

030

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Brisbane’s new Cross River Rail station at Roma Street is becoming more visible!

140

Greg Vann @gregvann.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Been sketching some Brisbane downtown skylines:

040