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Michael G. Parker

@michaelgparker.bsky.social
514 followers 211 following 635 posts
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Gil Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
No one should die in traffic incidents. Walk, bike, transit, cars. Zero is ZERO! NYC Mayor Mamdani unveiled "Vision Zero Reimagined" • 100 policy goals • Max 15Mph (24Kph) to cover 2,300 school zones • Barriers at over 1,000 intersections annual • Pedestrian Only Districts
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
The Economist @economist.com · 14/09/2026
Zohran Mamdani, New York’s leftie mayor, is already talking less about free buses and more about faster ones. We explain why his fellow progressives might want to do the same
bit.ly
The economic folly of free buses
There are better ways to fight climate change, immobility and inequality
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Russia, arguably the most right-wing country in the world, has universal free healthcare. Yet to advocate for Medicare for All in the US is to be branded a socialist. Make that make sense.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
"Your representative owes you not his industry only but his judgment, and he betrays instead of serving if he sacrifices it to your opinion." Edmund Burke
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The richest man owns X. The second and fourth richest men control Google. The third richest man owns The Washington Post. The sixth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And now the seventh richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?
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97.9 The Hill WCHL & Chapelboro.com @wchlchapelboro.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Executive Director of EMPOWERment Delores Bailey and UNC Basketball Legend Phil Ford joined us to discuss the upcoming 30th Anniversary Gala for EMPOWERment, the history of the organization, their current initiatives and more. Give it a listen here 🎧:
chapelboro.com
On Air Today: Executive Director of EMPOWERment Delores Bailey and UNC Basketball Legend Phil Ford - Chapelboro.com
Executive Director of EMPOWERment Delores Bailey and UNC Basketball Legend Phil Ford joined 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on August 20.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Randi Weingarten 🖇️📚✊🇺🇸 @rweingarten.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Antisemitism is real… so is this administration’s political weaponization of antisemitism: DOJ used Title VI investigations not to keep students safe, but to strip universities of funding and silence dissent. abcnews.com/amp/Politics...
abcnews.com
DOJ investigations into alleged antisemitism at Ivy League universities had predetermined conclusions: Whistleblower
DOJ investigations on antisemitism at Ivy League schools had predetermined conclusions: whistleblower
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 26/07/2026
Susan Collins voted with Trump 90 percent of the time in his first term and 95 percent of the time in 2025, his comeback year. Now may not be a good time for a record like that. ICYMI:
lnk.thebulwark.com
Susan Collins Is Beatable No Matter Who Replaces Platner
Her old formula—express concern but side with Trump—is facing its toughest test yet.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
CNN @cnn.com · 23/07/2026
A growing number of Amazon and gig economy workers earn so little that they rely on public assistance to put food on the table and obtain health coverage, a Government Accountability Office study released Wednesday found. cnn.it/4wn3Bey
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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 20/07/2026
What would another $7,770 mean to you every year? What about better health care? Stronger job and retirement security? That’s what the median worker would get if union density tripled in America. Unions have the power to transform the lives of working people.
epi.org
The case for tripling union membership: How rebuilding union power would strengthen workers, the economy, and our democracy
Foreword Imagine union membership tripling in the United States. It may sound radical—if you’ve forgotten history. In fact, more than 1 in 3 private-sector workers belonged to a union in the 1950s. Th...
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
New York City -- capital of the world Chicago -- Amazing urban spaces and buildings; the Blues Berlin -- Vibrant and has the most compete public transit I've seen Lyon -- Food capital of France. Need I say more? Tokyo -- it's green, it has great transit, and it manages its density really well
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Every refugee admitted to the US in 2026 has been white. That’s not an exaggeration. Nor is it by chance.
thinkbigpicture.substack.com
The Pipeline from Fringe Conspiracy to Trump Policy
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
He's been right -- far right.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
“Helsinki hasn’t registered a single traffic-related fatality in the past year…Citing data that shows the risk of pedestrian fatality is cut in half by reducing a car’s speed from 40 to 30km/hr, city officials imposed the lower limit in most of Helsinki’s residential areas and city center in 2021.”
politico.eu
Helsinki just went a full year without a single traffic death
The capital city is Finnish’ed with car-related fatalities.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." George Orwell
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
“It's entirely possible to build cities for people instead of cars. This square in Malmö was just a parking lot not too long ago.”
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Odd, random thought: I've been alive for 30 percent of the country's existence.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
“Copenhagen reported that 62% of its residents are now commuting to work or school by bike — an increase from 52% in 2015 & 36% in 2012, when the City Council launched a 14-year-plan to improve the quality, safety & comfort of cycling.” #Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.
latimes.com
Copenhagen has taken bicycle commuting to a whole new level
Cycling has been a part of that good life in Copenhagen for decades. In recent years, it has enjoyed yet another unfathomable surge in popularity — taken to the next level thanks to constantly improvi...
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
The Deadly Rise of Giant Trucks and S.U.V.s
The vehicles on American roads have grown larger — and they are killing thousands more pedestrians, a Times investigation found.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
"Stupidity has a knack of getting its way." Albert Camus
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
If someone chooses to live in a smaller home in the inner city in part to avoid a long commute, they generally don’t pressure society to build them a bigger house with more stuff. So if you choose a bigger stuff-filled house in the suburbs, don’t expect society to build you a fast car commute.
A highway filled with gridlocked cars.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
If Brooklyn was a separate city, it would be the fourth largest in the US.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
John Munro @johnmunro.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Authorities that won't introduce congestion pricing are making an official announcement that their policy is to prioritize convenience for car owners over all of these benefits for all residents.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
It brings to mind something I read many years ago: "People don't buy stocks, they buy stories."
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
That's Doddering Don folks.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
In partnership with nonprofit Community Solutions’ national Built for Zero initiative, Durham’s Strategic Plan to End Homelessness aims to make homelessness “rare and brief” for all populations in the next five years.
indyweek.com
Durham Seeks Funding to End Homelessness by 2031
A new plan would aim to place people experiencing homelessness in the city into housing within 30 days.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Josh Stein @joshsteinnc.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
I’m a very proud son of my parents — Jane and Adam — for each being awarded a 2026 Defender of Civil Rights by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP. They inspire me and so many others to do our part as “We the People,” the theme of today’s luncheon.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Gil Penalosa @penalosag.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
When invited to work in Gothenburg, Sweden, we visited a site for a new park. I saw children helping design the park; over 100 different each day, for a school year. Rainy day? ‘No such thing as bad weather, it’s bad clothing’ Lifestyle. Scandinavian countries. World’s happiest.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
“Helsinki hasn’t registered a single traffic-related fatality in the past year…Citing data that shows the risk of pedestrian fatality is cut in half by reducing a car’s speed from 40 to 30km/hr, city officials imposed the lower limit in most of Helsinki’s residential areas and city center in 2021.”
politico.eu
Helsinki just went a full year without a single traffic death
The capital city is Finnish’ed with car-related fatalities.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
A history of the top marginal tax rates on the wealthiest Americans: 1940: 81% 1950: 84% 1960: 91% 1970: 72% 1980: 70% 1990: 28% 2000: 40% 2010: 35% For 50 years, corporate backed politicians in Congress have slashed taxes to line the pockets of their wealthy donors.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Orange Water and Sewer Authority @owasa-nc.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Don't wait to hydrate! 💧 The hotter the weather, the more water your body needs to prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Carry a water bottle and know where to refill it at www.orangecountync.gov/3404/Hot-Weather-Resources. #BeatTheHeat #HeatAwarenessWeek
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
It will be a great event. Come and support the Chapel Hill-Carrboro branch's work to create a more just America. Tickets are available at: www.eventbrite.com/e/chapel-hil...
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
It's worth noting that the Constitution does not grant the Supreme Court the authority to strike down laws. The Supreme Court gave that power to itself in Marbury vs. Madison.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
If we play our cards right, soon we’ll be able to send handguns through the postal service but not birth control or ballots
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Another reminder that one of the best things you can do for a walkable, lovable city is make space for double rows of street/yard trees that create #KissingCanopies above sidewalks. Especially as cities get hotter. Vancouver has many of them — not instead of density, but as part of #DensityDoneWell.
Mid-block connector with apartments fronting on, in central VancouverStreet trees along street in downtown VancouverStreet and yard trees in downtown Vancouver
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
“In Finland, the # of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back to a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.” But the current right-wing govt backtracked.
thebetter.news
Finland ends homelessness and provides shelter for all in need - scoop.me
In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Why? The country applies the "Housing First" concept agains homelessness.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
“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-...
“We could never do THAT in OUR city.”


Leadership doesn’t make excuses.

Via the Urban Truth Collective

Background photo of people walking along a pedestrian street and people-place successful and vibrant in Central Montreal. A street transformation that took community leadership, energy and action, and a spirit of experimentation, rather than excuses or risk-aversion.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
I grew up in what today would be called a 15-minute city, except that back then we just called it a neighborhood.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
I wonder how Avignon is doing on Google these days.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
“In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back to a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.” IT SAVES PUBLIC MONEY to house people.
thebetter.news
Finland ends homelessness and provides shelter for all in need - scoop.me
In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Why? The country applies the "Housing First" concept agains homelessness.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
A quote that could have come from 1984.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
It costs the City of Ottawa $465/person each year to serve new low-density homes, over & above what it receives from property taxes/fees. On the other hand, high-density infill such as apartment buildings pays for itself plus an extra $606/person each year. Sprawl costs, infill saves. #UrbanTruth
cbc.ca
Suburban expansion costs increase to $465 per person per year in Ottawa | CBC News
Infill development is known to be much cheaper for cities than adding new subdivisions, and City of Ottawa staff have shared estimates for how much the municipality saves — and spends — depending on w...
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Here’s one that’s really important to understand and remember, especially if you work in a city hall — the best transportation plan is a great land-use plan. #UrbanTruth
“The best transportation plan is a great land-use plan.” – City of Vancouver planning and engineering staff.

Message via the Urban Truth Collective.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 08/04/2026
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com If Claude Mythos Preview, Anthropic’s newest A.I. tool, “falls into the hands of bad actors, they could hack pretty much every major software system in the world,” our columnist Thomas Friedman writes.
nyti.ms
Opinion | Anthropic’s Restraint Is a Terrifying Warning Sign
The rapid advance of artificial intelligence is happening now.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
UNC MBB should hire Dawn Staley. She can flat out coach.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
I don't know why anyone is surprised. When people tell you who they are, believe them.
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Reposted by Michael G. Parker
Visit Chapel Hill @visitchapelhill.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
#BananaBall is hiring Chapel Hill-area residents to help staff its sold-out shows at Kenan Stadium on April 11-12, 2026! Seeking "cool peeps" for merchandise sales, ticket scanning, & event support starting at $15 an hour! Another great way to be a part of the fun! bananaball.com/world-tour-l...
Banana Ball is coming to town and we are hiring local staff to help bring the greatest show in sports to your city!
Want to be as cool as these cool peeps?
Apply by scanning the QR code! 
Scan code to apply!
(QR Code links to: https://bananaball.com/world-tour-local-teammaters/ )
Any questions? Email peopleteam@bananaball.com
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
"Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." Thomas Mann
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
"Everything looks simple when you don't know the first thing about it." Kevin Williamson This could easily have been written about Donald Trump -- and perhaps it was.
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Michael G. Parker @michaelgparker.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
No, he must be remembered as a cautionary tale so that we don't repeat this disaster.
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