Borners
@borners.bsky.social
Transit Costs Project Researcher
英国基進主義者 (English state buildingism...its better in the Sino-Japanese).
Profile pic is Nagasawa Ryosetsu's picture of Crane (the virtuous man) staring at your soul.
英国基進主義者 (English state buildingism...its better in the Sino-Japanese).
Profile pic is Nagasawa Ryosetsu's picture of Crane (the virtuous man) staring at your soul.
Pinned
Borners
@borners.bsky.social
· Oct 17
This Himeji city's current land use plan, 6 sides of A4 for a city of 500,000 people, an industrial city with Japan's largest intact castle west of Osaka. Use rights, FAR ratios, light-rights, set-back all, here.
If your city plan can't be summarised like this, you have to ask why.
If your city plan can't be summarised like this, you have to ask why.
Reposted by Borners
Historians in the 20th century. denying pre-and early modern atrocities is fascinating because it's multivalent: some comes from distrust of atrocity story propaganda, other parts are a rejection of modems who think pre-modern atrocities were actually awesome.
Why did people ever think Herodotus was *wrong* about Scythians using human leather, which they did? What about that wasn't credible. Why would they care what we'd think of it a kajillion years later
November 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Historians in the 20th century. denying pre-and early modern atrocities is fascinating because it's multivalent: some comes from distrust of atrocity story propaganda, other parts are a rejection of modems who think pre-modern atrocities were actually awesome.
Reposted by Borners
Further refinements unveiled for Shanghai Metro Line 26 integrated urban concept this month. Line 26 is a massive outer ring metro line for Shanghai. Compared to the previous concept the ring line was expanded wider to become a ~100km long, 40 station long express loop line....
November 25, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Further refinements unveiled for Shanghai Metro Line 26 integrated urban concept this month. Line 26 is a massive outer ring metro line for Shanghai. Compared to the previous concept the ring line was expanded wider to become a ~100km long, 40 station long express loop line....
Reposted by Borners
Canada can be better at urban rail transit today, heres how we do that:
- Prioritize speed
- Prioritize reducing opex
- Improve Capex efficiency
- Upload more transport responsibilities to feds, Overhaul approach to create a national strat. and standards
- Increase int. collab., reduce US collab.
- Prioritize speed
- Prioritize reducing opex
- Improve Capex efficiency
- Upload more transport responsibilities to feds, Overhaul approach to create a national strat. and standards
- Increase int. collab., reduce US collab.
November 25, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Canada can be better at urban rail transit today, heres how we do that:
- Prioritize speed
- Prioritize reducing opex
- Improve Capex efficiency
- Upload more transport responsibilities to feds, Overhaul approach to create a national strat. and standards
- Increase int. collab., reduce US collab.
- Prioritize speed
- Prioritize reducing opex
- Improve Capex efficiency
- Upload more transport responsibilities to feds, Overhaul approach to create a national strat. and standards
- Increase int. collab., reduce US collab.
Reposted by Borners
When can you declare an emergency over?
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
November 25, 2025 at 4:23 PM
When can you declare an emergency over?
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
The 5p “emergency” petrol tax cut was introduced in March 2022, to offset a spike in prices
They are now about 30p down on that month, & about 50p down on the absolute peak
Reposted by Borners
Reposted by Borners
Why the two-child limit has to go, in a chart.
November 25, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Why the two-child limit has to go, in a chart.
Reposted by Borners
England needs to ensure its homes are fit for an ageing population.
Great to see @annadixonmp.bsky.social mention Forward Planning, my report for @thefabians.bsky.social, in her excellent @labourlist.bsky.social piece.
labourlist.org/2025/11/anna...
Great to see @annadixonmp.bsky.social mention Forward Planning, my report for @thefabians.bsky.social, in her excellent @labourlist.bsky.social piece.
labourlist.org/2025/11/anna...
'Homes for the ages' - LabourList
As Labour delivers its ambition to “Build baby build!”, let’s build accessible and adaptable homes that will last the test of time.
labourlist.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:53 PM
England needs to ensure its homes are fit for an ageing population.
Great to see @annadixonmp.bsky.social mention Forward Planning, my report for @thefabians.bsky.social, in her excellent @labourlist.bsky.social piece.
labourlist.org/2025/11/anna...
Great to see @annadixonmp.bsky.social mention Forward Planning, my report for @thefabians.bsky.social, in her excellent @labourlist.bsky.social piece.
labourlist.org/2025/11/anna...
Reposted by Borners
there's an old stereotype of china as outcompeting america because of masses of cheap labor. but as michael pettis puts it, contemporary chinese firms don't act as if labor is free. they act as if capital is free
“Yang Jiemin, VP of the state-owned company behind the port, said its highly automated operations require 60% fewer workers than traditional ports. It underscores one advantage Chinese companies have in deploying AI versus the U.S.: no independent labor unions.” www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-r... (🎁🔗)
Robots and AI Are Already Remaking the Chinese Economy
China’s factories and ports are learning to make and export more goods faster, cheaper and with fewer workers.
www.wsj.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
there's an old stereotype of china as outcompeting america because of masses of cheap labor. but as michael pettis puts it, contemporary chinese firms don't act as if labor is free. they act as if capital is free
Good comparison, but I'd add
1. UK Unions were fiscally dependent on subsidies from Government.
2. Union reform block (Alliance, SNP + Tories) > Old Labour in votes. And mid-40% in high turnout Ms T had support.
UK nimbys have no such weaknesses.
springbett.substack.com/p/dont-crush...
1. UK Unions were fiscally dependent on subsidies from Government.
2. Union reform block (Alliance, SNP + Tories) > Old Labour in votes. And mid-40% in high turnout Ms T had support.
UK nimbys have no such weaknesses.
springbett.substack.com/p/dont-crush...
Don’t crush the NIMBYs
We are not Margaret Thatcher. And the NIMBYs are not the unions.
springbett.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Good comparison, but I'd add
1. UK Unions were fiscally dependent on subsidies from Government.
2. Union reform block (Alliance, SNP + Tories) > Old Labour in votes. And mid-40% in high turnout Ms T had support.
UK nimbys have no such weaknesses.
springbett.substack.com/p/dont-crush...
1. UK Unions were fiscally dependent on subsidies from Government.
2. Union reform block (Alliance, SNP + Tories) > Old Labour in votes. And mid-40% in high turnout Ms T had support.
UK nimbys have no such weaknesses.
springbett.substack.com/p/dont-crush...
Reposted by Borners
In Oslo, four articulated buses trapped themselves in a roundabout yesterday.
"I don't know what I'm most impressed with: That they managed to get into the situation, or that they got out of it."
"I don't know what I'm most impressed with: That they managed to get into the situation, or that they got out of it."
– Vet ikke hva jeg er mest imponert over: At de klarte å komme seg inn i situasjonen, eller at de kom seg ut av den
Mandag kveld bød på komiske scener fra Alexander Kiellands plass.
www.ao.no
November 25, 2025 at 12:38 PM
In Oslo, four articulated buses trapped themselves in a roundabout yesterday.
"I don't know what I'm most impressed with: That they managed to get into the situation, or that they got out of it."
"I don't know what I'm most impressed with: That they managed to get into the situation, or that they got out of it."
Reposted by Borners
Labour's governing ideology is convenientism: it would be convenient if, e.g. reducing legal immigration fixed their electoral problem with the boats. It would be convenient if you could reduce poverty only with popular measures like hiking the minimum wage, etc. etc. etc.
hmm, what exactly is her theory of the economy? i'm lost what a coherent if wrong viewpoint looks like here
November 24, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Labour's governing ideology is convenientism: it would be convenient if, e.g. reducing legal immigration fixed their electoral problem with the boats. It would be convenient if you could reduce poverty only with popular measures like hiking the minimum wage, etc. etc. etc.
Reposted by Borners
Peak Starmer would be to commission a report on nuclear energy, have it produce a set of visionary recommendations for reform, and then not do the reforms.
November 25, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Peak Starmer would be to commission a report on nuclear energy, have it produce a set of visionary recommendations for reform, and then not do the reforms.
Reposted by Borners
this is because people want to turn their cities into museums of their own past. they don't want the future. they want to turn into dust reflecting on how awesome they used to be
It’s really incredible how we decided that cities should no longer be physically shaped by the industries that carry them. I wrote this about the tech industry’s lack of a built legacy in Manhattan over a decade ago, but it could be written 10x over in the Bay Area newyorkyimby.com/2014/12/how-...
How New York City is Robbing Itself of the Tech Industry's Built Legacy - New York YIMBY
With strict limits on growth in Midtown South and on the Brooklyn waterfront, tech giants are leaving little architecture behind for future generations.
newyorkyimby.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:00 AM
this is because people want to turn their cities into museums of their own past. they don't want the future. they want to turn into dust reflecting on how awesome they used to be
Little crude diagram I put together last night about how Japan regulates fares.
Its based on cost structures of each operators (annualised averages).
Japanese railways are more open on their costs between this and shareholder reports than UK operators arre.
Its based on cost structures of each operators (annualised averages).
Japanese railways are more open on their costs between this and shareholder reports than UK operators arre.
November 25, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Little crude diagram I put together last night about how Japan regulates fares.
Its based on cost structures of each operators (annualised averages).
Japanese railways are more open on their costs between this and shareholder reports than UK operators arre.
Its based on cost structures of each operators (annualised averages).
Japanese railways are more open on their costs between this and shareholder reports than UK operators arre.
Reposted by Borners
"We have built factories that could start making equipment tomorrow. But we can’t until an order is placed”
Worked with @estwebber.bsky.social on a sad tale about Britain's defence industry, waiting to hear if the government will ever pour money into the sector
www.politico.eu/article/keir...
Worked with @estwebber.bsky.social on a sad tale about Britain's defence industry, waiting to hear if the government will ever pour money into the sector
www.politico.eu/article/keir...
Starmer promised to spend big on defense but Britain’s arms industry is still waiting
Six months after a major inquiry into how the U.K. would meet geopolitical threats, many in the industry complain they haven’t received the certainty they need about where the British government pl…
www.politico.eu
November 25, 2025 at 9:18 AM
"We have built factories that could start making equipment tomorrow. But we can’t until an order is placed”
Worked with @estwebber.bsky.social on a sad tale about Britain's defence industry, waiting to hear if the government will ever pour money into the sector
www.politico.eu/article/keir...
Worked with @estwebber.bsky.social on a sad tale about Britain's defence industry, waiting to hear if the government will ever pour money into the sector
www.politico.eu/article/keir...
Reposted by Borners
You don't understand Nilo. If you raise technical issues you are a fifth column of the heritage foundation.
Screaming loud enough "just build the damn train" is the only acceptable way to support transit.
Screaming loud enough "just build the damn train" is the only acceptable way to support transit.
November 25, 2025 at 5:36 AM
You don't understand Nilo. If you raise technical issues you are a fifth column of the heritage foundation.
Screaming loud enough "just build the damn train" is the only acceptable way to support transit.
Screaming loud enough "just build the damn train" is the only acceptable way to support transit.
Reposted by Borners
All Reeves' choices are bad.
Unfortunately, over and over again Labour is choosing the "least unpopular" options rather than "least bad".
Anything that comes after this government will be worse. Foolish parties offering easy solutions to intractable problems
/1
Unfortunately, over and over again Labour is choosing the "least unpopular" options rather than "least bad".
Anything that comes after this government will be worse. Foolish parties offering easy solutions to intractable problems
/1
November 25, 2025 at 7:35 AM
All Reeves' choices are bad.
Unfortunately, over and over again Labour is choosing the "least unpopular" options rather than "least bad".
Anything that comes after this government will be worse. Foolish parties offering easy solutions to intractable problems
/1
Unfortunately, over and over again Labour is choosing the "least unpopular" options rather than "least bad".
Anything that comes after this government will be worse. Foolish parties offering easy solutions to intractable problems
/1
Reposted by Borners
Kiba might be Japan's earliest deep-bore tunnel station, and it shows, with its narrow access shafts and this--steel tunnel lining instead of the usual concrete
November 24, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Kiba might be Japan's earliest deep-bore tunnel station, and it shows, with its narrow access shafts and this--steel tunnel lining instead of the usual concrete
Lecture on Japanese railway structure by Kurosaki Fumio, one of Japan's best rail market experts in ENGLISH. Recommend, like I do his articles (some of which are in English!).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZC7...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZC7...
Guest Lecture: Fumio Kurosaki | Comparison of Railway Operation between Japan and EU countries
YouTube video by CY Advanced Studies
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Lecture on Japanese railway structure by Kurosaki Fumio, one of Japan's best rail market experts in ENGLISH. Recommend, like I do his articles (some of which are in English!).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZC7...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZC7...
Reposted by Borners
Labour budget process illustrated
November 24, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Labour budget process illustrated
UK immigration sceptics collapse on impact with
1. Okay so how high are you willing taxes to go?
2. Are you okay with London eating Boston and Middlesborough's working age people like Tokyo and Seoul do.
3. Are you willing to tell Lancaster and Middlesborough their unis will close or should I?
1. Okay so how high are you willing taxes to go?
2. Are you okay with London eating Boston and Middlesborough's working age people like Tokyo and Seoul do.
3. Are you willing to tell Lancaster and Middlesborough their unis will close or should I?
For reference, to my American friends, Phillips is a member of the Labour Party
Trevor Phillips proposes banning "remittances" (ie: imposing currency/exchange controls on international cash transfers by foreign nationals from Britain). He says this would disincentivise immigration, in a Times piece saying the Home Secretary needs to go [much] further
archive.ph/RlXPj
archive.ph/RlXPj
November 24, 2025 at 10:27 PM
UK immigration sceptics collapse on impact with
1. Okay so how high are you willing taxes to go?
2. Are you okay with London eating Boston and Middlesborough's working age people like Tokyo and Seoul do.
3. Are you willing to tell Lancaster and Middlesborough their unis will close or should I?
1. Okay so how high are you willing taxes to go?
2. Are you okay with London eating Boston and Middlesborough's working age people like Tokyo and Seoul do.
3. Are you willing to tell Lancaster and Middlesborough their unis will close or should I?
Reposted by Borners
It's out now: @egoldwyn.bsky.social is on the Mamdani transition team committee on transportation, climate, and infrastructure. mailchi.mp/zohranfornyc...
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani Announces Transition Committee Appointments to Advance His Affordability Agenda
mailchi.mp
November 24, 2025 at 8:27 PM
It's out now: @egoldwyn.bsky.social is on the Mamdani transition team committee on transportation, climate, and infrastructure. mailchi.mp/zohranfornyc...
@miyhnea.bsky.social Describing the Eastern European state building by Montenegro. Truly I am jealous of such state building patriotism.
Revived the nation, freed it from the Serb, adopted Euro, got into NATO. Set it on its civilizational destined course to be a fiscal paradise / tourist hotel owner state inside the EU
And he got executed by his own kids who voted some Green/Lib hippie (hotel owner controlled obvs)
And he got executed by his own kids who voted some Green/Lib hippie (hotel owner controlled obvs)
November 24, 2025 at 8:58 PM
@miyhnea.bsky.social Describing the Eastern European state building by Montenegro. Truly I am jealous of such state building patriotism.
Eugh, you think you've found a series interviews with Pre-classic Maya experts...only to realise the interviewer combines New Age woo with consistent assertations that to build anything Mayans must of had non-mesoamerican "help". Bleh.
November 24, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Eugh, you think you've found a series interviews with Pre-classic Maya experts...only to realise the interviewer combines New Age woo with consistent assertations that to build anything Mayans must of had non-mesoamerican "help". Bleh.