Brent Warren
@brentincolumbus.bsky.social
Columbus Underground reporter covering urban development, neighborhoods, transit, bikes, bike infrastructure & more.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Pinned
Columbus in 50 Maps
Edited by Brent Warren with cartography by Vicky Johnson-DahlDecember 3, 2025 This full-color book of maps, one of Belt Publishing's 50 Maps Series, presents the capital and biggest city in Ohio like ...
beltpublishing.com
Hey everybody, I have some news to share – I wrote a book! It’s about Columbus and it has maps (lots of maps!) created by the very talented @vickyjohnsondahl.bsky.social. It will be out on December 3, 2025 but you can preorder it now:
beltpublishing.com/products/col...
beltpublishing.com/products/col...
All Aboard Ohio organized a tour last week of the possible future train station at the convention center:
columbusunderground.com/convention-c...
columbusunderground.com/convention-c...
Convention Center Officials are Ready for the Return of Amtrak - Columbus Underground
While Union Station no longer stands between Downtown and the Short North, officials with the Greater Columbus Convention Center are ready to see train service restored in a very similar location.
columbusunderground.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:12 PM
All Aboard Ohio organized a tour last week of the possible future train station at the convention center:
columbusunderground.com/convention-c...
columbusunderground.com/convention-c...
Reposted by Brent Warren
In 1924, Calvin Coolidge's 16-yr-old son played tennis on the White House grounds w/o wearing socks. He got a blister and was dead from infection a week later.
This is unthinkable today—which is why I wrote this series. Cuz the systems that save us from this kind of fate are in urgent need of care.
This is unthinkable today—which is why I wrote this series. Cuz the systems that save us from this kind of fate are in urgent need of care.
For a yr, I've been working on a series for The New Atlantis about the vast systems that underlie our lives. Our ancestors built them up over decades to fend off hunger, thirst, darkness and disease. But too few of us know about them—and they're all at risk. The conclusion is now available online:
Why We Are Better Off Than a Century Ago
Our ancestors built grand public systems to conquer hunger, thirst, darkness, and squalor. That progress can be lost if we forget it.
www.thenewatlantis.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:03 PM
In 1924, Calvin Coolidge's 16-yr-old son played tennis on the White House grounds w/o wearing socks. He got a blister and was dead from infection a week later.
This is unthinkable today—which is why I wrote this series. Cuz the systems that save us from this kind of fate are in urgent need of care.
This is unthinkable today—which is why I wrote this series. Cuz the systems that save us from this kind of fate are in urgent need of care.
The code changes passed last night, pushed through by Otto Beatty, who will be leaving council at the end of the year.
columbusunderground.com/city-council...
columbusunderground.com/city-council...
City Council Legalizes Accessory Dwelling Units in Residential Districts - Columbus Underground
Columbus City Council voted last night to legalize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in all residential districts. Also known as carriage houses or mother-in-law suites, ADUs are smaller housing units b...
columbusunderground.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:50 PM
The code changes passed last night, pushed through by Otto Beatty, who will be leaving council at the end of the year.
columbusunderground.com/city-council...
columbusunderground.com/city-council...
Reposted by Brent Warren
We interviewed the editor and cartographer, and you can peep that conversation here @brentincolumbus.bsky.social @submarinesandwich.bsky.social beltpublishing.com/pages/conver...
Conversation with Vicky Johnson-Dahl and Brent Warren
Belt talks to Vicky Johnson-Dahl, cartographer, and Brent Warren, editor of Columbus in 50 Maps Brent, you edited this book, and Vicky, you created the maps. Making a book like this requires a collabo...
beltpublishing.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:33 PM
We interviewed the editor and cartographer, and you can peep that conversation here @brentincolumbus.bsky.social @submarinesandwich.bsky.social beltpublishing.com/pages/conver...
Reposted by Brent Warren
Of the ten apartment developments listed, six were awarded Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which means they will offer a significant number of affordable units: columbusunderground.com/the-list-10-...
The List: 10 Housing Developments Under Construction (or About To Be) Downtown - Columbus Underground
With several significant projects starting construction in recent months, we thought it’d be a good time to check in on the current state of Downtown development. Eight projects are currently under co...
columbusunderground.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Of the ten apartment developments listed, six were awarded Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which means they will offer a significant number of affordable units: columbusunderground.com/the-list-10-...
6 of the 10 are affordable tax credit projects; I get some insight into why that might be from @ahacohousing.bsky.social
columbusunderground.com/the-list-10-...
columbusunderground.com/the-list-10-...
The List: 10 Housing Developments Under Construction (or About To Be) Downtown - Columbus Underground
With several significant projects starting construction in recent months, we thought it’d be a good time to check in on the current state of Downtown development. Eight projects are currently under co...
columbusunderground.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:00 PM
6 of the 10 are affordable tax credit projects; I get some insight into why that might be from @ahacohousing.bsky.social
columbusunderground.com/the-list-10-...
columbusunderground.com/the-list-10-...
Reposted by Brent Warren
Columbus, OH! We will be at THE Ohio State University for a LIFE AFTER CARS live show on Tues, January 27th at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Tickets are now available. See you there!
cura.osu.edu/events/life-...
cura.osu.edu/events/life-...
November 21, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Columbus, OH! We will be at THE Ohio State University for a LIFE AFTER CARS live show on Tues, January 27th at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Tickets are now available. See you there!
cura.osu.edu/events/life-...
cura.osu.edu/events/life-...
The one-story building that held a Papa Johns and a cell phone store was demolished yesterday.
columbusunderground.com/renderings-w...
columbusunderground.com/renderings-w...
Renderings: Work Starts on Parsons Avenue Development - Columbus Underground
The demolition yesterday of a small building at 844 Parsons Ave. marked the official beginning of construction work on a new five-story mixed-use development. The project, from Riewald Development, wi...
columbusunderground.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The one-story building that held a Papa Johns and a cell phone store was demolished yesterday.
columbusunderground.com/renderings-w...
columbusunderground.com/renderings-w...
Reposted by Brent Warren
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
November 21, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
Reposted by Brent Warren
2023: Project planners told CU that Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) at signal changes will be installed.
2025: “The LPI wasn’t implemented because it wasn’t aligned with the city’s traffic safety standards,” said a spokesperson for the Recreation and Parks Department.
We deserve better.
2025: “The LPI wasn’t implemented because it wasn’t aligned with the city’s traffic safety standards,” said a spokesperson for the Recreation and Parks Department.
We deserve better.
Opening of New Section of Olentangy Trail Spurs Safety Concerns - Columbus Underground
The newest section of the Olentangy Trail opened last weekend in Clintonville, but some of the first cyclists, runners and pedestrians to try it out are raising safety concerns. First proposed in 2018...
columbusunderground.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:30 PM
2023: Project planners told CU that Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) at signal changes will be installed.
2025: “The LPI wasn’t implemented because it wasn’t aligned with the city’s traffic safety standards,” said a spokesperson for the Recreation and Parks Department.
We deserve better.
2025: “The LPI wasn’t implemented because it wasn’t aligned with the city’s traffic safety standards,” said a spokesperson for the Recreation and Parks Department.
We deserve better.
Reposted by Brent Warren
Read an excerpt from The Great Black Swamp 🐸 www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/the-...
The history of taming the Great Black Swamp | Great Lakes Now
Before farms and suburbs, the Great Black Swamp thrived. Restoring it could help curb Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms today.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Read an excerpt from The Great Black Swamp 🐸 www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/the-...
The city responds to the many concerns raised by people trying to cross North Broadway along the new trail section:
Opening of New Section of Olentangy Trail Spurs Safety Concerns - Columbus Underground
The newest section of the Olentangy Trail opened last weekend in Clintonville, but some of the first cyclists, runners and pedestrians to try it out are raising safety concerns. First proposed in 2018...
columbusunderground.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:30 PM
The city responds to the many concerns raised by people trying to cross North Broadway along the new trail section:
ICYMI from Friday, a really interesting proposal!
Most of the food scraps collected in those yellow buckets and at drop-off sites currently have to be driven far away to be turned into compost - this proposal would build a facility right in Milo-Grogan.
columbusunderground.com/proposed-com...
columbusunderground.com/proposed-com...
Proposed Compost Facility, Tree Nursery Would Be First for City - Columbus Underground
A new proposal for a railroad track-adjacent site in Milo-Grogan is being pitched as an environmentally-friendly twofer; bringing an EPA Certified Class II composting facility to Columbus for the firs...
columbusunderground.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:28 PM
ICYMI from Friday, a really interesting proposal!
Reposted by Brent Warren
Oh hey, I found the war on christmas
"Agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, ERO, and CBP intend to implement a comprehensive plan to target Spanish-speaking churches across the country during the upcoming holiday season between Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and Christmas, Dec. 25."
Exclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
The Trump Dept. of Homeland Security is briefing federal agencies on plans for immigration enforcement operations inside churches over holidays.
thisweekinworcester.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Oh hey, I found the war on christmas
Planning for this goes back to 2021 - this stretch will be repaved and striped with the bike lanes in the spring, and the city wants to add in bollards/protection where they can (that's new):
columbusunderground.com/work-has-sta...
columbusunderground.com/work-has-sta...
Work Has Started on Indianola Redesign in Clintonville - Columbus Underground
The much-discussed plan to reconfigure a 1.2-mile stretch of Indianola Avenue in Clintonville is officially underway. By the time it’s complete next spring, new bike lanes on each side of the street w...
columbusunderground.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Planning for this goes back to 2021 - this stretch will be repaved and striped with the bike lanes in the spring, and the city wants to add in bollards/protection where they can (that's new):
columbusunderground.com/work-has-sta...
columbusunderground.com/work-has-sta...
Most of the food scraps collected in those yellow buckets and at drop-off sites currently have to be driven far away to be turned into compost - this proposal would build a facility right in Milo-Grogan.
columbusunderground.com/proposed-com...
columbusunderground.com/proposed-com...
Proposed Compost Facility, Tree Nursery Would Be First for City - Columbus Underground
A new proposal for a railroad track-adjacent site in Milo-Grogan is being pitched as an environmentally-friendly twofer; bringing an EPA Certified Class II composting facility to Columbus for the firs...
columbusunderground.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Most of the food scraps collected in those yellow buckets and at drop-off sites currently have to be driven far away to be turned into compost - this proposal would build a facility right in Milo-Grogan.
columbusunderground.com/proposed-com...
columbusunderground.com/proposed-com...
Reposted by Brent Warren
Tune in to this episode of All Sides from WOSU to hear from CU reporter Brent Warren for an update on passenger rail service in Ohio: www.wosu.org/show/all-sid...
Advocates determined to keep US passenger rail on track
Ohio lawmakers haven’t always been supportive of passenger rail. However, advocates are determined to see that proposed plans connecting Ohio’s largest cities, and beyond, stay on track.
www.wosu.org
November 14, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Tune in to this episode of All Sides from WOSU to hear from CU reporter Brent Warren for an update on passenger rail service in Ohio: www.wosu.org/show/all-sid...
More details on this plan:
Community Investors Sought for Redevelopment of Shopping Center - Columbus Underground
The Chicago-based developer planning to renovate Mount Vernon Plaza on the Near East Side and build apartments on the site is still looking for neighbors and community members to invest in the project...
columbusunderground.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:25 PM
More details on this plan:
Reposted by Brent Warren
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
TIL that the area we used to call West Campus, that OSU first rebranded into the West Campus Innovation District and then made a pretty big deal out of naming Carmenton (in 2022, under Kristina Johnson), is now officially called the Innovation District at Ohio State.
November 12, 2025 at 9:28 PM
TIL that the area we used to call West Campus, that OSU first rebranded into the West Campus Innovation District and then made a pretty big deal out of naming Carmenton (in 2022, under Kristina Johnson), is now officially called the Innovation District at Ohio State.
ICYMI from Friday..
I got a full update on this project, including plans for a second phase:
columbusunderground.com/mixed-use-de...
columbusunderground.com/mixed-use-de...
Mixed-Use Development Will Add to Affordable 'Campus' Downtown - Columbus Underground
A new mixed-use development featuring 120 apartments and ground floor commercial space is taking shape at the corner of East Main and South Fifth streets Downtown. The five-story building, which is on...
columbusunderground.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:28 PM
ICYMI from Friday..
Reposted by Brent Warren
"Fossil demand has been flat for industrial energy since 2014, for buildings since 2018, for road transport since 2019, & may peak for electricity this year. 2/3 of countries have already seen peak fossil demand in end-use sectors, & half the world has seen a peak in fossil fuels for electricity."
The Electrotech Revolution | Ember
The annual slidedeck from Kingsmill Bond and the Ember Futures team unpacks how electrotech is rewriting the economics and geopolitics of energy.
ember-energy.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:02 AM
"Fossil demand has been flat for industrial energy since 2014, for buildings since 2018, for road transport since 2019, & may peak for electricity this year. 2/3 of countries have already seen peak fossil demand in end-use sectors, & half the world has seen a peak in fossil fuels for electricity."
Reposted by Brent Warren
Discount bundles on allllll published 50 Maps books: 10% off if you buy one, 20% off if you buy two, 30% off if you buy three, 40% off if you buy four, and 50% off if you buy five. Stock up for the holidays!
November 11, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Discount bundles on allllll published 50 Maps books: 10% off if you buy one, 20% off if you buy two, 30% off if you buy three, 40% off if you buy four, and 50% off if you buy five. Stock up for the holidays!
Thanks Stevie, hope you enjoy the book!
Looking forward to digging into Columbus in 50 Maps, @brentincolumbus.bsky.social’s new book with @beltpublishing.bsky.social.
Brent is someone who cares deeply about this city and always seeks to find new ways to understand it—its past and present, but also all its possible futures.
Brent is someone who cares deeply about this city and always seeks to find new ways to understand it—its past and present, but also all its possible futures.
November 10, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Thanks Stevie, hope you enjoy the book!