Greg Vann
@gregvann.bsky.social
Australian urbanist at large based in Brisbane, 46+ years experience. Founder Urban Mentors Collective. Co founder Ethos Urban, President Queensland Walks. Keen to make cities better and to help those who want to do that.
Some Australian blue sky for you, Bluesky!
January 26, 2026 at 12:02 AM
Some Australian blue sky for you, Bluesky!
In today’s Daily Peanut, she is doing her Dobby the Elf from Harry Potter look.
January 25, 2026 at 3:48 AM
In today’s Daily Peanut, she is doing her Dobby the Elf from Harry Potter look.
Best suggestion I’ve seen is to take the US President to Alaska and get him to erect a flag and tell him Greenland is now owned by the US. That should do it.
January 23, 2026 at 7:12 AM
Best suggestion I’ve seen is to take the US President to Alaska and get him to erect a flag and tell him Greenland is now owned by the US. That should do it.
Oh no, we could never close our city streets to car traffic. Oh wait…
January 23, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Oh no, we could never close our city streets to car traffic. Oh wait…
In today’s Daily Peanut, she was mooching up to my granddaughter at my local cafe!
January 21, 2026 at 2:30 AM
In today’s Daily Peanut, she was mooching up to my granddaughter at my local cafe!
@travisbrookswho.bsky.social my least favourite is “I had no choice”. What I hear is “I didn’t like any of the other choices so I’m going to pretend someone else made me do it”.
January 20, 2026 at 1:19 AM
@travisbrookswho.bsky.social my least favourite is “I had no choice”. What I hear is “I didn’t like any of the other choices so I’m going to pretend someone else made me do it”.
New series:
The Daily Peanut.
Here is my dog Peanut plumb tuckered out after a morning mucking around.
The Daily Peanut.
Here is my dog Peanut plumb tuckered out after a morning mucking around.
January 20, 2026 at 1:17 AM
New series:
The Daily Peanut.
Here is my dog Peanut plumb tuckered out after a morning mucking around.
The Daily Peanut.
Here is my dog Peanut plumb tuckered out after a morning mucking around.
It’s true. Life is better on a bike!
January 20, 2026 at 1:15 AM
It’s true. Life is better on a bike!
As a species, we love being near (and in!) water, as the book Blue Mind documents well.
Communities that make the most of their waterfronts thrive. Disused port areas become great people areas. Waterfront roads are tamed or turned back into people places.
What’s your city doing about this?
Communities that make the most of their waterfronts thrive. Disused port areas become great people areas. Waterfront roads are tamed or turned back into people places.
What’s your city doing about this?
January 18, 2026 at 9:46 PM
As a species, we love being near (and in!) water, as the book Blue Mind documents well.
Communities that make the most of their waterfronts thrive. Disused port areas become great people areas. Waterfront roads are tamed or turned back into people places.
What’s your city doing about this?
Communities that make the most of their waterfronts thrive. Disused port areas become great people areas. Waterfront roads are tamed or turned back into people places.
What’s your city doing about this?
Can we get the myth busters to do a show about cycling myths?
January 18, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Can we get the myth busters to do a show about cycling myths?
As climate impacts accelerate, Australia experiences more & hotter heatwaves.
Recently solar (mainly roof top) generated an all time record so a feared power grid failure didn’t even get close.
Ironic that renewable energy saved the fossil fuel baseload system…
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Recently solar (mainly roof top) generated an all time record so a feared power grid failure didn’t even get close.
Ironic that renewable energy saved the fossil fuel baseload system…
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
From scourge to saviour: How the sun powered the grid through a heatwave
For so long, the pounding sunshine of an Australian heatwave was the grid's biggest threat. It has now become its greatest asset.
www.abc.net.au
January 17, 2026 at 12:52 AM
As climate impacts accelerate, Australia experiences more & hotter heatwaves.
Recently solar (mainly roof top) generated an all time record so a feared power grid failure didn’t even get close.
Ironic that renewable energy saved the fossil fuel baseload system…
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Recently solar (mainly roof top) generated an all time record so a feared power grid failure didn’t even get close.
Ironic that renewable energy saved the fossil fuel baseload system…
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
“We cannot go on developing cities as they have been growing, riddled with super-polluting ‘zombie buildings’”
How changing building construction methods and housing types can help reduce carbon emissions:
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
How changing building construction methods and housing types can help reduce carbon emissions:
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
We must completely change the way we build homes to stay below 2°C
Construction generates between 10 and 20 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, but cities can slash their climate impact by designing buildings in a more efficient way
www.newscientist.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:23 PM
“We cannot go on developing cities as they have been growing, riddled with super-polluting ‘zombie buildings’”
How changing building construction methods and housing types can help reduce carbon emissions:
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
How changing building construction methods and housing types can help reduce carbon emissions:
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
Just read a post on LinkedIn from @danielfirth.bsky.social who is visiting Oslo. Apparently they call non-electric vehicles there “fossil cars”. Love it!
January 13, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Just read a post on LinkedIn from @danielfirth.bsky.social who is visiting Oslo. Apparently they call non-electric vehicles there “fossil cars”. Love it!
I do like a rainy day at the beach.
January 12, 2026 at 3:41 AM
I do like a rainy day at the beach.
And the size of newer vehicles and what are essentially small trucks as the best selling vehicles in many countries, makes others less safe.
January 11, 2026 at 12:50 AM
And the size of newer vehicles and what are essentially small trucks as the best selling vehicles in many countries, makes others less safe.
These images of Barcelona’s Meridiana Avenue in the 1990s and now make me feel Australian cities are often stuck in the past when it comes to road design…
January 8, 2026 at 9:58 PM
These images of Barcelona’s Meridiana Avenue in the 1990s and now make me feel Australian cities are often stuck in the past when it comes to road design…
Word
Unhook ourselves from oil and gas and we unhook ourselves from dependency on dictators, autocrats and expansionist regimes all over the planet.
Renewables and other low-carbon energy sources are not just good climate sense. They are also good political sense.
Renewables and other low-carbon energy sources are not just good climate sense. They are also good political sense.
January 7, 2026 at 10:49 AM
Word
“As urban centers around the globe rethink their futures, one message is clear: if you want happier people, give them space to ride safely.” momentummag.com/the-happiest...
The Happiest Cities in the World are Also the Most Bicycle Friendly
The 2025 Happy City Index is in and the world's happiest cities are also some of the best places to ride a bike.
momentummag.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:18 AM
“As urban centers around the globe rethink their futures, one message is clear: if you want happier people, give them space to ride safely.” momentummag.com/the-happiest...
Street trees are not nice to have, they are vital infrastructure which:
• slows traffic & make streets safer
• lowers urban heat by up to 10°C
• improves mental health & social life
• reduces crash severity
• increases walking & local spending
Let’s design streets like people live there.
• slows traffic & make streets safer
• lowers urban heat by up to 10°C
• improves mental health & social life
• reduces crash severity
• increases walking & local spending
Let’s design streets like people live there.
January 5, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Street trees are not nice to have, they are vital infrastructure which:
• slows traffic & make streets safer
• lowers urban heat by up to 10°C
• improves mental health & social life
• reduces crash severity
• increases walking & local spending
Let’s design streets like people live there.
• slows traffic & make streets safer
• lowers urban heat by up to 10°C
• improves mental health & social life
• reduces crash severity
• increases walking & local spending
Let’s design streets like people live there.
Beach summer break at our magic beach. Blue mind is a winner!
January 3, 2026 at 5:42 AM
Beach summer break at our magic beach. Blue mind is a winner!
“More walkable neighbourhoods lead to significantly more walking, aircraft noise worsens sleep and tree canopy can dramatically cool neighbourhoods. This means these issues aren’t just nice to have. They should be thought of as core public health infrastructure.”
Moving house? 3 surprising ways your new neighbourhood can affect health and happiness
theconversation.com/moving-house...
theconversation.com/moving-house...
Moving house? 3 surprising ways your new neighbourhood can affect health and happiness
Choosing an area to live is tricky. But many people overlook the importance of walkable, leafy and quiet suburbs. Here’s how to check.
theconversation.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:48 AM
“More walkable neighbourhoods lead to significantly more walking, aircraft noise worsens sleep and tree canopy can dramatically cool neighbourhoods. This means these issues aren’t just nice to have. They should be thought of as core public health infrastructure.”
True dat:
“over the last 40 years…the US went off the rails: deregulation, privatization, free trade, wild gambling by Wall Street, union-busting, monopolization, record levels of inequality, stagnant wages for most, staggering wealth for a few, big money taking over our politics.” (Robert Reich)
“over the last 40 years…the US went off the rails: deregulation, privatization, free trade, wild gambling by Wall Street, union-busting, monopolization, record levels of inequality, stagnant wages for most, staggering wealth for a few, big money taking over our politics.” (Robert Reich)
December 31, 2025 at 2:41 AM
True dat:
“over the last 40 years…the US went off the rails: deregulation, privatization, free trade, wild gambling by Wall Street, union-busting, monopolization, record levels of inequality, stagnant wages for most, staggering wealth for a few, big money taking over our politics.” (Robert Reich)
“over the last 40 years…the US went off the rails: deregulation, privatization, free trade, wild gambling by Wall Street, union-busting, monopolization, record levels of inequality, stagnant wages for most, staggering wealth for a few, big money taking over our politics.” (Robert Reich)
“In simple terms: a heavier car offers diminishing safety benefits to the person inside it, while imposing rapidly increasing risk on everyone else.” (Graph from The Economist)
December 31, 2025 at 2:15 AM
“In simple terms: a heavier car offers diminishing safety benefits to the person inside it, while imposing rapidly increasing risk on everyone else.” (Graph from The Economist)