Daniel Firth
@danielfirth.bsky.social
Policy nerd - urban planner - map fan 🏳️🌈. Director of Climate Action Implementation and Research at C40 Cities. Ex Transport for London, City of Stockholm and Metro Vancouver TransLink. Opinions are my own.
Away from the Eixo Monumental you’re never more than a few minutes’ walk from the nearest local centre with shops, bars, schools, daycare, places of worship and services all within easy reach
November 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Away from the Eixo Monumental you’re never more than a few minutes’ walk from the nearest local centre with shops, bars, schools, daycare, places of worship and services all within easy reach
If your idea of Brasília is only car-dominated sprawl you couldn’t be more wrong. The Superquadras were designed as compete neighbourhoods - 15 minutes cities if you will.
This is SQS 108, the first one completed in 1957-8 and jokingly referred to as “Centro Historico”
This is SQS 108, the first one completed in 1957-8 and jokingly referred to as “Centro Historico”
November 8, 2025 at 8:52 PM
If your idea of Brasília is only car-dominated sprawl you couldn’t be more wrong. The Superquadras were designed as compete neighbourhoods - 15 minutes cities if you will.
This is SQS 108, the first one completed in 1957-8 and jokingly referred to as “Centro Historico”
This is SQS 108, the first one completed in 1957-8 and jokingly referred to as “Centro Historico”
It's World Town Planning Day and by happy coincidence I'm in one of the world's most planned cities
I first saw pictures of Brasília when I was about 11 - it's almost certainly the reason I became a town planner
Whatever you think of the outcome you can't help but admire the ambition and hope
I first saw pictures of Brasília when I was about 11 - it's almost certainly the reason I became a town planner
Whatever you think of the outcome you can't help but admire the ambition and hope
November 8, 2025 at 11:53 AM
It's World Town Planning Day and by happy coincidence I'm in one of the world's most planned cities
I first saw pictures of Brasília when I was about 11 - it's almost certainly the reason I became a town planner
Whatever you think of the outcome you can't help but admire the ambition and hope
I first saw pictures of Brasília when I was about 11 - it's almost certainly the reason I became a town planner
Whatever you think of the outcome you can't help but admire the ambition and hope
Who needs some good news? 🙋♂️
Today my amazing team at C40 are launching new research showing that emissions have peaked in 60 of our member cities - 75% of those for which we have sufficient data - meaning absolute emissions have reached their maximum and are now on a steady downward trend 📉
Today my amazing team at C40 are launching new research showing that emissions have peaked in 60 of our member cities - 75% of those for which we have sufficient data - meaning absolute emissions have reached their maximum and are now on a steady downward trend 📉
November 3, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Who needs some good news? 🙋♂️
Today my amazing team at C40 are launching new research showing that emissions have peaked in 60 of our member cities - 75% of those for which we have sufficient data - meaning absolute emissions have reached their maximum and are now on a steady downward trend 📉
Today my amazing team at C40 are launching new research showing that emissions have peaked in 60 of our member cities - 75% of those for which we have sufficient data - meaning absolute emissions have reached their maximum and are now on a steady downward trend 📉
Not only was my home town a destination on Swedish tv’s Friday night rail-travel-based quiz show ”På Spåret” - my great-great-great Aunt Emmeline (Pankhurst, a leader of the British Suffragettes) was the answer to a quiz question
October 26, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Not only was my home town a destination on Swedish tv’s Friday night rail-travel-based quiz show ”På Spåret” - my great-great-great Aunt Emmeline (Pankhurst, a leader of the British Suffragettes) was the answer to a quiz question
Sofia also has an extensive tram network. This section weaves through Borisova Gradina Park to get up a steep hill - which gives a delightful ”tunnel-of-love” quality to some lucky people’s daily commute
October 20, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Sofia also has an extensive tram network. This section weaves through Borisova Gradina Park to get up a steep hill - which gives a delightful ”tunnel-of-love” quality to some lucky people’s daily commute
They look very weird on Google maps. I guess they are there to reduce the noise outside and/or keep out snow in winter (Sofia is at elev. 500m)?
October 20, 2025 at 7:15 AM
They look very weird on Google maps. I guess they are there to reduce the noise outside and/or keep out snow in winter (Sofia is at elev. 500m)?
Some of the overground sections are covered in these plastic tunnels. As a passenger it’s a shame to miss the view - also I feel like an out of season strawberry.
October 20, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Some of the overground sections are covered in these plastic tunnels. As a passenger it’s a shame to miss the view - also I feel like an out of season strawberry.
The entrance to one of the main central interchanges, Serdica, is through the ruins of the Roman city that stood on this site until the year 447
October 20, 2025 at 7:07 AM
The entrance to one of the main central interchanges, Serdica, is through the ruins of the Roman city that stood on this site until the year 447
These platform barriers are at many underground stations. I’m sure they are thoroughly tested but they look both not robust enough to stop me falling onto the track, but also hard enough to damage the fingers of a curious child or visiting transit nerd
October 20, 2025 at 7:04 AM
These platform barriers are at many underground stations. I’m sure they are thoroughly tested but they look both not robust enough to stop me falling onto the track, but also hard enough to damage the fingers of a curious child or visiting transit nerd
In around 2030 Stockholm will have a new metro station called Sofia. In the meantime you can ride this fine metro system in the city of Sofia which has one or two fascinating features…
October 20, 2025 at 6:58 AM
In around 2030 Stockholm will have a new metro station called Sofia. In the meantime you can ride this fine metro system in the city of Sofia which has one or two fascinating features…
Some mornings the tram is really the only way to travel - Tvärbanan in Stockholm is another of the projects I am proud to have contributed to
October 3, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Some mornings the tram is really the only way to travel - Tvärbanan in Stockholm is another of the projects I am proud to have contributed to
Happy Birthday to Stockholm’s metro, Tunnelbanan - keeping the city moving for the last 75 years 🎈🥳. Ja må den leva uti hundrade år!
October 1, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Happy Birthday to Stockholm’s metro, Tunnelbanan - keeping the city moving for the last 75 years 🎈🥳. Ja må den leva uti hundrade år!
I love when the city turns into a giant illustration of traffic priorities ❤️
September 12, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I love when the city turns into a giant illustration of traffic priorities ❤️
It’s been Pride in Stockholm this week which means a visit to our prettiest metro station, Stadion. (Yes I do look tired, like I say, it’s been Pride all week!)
August 2, 2025 at 9:28 PM
It’s been Pride in Stockholm this week which means a visit to our prettiest metro station, Stadion. (Yes I do look tired, like I say, it’s been Pride all week!)
Obsessed with my Tour de France-themed cheese spread. (Though obviously not so much that I didn’t manage to eat three of them before noticing 🫢)
July 25, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Obsessed with my Tour de France-themed cheese spread. (Though obviously not so much that I didn’t manage to eat three of them before noticing 🫢)
![A sign, in Swedish, saying "Keep Maria [the neighbournood in question] Queer. A few local residents want to close Stockholm's oldest gay bar. Shame on you! Thank-you to everyone who supports a living inner city"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tbkqxqehtfywek4wktkbesr3/bafkreibzz5h3bhx3p3ik3vilqngjfyq5vkcnq3zrb2qgptxglpjnitpuku@jpeg)
”From Paris to Belém” - I keep seeing adverts for this exhibition marking 10 years of the COP21 Paris Agreement and sending a message to this year’s COP in Belém.
I can’t believe they missed the chance to do a new version of Infernal’s 2004 ”From Paris to Berlin” www.youtube.com/watch?v=THt5...
I can’t believe they missed the chance to do a new version of Infernal’s 2004 ”From Paris to Berlin” www.youtube.com/watch?v=THt5...
June 17, 2025 at 8:03 AM
”From Paris to Belém” - I keep seeing adverts for this exhibition marking 10 years of the COP21 Paris Agreement and sending a message to this year’s COP in Belém.
I can’t believe they missed the chance to do a new version of Infernal’s 2004 ”From Paris to Berlin” www.youtube.com/watch?v=THt5...
I can’t believe they missed the chance to do a new version of Infernal’s 2004 ”From Paris to Berlin” www.youtube.com/watch?v=THt5...
Every now and then someone suggests putting this metro line in a tunnel because it “spoils the view”. 1) no! metro trains are a lovely view 2) the number of people who see the view *from* the train every day is way more than those whose view is slightly impacted by the trains.
June 16, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Every now and then someone suggests putting this metro line in a tunnel because it “spoils the view”. 1) no! metro trains are a lovely view 2) the number of people who see the view *from* the train every day is way more than those whose view is slightly impacted by the trains.
I’ve been a bit skeptical of the potential of water transit. It’s slow, inefficient, doesn’t take most people where they want to be & is another excuse for politicians to carry on failing to build a bus lane.
If this cool thing can scale to solve the first two I guess there are places it can work.
If this cool thing can scale to solve the first two I guess there are places it can work.
May 27, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I’ve been a bit skeptical of the potential of water transit. It’s slow, inefficient, doesn’t take most people where they want to be & is another excuse for politicians to carry on failing to build a bus lane.
If this cool thing can scale to solve the first two I guess there are places it can work.
If this cool thing can scale to solve the first two I guess there are places it can work.
Godmorgon Stockholm
April 15, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Godmorgon Stockholm
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur? "Do you not know, my son, with how very little wisdom the world is governed?"
This quote attributed to Swedish statesman Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654) has been on my mind a lot lately, for reasons I probably don’t need to explain.
This quote attributed to Swedish statesman Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654) has been on my mind a lot lately, for reasons I probably don’t need to explain.
April 7, 2025 at 4:44 PM
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur? "Do you not know, my son, with how very little wisdom the world is governed?"
This quote attributed to Swedish statesman Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654) has been on my mind a lot lately, for reasons I probably don’t need to explain.
This quote attributed to Swedish statesman Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654) has been on my mind a lot lately, for reasons I probably don’t need to explain.
Distracting myself from the fall of civilization with a couple of hours of Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s Eurovision qualifiers.
I did not expect a song and dance tribute to bus rapid transit infrastructure
I did not expect a song and dance tribute to bus rapid transit infrastructure
March 1, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Distracting myself from the fall of civilization with a couple of hours of Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s Eurovision qualifiers.
I did not expect a song and dance tribute to bus rapid transit infrastructure
I did not expect a song and dance tribute to bus rapid transit infrastructure
It’s been a rough few months, in the big wide world and in my tiny corner of it. But today in Stockholm the sun went up before 8 and set after 4 for the first time since October.The spring will come this year as well…https://www.svt.se/vader/se-nar-solen-gar-upp-och-ner-har-ar-solfilmen-for-vecka-6
February 4, 2025 at 9:05 AM
It’s been a rough few months, in the big wide world and in my tiny corner of it. But today in Stockholm the sun went up before 8 and set after 4 for the first time since October.The spring will come this year as well…https://www.svt.se/vader/se-nar-solen-gar-upp-och-ner-har-ar-solfilmen-for-vecka-6