Julian Agyeman
@julianagyeman.bsky.social
1.8K followers 530 following 160 posts
Critical urban planning professor @ Tufts UEP. From Yorkshire UK, now living in Cambridge MA. Dad of English choccy Lab, Oso. Desperately seeking #justsustainabilities. Editor-in-Chief of Local Environment. Website: julianagyeman.com
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julianagyeman.bsky.social
"Our greatest challenges are not scientific or technological; they are deeper than that—they are spiritual and cultural. Imagine shaping cities as if peoples, lands, and natures were sacred." Open Access. www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edi....
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Just got the beautiful cover design of @alisonhopealkon.bsky.social and my companion to our 2011 'Cultivating Food Justice' published by @mitpress.bsky.social It's due out in February next year. Mark your calendars!
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Co-production has limits, and can serve to reproduce power structures if emptied of its political, transformatory intent, but we must understand its emancipatory potential as an incremental strategy that has the power to transform urban planning practices. www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/pub...
Co-Production of Knowledge in Action: Emancipatory Strategies for Urban Equality
This open-access book examines the emancipatory potential of knowledge co-production for more equal cities, drawing on experiences from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Published by UCL Press.
www.ucl.ac.uk
julianagyeman.bsky.social
This article offers a new framework to classify internal and external food sharing governance elements into 8 categories: structural factors, regulation, resources, discourses, relations between social actors, participation, knowledge, and internal organisation. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Food sharing governance in European cities: insights from a scoping review
Food sharing initiatives (FSI) are rapidly growing in urban areas and present new opportunities to shape more sustainable urban food systems through collaborative efforts. These initiatives operate...
www.tandfonline.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Cities across the US are prioritizing investments in revitalization/walkability/placemaking. What about public restrooms? If they are well-managed/usable, it signals to visitors and residents alike that the surrounding area is safe/dignified and regularly cared for www.planetizen.com/features/136...
Public Restrooms: The Hidden Infrastructure of Civic Trust
Want to know if a city is thriving? Start with a bathroom break.
www.planetizen.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
My 27th Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) student Orientation! 70 1st year students aiming to become "Practical Visionaries" - people who dream big, but have their feet firmly on the ground. When I started, we had 1, now we have 4 degrees and we have double the intake!
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Take a look at our fantastic Cities@Tufts fall 2025 Virtual Colloquium lineup! First up on September 24, 12-1 Eastern via Zoom, is Dr Monica White (UW Madison). Check back for sign up details for all events.
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Planting trees can cool the air 35% more than installing cool roofs in places where trees can actually be planted. But many of the best places for new trees in Boston aren’t in the neighborhoods that need help. In these neighborhoods, reflective roofs were better. theconversation.com/urban-trees-...
Urban trees vs. cool roofs: What’s the best way for cities to beat the heat?
Cities are seeking low-cost ways to ease the heat island effect. Researchers found benefits and trade-offs in two popular options, but they vary by city and even neighborhood.
theconversation.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Two Boston streets at 4:30 p.m. recently: Lewis Place, 94 F, Dudley Common, 103 F. Both streets were hot, close together, but the temp on one was far more dangerous to health/well-being. These are islets in the urban heat island. What strategies should we adopt? theconversation.com/inside-an-ur...
Inside an urban heat island, one street can be much hotter than its neighbor – new tech makes it easier to target cooling projects
New technologies are making it easier to find these urban heat islets, opening the door to new strategies for efficiently improving community health.
theconversation.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Gone is Amtrak’s railfan-in-chief Biden but NextGen Acela promises an American rail renaissance in a moment when federally sponsored trains are fighting for their lives, as Biden’s infrastructure ambitions have fallen to an administration bent on cutting costs. theconversation.com/the-new-next...
The new NextGen Acela trains promise faster travel and more seats – but arrive as US rail faces an uncertain future
The French-designed, American-manufactured NextGen arrives years late and in a moment when federally sponsored trains are fighting for their lives.
theconversation.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
There is a clear correlation between the number of people of colour living in a neighbourhood and the likelihood of it facing extreme heat during periods of hot weather. This is why the UK government, UK cities should adopt a climate justice-based policy approach. www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-eng...
Analysis: England’s most ethnically diverse areas are 15 times more likely to face extreme heat - Carbon Brief
Neighbourhoods in England that are home to the most minority-ethnic people are 15 times more likely to face extreme heat than the least diverse areas
www.carbonbrief.org
julianagyeman.bsky.social
The results show that, for the highest density images shown to participants, there was a statistically significant negative relationship with disgust. This means that people with higher disgust sensitivity found the highest density images significantly less appealing.
nextcity.org/urbanist-new...
Disgust: The Unexpected Psychological Reason Why Some People Dislike Density
Op-ed: New research suggests that people with higher disgust sensitivity find higher densities less appealing. What does that mean for urban planners?
nextcity.org
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Boston’s 2030 Climate Action Plan (CAP) draft is now live. It includes a preliminary list of high-impact climate action strategies and the draft Climate Justice Framework. The next draft - with metrics, partnerships, and implementation pathways - is due Fall 2025. www.boston.gov/departments/...
Boston's Climate Action Plan
We are committed to shaping a vibrant, sustainable, and equitable future for Boston. We're currently taking steps to address climate change by both reducing carbon pollution and strengthening our resi...
www.boston.gov
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Indigenous Peoples' exclusion from carbon market decision making is ongoing. Platformed on substantial inequities, marginalisation, and racism, we ask if carbon markets are a new form of colonialism? Are there potential opportunities for Indigenous Peoples? www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Carbon markets: a new form of colonialism for Indigenous Peoples?
The interconnected and compounding climate change and biodiversity crises have led to increased urgency in moving towards transformational change within how national and international sustainability e...
www.thelancet.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
From West Oakland to San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunter’s Point neighborhood, the Bay Area has a long history of displacement that has largely been forgotten. The work of a state-wide reparations task-force, as well as local reparations efforts are now shining a light www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Our dreams were shattered’: the Black Californians forced from the city they built
In the 60s, the white city of Hayward removed residents of Russell City. Now a $1m reparations fund has been approved – and important histories are coming to light
www.theguardian.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
I tried Waymo in Tempe, AZ. It works there, from a technical standpoint. A critical difference is that Boston’s streets are challenging. The city lacks a traditional grid system, has many narrow one-way streets, and incorporates heavy pedestrian and cyclist traffic. www.boston.com/news/local-n...
Waymo and its self-driving cars face steep opposition in Boston
Waymo recently mapped the city's streets, prompting officials and drivers to sound the alarm over self-driving cars.
www.boston.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
What if our civic infrastructure was sentient!? "We park benches - donated, commissioned, old, new, flaking and freshly painted – remain an unsung player of public life. I’ve seen crying babies, sore knees, spilled coffees, mudpies, quiet cries – two marriage proposals.." monocle.com/affairs/urba...
My life as a park bench - Monocle
Have you heard? You humans are rethinking the very function that we benches have performed so honourably for centuries. It’s...
monocle.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Last August city mayor @wutrain.bsky.social set up the US’s first Office of Climate Resilience. “We needed an office solely focused on delivering climate resilience infrastructure, because otherwise it won’t get done,” says Brian Swett chief climate officer. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
How flood-ravaged Boston took on the climate deniers – and won
As the Trump administration dismisses global heating, the coastal city is getting on with becoming one of the most climate resilient in the world. Here’s how
www.theguardian.com
julianagyeman.bsky.social
Thank you. What you said means everything to me. What was your real name?!