‘Happy City’ by @charlesincities.bsky.social was a hugely influential book on the two of us.

It ignited our passion for urban planning, and set a standard in human-focused storytelling to which we still aspire.

So it was a tremendous honour to share a stage—and copy of our new book—with him today!

Here’s the project page on the City of Burnaby’s website, which includes links to more detailed design drawings: yourvoice.burnaby.ca/vancouver-sf...

Amazingly, our Vancouver visit has coincided with the construction of Canada’s very first Dutch-inspired fietsstraat (“bicycle street”).

Burnaby’s Frances-Union Bikeway is currently getting an all ages and abilities upgrade that treats cyclists as the main users of the corridor, and cars as guests.

Today, Vancouver is well on its way to having a complete citywide AAA network. When asked whether or not the fight was worth it, Robertson is confident he’s on the right side of history: “The media overinflated how controversial it was. Change is always challenging, but it’s the right thing to do.”🔚

Throughout all of this pushback and opposition, Vancouver experienced an authentic bike boom, with the mode share increasing by nearly 300%. An impressive 10% of trips to work are now made by bike, one of the highest rates in North America. Women now make up nearly half of all trips made by bicycle.

Interestingly, the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, who had previously opposed the infrastructure, eventually reversed their position and became one of the city’s most vocal cycling proponents—calling protected bike lanes “the way of the future” and a “win–win–win for all users”.

Knowing that a single route doesn't a bike network make, Robertson spent the next nine years—and two successful reelection campaigns—building a “AAA” (“All Ages and Abilities”) network of infrastructure across the city, with a heavy focus on physical separation, especially on the downtown peninsula.

To his credit, Mayor Moonbeam—as he was dubbed—forged ahead: “A few loud critics can make anything look controversial. I recall the media doing full coverage of the opening, choppers overhead, filming the impending chaos—and it was much ado about nothing. It had zero impact on traffic from day one.”

Robertson first proposed reallocating one travel lane from cars to bikes on the Burrard Bridge, and the blowback began. Media outlets published scathing editorials. Residents voiced their vehement opposition at council meetings. Business leaders said he was choking the lifeblood out of the downtown.

When newly-elected Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson started converting car lanes to bike lanes in 2009, pundits claimed it was political suicide. In 2018, he stepped down after three terms as the longest-serving mayor in the city's history. So what can this tale teach us about so-called "bikelash"?🧵

Melissa and Chris, you’re back in Vancouver after 6.5 years. What’s the first thing you’re going to do? Cycle of course!

Today we reacquainted ourselves with 19-kms of seawall cycling thanks to Mobi Bikes plus over 20k steps along some of our old favourites.

Not a bad first day if you ask us!

A homecoming almost seven years in the making, we’re overjoyed to be on the ground—and on two wheels—in Vancouver again.

The next week promises to be an exhilarating one, with five different events including the global launch of our new book!

We hope you can join us: www.modacitylife.com/vancouver

Every bold urban transformation asks a question: what will people remember—the controversy or legacy?

Showing great leadership, Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak bet on the latter, replacing a motorway with a waterway.

Two decades later, absolutely no one regrets the decision or remembers the controversy.

It’s either the most “bike-y” thing Melissa has ever done, or a perimenopause coping tactic, but today she killed extra time at the airport by going for a cycle ride along the nearby Aalsmeerderdijk.

Bonus, it meant cycling under the runway, a feature at Schipol that has always blown our mind!

A corridor of trees and tracks, commerce and calm, history and modernity, Gyeongui Park shows how reclaiming disused infrastructure can improve quality of life. It’s a place where Seoulites move their bodies, meet their friends, and immerse themselves in nature; while the trains rattle along below.🔚

Seoul isn’t stopping here. There are plans to undertake similar projects elsewhere by burying more above-ground rail sections. In 2024, Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced a large-scale plan: converting 68 km of surface level tracks into subterranean lines and turning the liberated surface into linear parks.

Furthermore, these parks provide restorative access to movement, nature, and face-to-face contact in densely built areas—essential for physical and mental well-being. On summer days, trees and water features offer relief; in spring and fall, the changing foliage draws people out of their apartments.

Seoul is no stranger to upcycling transport infrastructure—see prior posts about the Cheonggyecheon and Seoullo projects. While those examples were highways rather than railways, the outcome is identical: stitching the once-divided urban fabric back together using active and attractive public space.

A former railway line reborn as a green lifeline, Seoul’s Gyeongui Line Forest Park is a neighbourhood regeneration project spanning six kilometres and two different districts. It is an elegant repurposing of obsolete infrastructure made feasible when the century-old tracks were buried underground.🧵

There’s a second part threaded to the original post.

Read the post again. They are doing both.

With a total of 3.766 shade canopies installed across the city’s 25 districts, the initiative is part of Seoul’s broader climate adaptation strategy, complementing tree planting and reflective pavements, and has been widely welcomed by those who walk, cycle, or wait for buses in the blazing hot sun.

In recent summers, Seoul has been rolling out shade canopies across major streets, plazas and transit hubs to help residents cope with extreme heat. These fabric structures—sometimes shaped like trees or wings—offer pedestrians relief in a city where heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense.

Hey Netherlands! Save the date:

Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Urban Transformation Netherlands Book launch
📆 Wednesday, 19 November
➡️ Orange Hall, TU Delft Faculty of Architecture

Stay tuned for more details!

Order your copy here: www.ribabooks.com/Women-Changi...