Placemaking enthusiast & spatial planner. Passionate about making places fit for people. Also stray in to politics, philosophy(ish), and general life stuff

Lincoln, England
Joined January 2013
Steve Kemp retweeted
The best of British aren’t the silly attention seekers daubing red paint all over the place. The best of us are folks like the forty volunteers who litter pick our park every week, or the beach cleanup people who go to our local beach after the weekends & make it nice for us all.
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Today, the Government launches plans to fast-track driverless vehicle trials in the UK. One of the companies involved says London presents a big challenge: “It has seven times more jaywalkers than San Francisco.” Except… it doesn't. 🧵
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Paris has been making the bold, yet incremental changes that any city - or town - can make if there’s the political will. PS: I love “Hold my 🥐!” 😂
'We can't change our city. We're not Amsterdam!' Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris: 'Hold my 🥐!': 🏞️ 500 'rues jardin' 👷 300 garden streets already implemented 🚶 every resident access to a garden within 300m 🅿️ 10.000 parking spots removed Lower pollution, improve health
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…and it’s so easy to make thought-inspiring, discussion-prompting images of what your own “high street” could be like. Here are some that ChatGPT quickly produced for me during last week’s #CUF2025 urban planning conference in Trinidad - one’s Lincoln UK, one’s Port of Spain TT.
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Sadly, the USA really does appear to have fully-fledged fascists now occupying the White House, and they seem determined to rule by divisive and destabilising dictatorship if they can continue to get away with it.
We are living under a judicial tyranny.
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The new Pope just dropped a bombshell: AI is humanity’s greatest challenge. In his first address, Pope Leo XIV didn’t mince words. He’s calling out the tech revolution reshaping our world. Buckle up—this is huge. Let’s unpack it:
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Coventry City Council are building cheap trams and fixing shop fronts - round of applause for them!
Well done @HistoricEngland making Coventry better ….
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Truly humbled and honoured to be recognised for this award. The mission is to continue the work to better the lives of people here in Barbados and across the globe.
Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, SC, MP, Prime Minister of Barbados, is co-honoree of the #ZayedAwardforHumanFraternity 2025. She is recognized for her leadership on climate change, building a more sustainable future for all. Watch the ceremony live on Feb 4 at 7 PM GST on our YouTube.
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One of my wishes for 2025 is for architects to relearn how to design a ground floor. Arguably it should be a focus of architecture education.
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This mis-informed Observer headline is referring to changes to planning regulations made by the previous government, allowing some types of business premises to be converted to housing without needing planning applications 1/2 theguardian.com/society/2024…
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The article seems to criticise this government for not reversing that change in its new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) but that’s just not its job. Policies only apply to things that need planning applications. The problem needs legislative changes not just a policy.
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The plan- making system is a mess but hopefully the government is going to address this as well - we need the planning 'system' to work, not just bits of it.
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This post is problematic for a number of reasons. A thread…🧵 1. For those attempting to make sense of Trump’s victory and the rise of the far-right across Europe - look no further than the PMs statement below. Whether you like it or not, the far-right has a set of common narratives. We can probably all recite them…
I'm determined to deliver growth, create wealth and put more money in people’s pockets. This can only be achieved by working in partnership with leading businesses, like @BlackRock, to capitalise on the UK’s position as a world leading hub for investment.
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“Mobility should not be a privilege, but a fundamental right." In May 2023, LADOT initiated a Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) pilot—designed to ensure every Angeleno, regardless of their socioeconomic status, has access to safe, reliable, and convenient transportation options...🧵
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This is very clearly and sensibly explained by a man who obviously is both well-informed and articulate. Thank you. But am I the only one who just couldn’t take their eyes off the little toy cat, or whatever it is, in the background doing that thing with its paw!
Watch this man BRILLIANTLY explain why Donald Trump's tariffs plan will be a complete DISASTER for hard-working Americans. 🚨This is EXCELLENT. xitter.cf/CartuneNetwerk/status/…
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A huge mistake people make with trams is seeing them as very expensive buses rather than as inexpensive metros, which is what they are. Smart cities get this.
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Planting street trees and rain gardens along most of the UK’s thousands of terraced streets would transform so many people’s home environments and contribute hugely to their well-being. Can it be done? Can the concerns about harming pipes and cables be overcome?
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Only it isn’t a Circus… it’s a fragile World Politically and environmentally and the Clown is in… only he is not a Clown he is a dangerous anti-democratic, amoral demagogue quite apart from being a convicted felon. Humans need to be better.
“ When a Clown moves into the Palace, he doesn’t become a King, The Palace becomes a Circus” is a Turkish proverb which is worth heeding in the coming days.
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Very good point. Planning can only produce its full public (& private) value if the governance framework, including real public participation (not pretend consultation), is built-in.
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