Borners
@borners.bsky.social
Transit Costs Project Researcher
英国基進主義者 (English state buildingism...its better in the Sino-Japanese).
Profile pic is Nagasawa Ryosetsu's picture of Crane (the virtuous man) staring at your soul.
英国基進主義者 (English state buildingism...its better in the Sino-Japanese).
Profile pic is Nagasawa Ryosetsu's picture of Crane (the virtuous man) staring at your soul.
Pinned
Borners
@borners.bsky.social
· 25d
This Himeji city's current land use plan, 6 sides of A4 for a city of 500,000 people, an industrial city with Japan's largest intact castle west of Osaka. Use rights, FAR ratios, light-rights, set-back all, here.
If your city plan can't be summarised like this, you have to ask why.
If your city plan can't be summarised like this, you have to ask why.
Reposted by Borners
The improvement in the employment rate of non-EU migrants to the UK over the past 15 years is remarkable, especially since the pandemic.
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
November 11, 2025 at 8:09 AM
The improvement in the employment rate of non-EU migrants to the UK over the past 15 years is remarkable, especially since the pandemic.
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
Reposted by Borners
The UK is funny because they could just be like “let’s electrify 100 km a year” and do that 20 years and it would be a really good investment, and wouldn’t be that hard.
Meanwhile, '3rd world' India has almost electrified all of its vast network in record time. infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/railway...
Over 99% electrification of Indian Railways network complete
Indian Railways Electrification: The Indian Railways has completed over 99% electrification of its broad-gauge network, with a significant push towards renewable energy, including rooftop solar panels...
infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:19 AM
The UK is funny because they could just be like “let’s electrify 100 km a year” and do that 20 years and it would be a really good investment, and wouldn’t be that hard.
Aaaah! UK SME/Self-employed share rising, no wonder this economy is stagnant. (Technically includes me).
November 10, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Aaaah! UK SME/Self-employed share rising, no wonder this economy is stagnant. (Technically includes me).
No they are not. But the "Yookay" meme is both online-racist dogwhistle and a symptom of wider alienation from the Union state, which has seen "the UK" advance over Britain....and "the country" over the last generation.
November 10, 2025 at 8:03 PM
No they are not. But the "Yookay" meme is both online-racist dogwhistle and a symptom of wider alienation from the Union state, which has seen "the UK" advance over Britain....and "the country" over the last generation.
Reposted by Borners
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
Reposted by Borners
The Fed must set different interest rates in Spokane
Spokane has been killing it with housing reforms:
eliminating parking minimums near transit
increasing height maximums
Reducing lot minimums
THE RESULTS? The proof is in the puddin':
eliminating parking minimums near transit
increasing height maximums
Reducing lot minimums
THE RESULTS? The proof is in the puddin':
November 10, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The Fed must set different interest rates in Spokane
I just finished this, published only this July, it is the best book on Modern UK rail history*, and its great failure; incomplete electrification. Lots of great detail, including about small underrated projects.
*or rather joint best with @badseyellis.bsky.social 's masterworks.
*or rather joint best with @badseyellis.bsky.social 's masterworks.
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
I just finished this, published only this July, it is the best book on Modern UK rail history*, and its great failure; incomplete electrification. Lots of great detail, including about small underrated projects.
*or rather joint best with @badseyellis.bsky.social 's masterworks.
*or rather joint best with @badseyellis.bsky.social 's masterworks.
Reposted by Borners
Ah, but at least we saved the Conservative Party and kept Farage away from power, and got immigration down, right?
November 10, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Ah, but at least we saved the Conservative Party and kept Farage away from power, and got immigration down, right?
Eugh, Fukuoka only place that matches Kobe for "stupidest urban planning in Japan" i.e build a giant island fill with 15,000 people then discover just giving it a bus doesn't work well.
(This instead of an extra branch of the Nanakuma line guys?)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHV7...
(This instead of an extra branch of the Nanakuma line guys?)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHV7...
www.youtube.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Eugh, Fukuoka only place that matches Kobe for "stupidest urban planning in Japan" i.e build a giant island fill with 15,000 people then discover just giving it a bus doesn't work well.
(This instead of an extra branch of the Nanakuma line guys?)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHV7...
(This instead of an extra branch of the Nanakuma line guys?)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHV7...
Reposted by Borners
A large share of politics coded as “left” on this site is in fact reactionary nostalgia - an inchoate belief that times were better in the good old days and nebulous forces have taken that from us.
November 9, 2025 at 7:01 PM
A large share of politics coded as “left” on this site is in fact reactionary nostalgia - an inchoate belief that times were better in the good old days and nebulous forces have taken that from us.
Reposted by Borners
In 2018, then-Mayor Ada Colau called Barcelona’s new 30% inclusionary housing requirement for projects over 600m^2 a “paradigm shift,” making housing “a right and not a commodity.” It was supposed to produce 330 affordable units a year. The reality: just 31 affordable apartments in all these years.
Cuando se ha aprobó esta medida dije repetidamente que iba a ser un fracaso y que no construirían nada de vivienda asequible. Se ha probado en mil sitios y no funciona.
Acerté. www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcel...
Acerté. www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcel...
La reserva del 30% solo ha generado 31 nuevas viviendas protegidas en siete años en Barcelona
Otros 123 pisos disponen de licencia ya aprobada, mientras los gremios afectados reclaman un marco legal estable para poder despertar al sector de su letargo
www.lavanguardia.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:28 PM
In 2018, then-Mayor Ada Colau called Barcelona’s new 30% inclusionary housing requirement for projects over 600m^2 a “paradigm shift,” making housing “a right and not a commodity.” It was supposed to produce 330 affordable units a year. The reality: just 31 affordable apartments in all these years.
Reposted by Borners
‘A new service called Objector is offering “policy-backed objections in minutes” to people who are upset about planning applications near their homes.’
Another reminder that AI can be used for things you don’t like as well as things you like…
Another reminder that AI can be used for things you don’t like as well as things you like…
November 9, 2025 at 12:20 PM
‘A new service called Objector is offering “policy-backed objections in minutes” to people who are upset about planning applications near their homes.’
Another reminder that AI can be used for things you don’t like as well as things you like…
Another reminder that AI can be used for things you don’t like as well as things you like…
Stole this from @mnolangray.bsky.social , unless the 1980's had a radical pedestrianisation campaign, its clear that UK's inability to build actually means our left intact Victorian streets got us half-way to a decent system pedestrian safety.
Rather dark.
Rather dark.
November 9, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Stole this from @mnolangray.bsky.social , unless the 1980's had a radical pedestrianisation campaign, its clear that UK's inability to build actually means our left intact Victorian streets got us half-way to a decent system pedestrian safety.
Rather dark.
Rather dark.
Hey, @rmtransit.bsky.social don't feel too bad, we in London have only 2 lines with PSDs (Jub and Liz lines) which only do so on new build stations because reasons.
None on the automated DLR!
None on the automated DLR!
It's a real indictment of Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto that none of them have retrofitted a single platform screen door decades after it started happening in Asia. Its the kind of thing that honestly makes Canada feel like a less developed country.
November 9, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Hey, @rmtransit.bsky.social don't feel too bad, we in London have only 2 lines with PSDs (Jub and Liz lines) which only do so on new build stations because reasons.
None on the automated DLR!
None on the automated DLR!
I love that it shows how much poorer London was relative to Home counties was in 1991.
We reported last week on the uncomfortable reality of doubling council tax on Band G and Band H homes - 80% of the revenues would come from Band G.
New analysis from Chaminda Jayanetti at PoliticsHome shows another real source of unfairness...
New analysis from Chaminda Jayanetti at PoliticsHome shows another real source of unfairness...
November 9, 2025 at 3:32 PM
I love that it shows how much poorer London was relative to Home counties was in 1991.
Their chief patron (Cummings) was very much involved in the deliberate bankrupting of TfL in 2019-2020, which then cascading to destroying its mid-rankers which is why 2024 stock has been a disaster.
👇 This is the case against LfG for me. If you can’t hold your hands up and fairly allocate blame on such a trivial matter (it’s not even clear that it was a mistake to squeeze as much life out of the Bakerloo rolling stock as they did), you are not going to succeed on the big stuff.
Personal favourite of this genre is the obsession with the grottiness of bakerloo line trains. Wondering what exactly caused the delay of the role out of the new rolling stock, so that TfL have run 50 year old trains to capacity and have no real leeway to allow them to be regularly cleaned
November 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Their chief patron (Cummings) was very much involved in the deliberate bankrupting of TfL in 2019-2020, which then cascading to destroying its mid-rankers which is why 2024 stock has been a disaster.
Not just Tories, all UK factions are obsessed with US, unable to generate their own ideas or economic models. The US at its worst is still "great" in power and effect, unlike the UK, a unitary Red vs Blue political culture unlike the UK, and is not threatened with obsolesce by EU, unlike the UK
Said at the time that the re-election of Trump was one of the worst things that could have happened for the British right, because they will latch on to it as a route to success and a flow of funds, largely blind to how even most right leaning voters can't stand the man.
The attention the Tory party in the media and in the Commons are giving to this story is a reflection of just how far off the deep-end both have gone in recent times. Sure, they have a long-term vested interest in trying to undermine faith in the Beeb. But this is such a non-issue for most voters.
November 9, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Not just Tories, all UK factions are obsessed with US, unable to generate their own ideas or economic models. The US at its worst is still "great" in power and effect, unlike the UK, a unitary Red vs Blue political culture unlike the UK, and is not threatened with obsolesce by EU, unlike the UK
Happened before though.
(N/B Its a bad book but the collapse of Sasanian irrigation complex in Mesopotamia, Khurasan and Southern Iran is underrated event).
(N/B Its a bad book but the collapse of Sasanian irrigation complex in Mesopotamia, Khurasan and Southern Iran is underrated event).
November 9, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Happened before though.
(N/B Its a bad book but the collapse of Sasanian irrigation complex in Mesopotamia, Khurasan and Southern Iran is underrated event).
(N/B Its a bad book but the collapse of Sasanian irrigation complex in Mesopotamia, Khurasan and Southern Iran is underrated event).
Reposted by Borners
Anyway, here's a round abound confirmation that Astana selling shells to UA
November 9, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Anyway, here's a round abound confirmation that Astana selling shells to UA
But Leeds will get its tram to nowhere and Lancashire its airport connector it doesn't need.
Sheffield-Leicester corridor needs an Andy Burham or a Tom Forth to spew lies and prejudice.
Sheffield-Leicester corridor needs an Andy Burham or a Tom Forth to spew lies and prejudice.
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’
Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2
www.ft.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:22 AM
But Leeds will get its tram to nowhere and Lancashire its airport connector it doesn't need.
Sheffield-Leicester corridor needs an Andy Burham or a Tom Forth to spew lies and prejudice.
Sheffield-Leicester corridor needs an Andy Burham or a Tom Forth to spew lies and prejudice.
Another day and another "Kyoto is too busy with foreigners", i.e. school trips have to go Toji-in instead of Fushimi Inari, and how sad that is. Eugh, I have taken my parents to Toji-in and we didn't get served tea....and they didn't have the Ashikaga Shogun statues.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC-e...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC-e...
【京都離れ】インバウンド急増で修学旅行の定番に異変... 混雑が激しいエリアは『予定通りに進まない』『宿泊費・バス代高騰』 行き先の"見直し"で修学旅行生を受け入れる旅館も「経営厳しい」
YouTube video by MBS NEWS
www.youtube.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Another day and another "Kyoto is too busy with foreigners", i.e. school trips have to go Toji-in instead of Fushimi Inari, and how sad that is. Eugh, I have taken my parents to Toji-in and we didn't get served tea....and they didn't have the Ashikaga Shogun statues.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC-e...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC-e...
Reposted by Borners
The angel on my shoulder tells me I need to finish up my To the Pedestrian, City Center; to the Car, the World post critiquing New Left urbanism in the mold of Hidalgo. The devil tells me to do a 1 like = 1 skeet-length theorem thread to see how far I can go over an abstract algebra course.
November 9, 2025 at 2:36 AM
The angel on my shoulder tells me I need to finish up my To the Pedestrian, City Center; to the Car, the World post critiquing New Left urbanism in the mold of Hidalgo. The devil tells me to do a 1 like = 1 skeet-length theorem thread to see how far I can go over an abstract algebra course.
@alonlevy.bsky.social I would rather not through hell to get Schengen and the Aqis.
I choose to believe Anglofuturism is like the joke about Putin coming back to Moscow after a few years in hell, finding it prosperous, and then being told "your bill is 10€."
November 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
@alonlevy.bsky.social I would rather not through hell to get Schengen and the Aqis.
1. Hard right flank of YIMBYism, because younger (under 50) right-wingers have been screwed on housing.
2. Heroic Techno-geekery is also critical to Great British Nationalism, as only Industrial Revolution allows small island to be GREAT.
3. Unionism is dying hence the Anglo.
2. Heroic Techno-geekery is also critical to Great British Nationalism, as only Industrial Revolution allows small island to be GREAT.
3. Unionism is dying hence the Anglo.
what's up with the anglofuturism shit with the British New Right? has anyone written an explainer on this yet?
November 8, 2025 at 11:13 PM
1. Hard right flank of YIMBYism, because younger (under 50) right-wingers have been screwed on housing.
2. Heroic Techno-geekery is also critical to Great British Nationalism, as only Industrial Revolution allows small island to be GREAT.
3. Unionism is dying hence the Anglo.
2. Heroic Techno-geekery is also critical to Great British Nationalism, as only Industrial Revolution allows small island to be GREAT.
3. Unionism is dying hence the Anglo.
Reposted by Borners
incredible that these guys have a massive hard on for a country that, if it were a state, would rank behind kansas in terms of wealth and which would be a total backwater if it weren’t economically integrated with more functional countries
November 8, 2025 at 5:48 PM
incredible that these guys have a massive hard on for a country that, if it were a state, would rank behind kansas in terms of wealth and which would be a total backwater if it weren’t economically integrated with more functional countries