Greg Vann
@gregvann.bsky.social
Australian urbanist at large based in Brisbane, 46+ years experience. Founder Urban Mentors Collective. Co founder Ethos Urban, President Queensland Walks. Keen to make cities better and to help those who want to do that.
If you’re interested in genuine, informed, interesting and collegiate discussions about cities and urbanism, Bluesky is the place to be.
The starter packs prepared by my colleague Brent, like the one below, are a great way to get into the conversation.
The starter packs prepared by my colleague Brent, like the one below, are a great way to get into the conversation.
I don’t know how many people join Bluesky each day, but my sense is that more & more people are discovering the outstanding community/conversation here (best on social media) about better cities. I still think STARTER PACKS are a superpower. I’ve made many, but here’s my first again. Please share.
February 12, 2026 at 10:50 PM
If you’re interested in genuine, informed, interesting and collegiate discussions about cities and urbanism, Bluesky is the place to be.
The starter packs prepared by my colleague Brent, like the one below, are a great way to get into the conversation.
The starter packs prepared by my colleague Brent, like the one below, are a great way to get into the conversation.
Classic desire line showing the path designers what they got wrong!
February 4, 2026 at 2:48 AM
Classic desire line showing the path designers what they got wrong!
Brisbane has lots of local creeks with walkways along them and serene spots in among the surrounding development. Like this one at St John’s Wood in Ashgrove, where our email lived when I was young.
February 4, 2026 at 2:46 AM
Brisbane has lots of local creeks with walkways along them and serene spots in among the surrounding development. Like this one at St John’s Wood in Ashgrove, where our email lived when I was young.
Brisbane’s latest addition to its artistic life, the Glasshouse Theatre in the South Bank arts precinct, is complete and will have its official opening soon.
It’s quite a building.
It’s quite a building.
February 2, 2026 at 10:03 AM
Brisbane’s latest addition to its artistic life, the Glasshouse Theatre in the South Bank arts precinct, is complete and will have its official opening soon.
It’s quite a building.
It’s quite a building.
And in today’s Daily Peanut, it’s clearly paw grooming day.
January 29, 2026 at 12:05 AM
And in today’s Daily Peanut, it’s clearly paw grooming day.
A bike ride is always a great start to the day!
January 29, 2026 at 12:03 AM
A bike ride is always a great start to the day!
The Daily Peanut: she is very happy to rest in the AC during heatwaves.
January 28, 2026 at 3:47 AM
The Daily Peanut: she is very happy to rest in the AC during heatwaves.
As I fly out of Melbourne on a day when the temperature will reach 45 degrees, I look over the new outer suburban housing and see mostly back roofs, and I think WHY?
January 27, 2026 at 3:42 AM
As I fly out of Melbourne on a day when the temperature will reach 45 degrees, I look over the new outer suburban housing and see mostly back roofs, and I think WHY?
Some Australian blue sky for you, Bluesky!
January 26, 2026 at 12:02 AM
Some Australian blue sky for you, Bluesky!
In today’s Daily Peanut, she is doing her Dobby the Elf from Harry Potter look.
January 25, 2026 at 3:48 AM
In today’s Daily Peanut, she is doing her Dobby the Elf from Harry Potter look.
Best suggestion I’ve seen is to take the US President to Alaska and get him to erect a flag and tell him Greenland is now owned by the US. That should do it.
January 23, 2026 at 7:12 AM
Best suggestion I’ve seen is to take the US President to Alaska and get him to erect a flag and tell him Greenland is now owned by the US. That should do it.
Oh no, we could never close our city streets to car traffic. Oh wait…
January 23, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Oh no, we could never close our city streets to car traffic. Oh wait…
In today’s Daily Peanut, she was mooching up to my granddaughter at my local cafe!
January 21, 2026 at 2:30 AM
In today’s Daily Peanut, she was mooching up to my granddaughter at my local cafe!
@travisbrookswho.bsky.social my least favourite is “I had no choice”. What I hear is “I didn’t like any of the other choices so I’m going to pretend someone else made me do it”.
January 20, 2026 at 1:19 AM
@travisbrookswho.bsky.social my least favourite is “I had no choice”. What I hear is “I didn’t like any of the other choices so I’m going to pretend someone else made me do it”.
New series:
The Daily Peanut.
Here is my dog Peanut plumb tuckered out after a morning mucking around.
The Daily Peanut.
Here is my dog Peanut plumb tuckered out after a morning mucking around.
January 20, 2026 at 1:17 AM
New series:
The Daily Peanut.
Here is my dog Peanut plumb tuckered out after a morning mucking around.
The Daily Peanut.
Here is my dog Peanut plumb tuckered out after a morning mucking around.
It’s true. Life is better on a bike!
January 20, 2026 at 1:15 AM
It’s true. Life is better on a bike!
As a species, we love being near (and in!) water, as the book Blue Mind documents well.
Communities that make the most of their waterfronts thrive. Disused port areas become great people areas. Waterfront roads are tamed or turned back into people places.
What’s your city doing about this?
Communities that make the most of their waterfronts thrive. Disused port areas become great people areas. Waterfront roads are tamed or turned back into people places.
What’s your city doing about this?
January 18, 2026 at 9:46 PM
As a species, we love being near (and in!) water, as the book Blue Mind documents well.
Communities that make the most of their waterfronts thrive. Disused port areas become great people areas. Waterfront roads are tamed or turned back into people places.
What’s your city doing about this?
Communities that make the most of their waterfronts thrive. Disused port areas become great people areas. Waterfront roads are tamed or turned back into people places.
What’s your city doing about this?
Can we get the myth busters to do a show about cycling myths?
January 18, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Can we get the myth busters to do a show about cycling myths?
As climate impacts accelerate, Australia experiences more & hotter heatwaves.
Recently solar (mainly roof top) generated an all time record so a feared power grid failure didn’t even get close.
Ironic that renewable energy saved the fossil fuel baseload system…
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Recently solar (mainly roof top) generated an all time record so a feared power grid failure didn’t even get close.
Ironic that renewable energy saved the fossil fuel baseload system…
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
From scourge to saviour: How the sun powered the grid through a heatwave
For so long, the pounding sunshine of an Australian heatwave was the grid's biggest threat. It has now become its greatest asset.
www.abc.net.au
January 17, 2026 at 12:52 AM
As climate impacts accelerate, Australia experiences more & hotter heatwaves.
Recently solar (mainly roof top) generated an all time record so a feared power grid failure didn’t even get close.
Ironic that renewable energy saved the fossil fuel baseload system…
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Recently solar (mainly roof top) generated an all time record so a feared power grid failure didn’t even get close.
Ironic that renewable energy saved the fossil fuel baseload system…
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
“We cannot go on developing cities as they have been growing, riddled with super-polluting ‘zombie buildings’”
How changing building construction methods and housing types can help reduce carbon emissions:
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
How changing building construction methods and housing types can help reduce carbon emissions:
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
We must completely change the way we build homes to stay below 2°C
Construction generates between 10 and 20 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, but cities can slash their climate impact by designing buildings in a more efficient way
www.newscientist.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:23 PM
“We cannot go on developing cities as they have been growing, riddled with super-polluting ‘zombie buildings’”
How changing building construction methods and housing types can help reduce carbon emissions:
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
How changing building construction methods and housing types can help reduce carbon emissions:
www.newscientist.com/article/2511...
Just read a post on LinkedIn from @danielfirth.bsky.social who is visiting Oslo. Apparently they call non-electric vehicles there “fossil cars”. Love it!
January 13, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Just read a post on LinkedIn from @danielfirth.bsky.social who is visiting Oslo. Apparently they call non-electric vehicles there “fossil cars”. Love it!
I do like a rainy day at the beach.
January 12, 2026 at 3:41 AM
I do like a rainy day at the beach.
And the size of newer vehicles and what are essentially small trucks as the best selling vehicles in many countries, makes others less safe.
January 11, 2026 at 12:50 AM
And the size of newer vehicles and what are essentially small trucks as the best selling vehicles in many countries, makes others less safe.