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.
But the ads tell us we get to drive our cars on open roads with no traffic and we love it!
December 30, 2025 at 2:05 AM
But the ads tell us we get to drive our cars on open roads with no traffic and we love it!
Dogs on beaches are a joyful sight. This is my pooch Peanut on Casuarina Beach.
December 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Dogs on beaches are a joyful sight. This is my pooch Peanut on Casuarina Beach.
An early morning on an uncrowded beach is good for the soul.
December 27, 2025 at 8:13 PM
An early morning on an uncrowded beach is good for the soul.
Brisbane’s last remaining exposed track from its quite extensive tram network, extinguished in the 1960s cos the car was going to do everything…
December 24, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Brisbane’s last remaining exposed track from its quite extensive tram network, extinguished in the 1960s cos the car was going to do everything…
Lots of improvements happening in south East Queensland’s public transport network, ahead of the really big one which is completion of cross river rail.
Good work by @darrendavis.bsky.social to document this here:
open.substack.com/pub/adventur...
Good work by @darrendavis.bsky.social to document this here:
open.substack.com/pub/adventur...
Public Transport Development in SE Queensland
While SE Queensland has a huge pipeline of rail projects in the works for the 2032 Olympics, there has also been a range of improvements, big and small, in 2025. Read on for more on these.
open.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Lots of improvements happening in south East Queensland’s public transport network, ahead of the really big one which is completion of cross river rail.
Good work by @darrendavis.bsky.social to document this here:
open.substack.com/pub/adventur...
Good work by @darrendavis.bsky.social to document this here:
open.substack.com/pub/adventur...
A LinkedIn post by @danielparolek.bsky.social that “Downtown #Detroit stuns me every time I visit. The architecture. The people. The local businesses. Its continued urban renaissance” reminded me how resilient cities & their downtowns are & why the predictions that covid would end them are wrong.
December 24, 2025 at 12:01 AM
A LinkedIn post by @danielparolek.bsky.social that “Downtown #Detroit stuns me every time I visit. The architecture. The people. The local businesses. Its continued urban renaissance” reminded me how resilient cities & their downtowns are & why the predictions that covid would end them are wrong.
This is an excellent discussion well worth listening to the full interview. My mate Brent shares some fantastic insights about how to make good things actually happen in cities, rather than just talking about and advocating for them. Great practical advice for anyone involved in city making!
NEW/LISTEN! Been REALLY looking forward to this one — my interview with Jason from #NotJustBikes IS LIVE on many podcast platforms plus YouTube! We cover a LOT of really important ground on how to ACTUALLY ACHIEVE BETTER CITIES IN REAL PRACTICE! I’m looking forward to your thoughts and comments!
How to Actually Improve a City (w/Brent Toderian)
YouTube video by The Urbanist Agenda Podcast
www.youtube.com
December 21, 2025 at 10:54 PM
This is an excellent discussion well worth listening to the full interview. My mate Brent shares some fantastic insights about how to make good things actually happen in cities, rather than just talking about and advocating for them. Great practical advice for anyone involved in city making!
Streets designed to allow vehicle traffic to flow “freely” (i.e. as fast as possible) create a serious threat to safety. After decades of designing roads for traffic to flow freely, the human cost of loss of life & injury has been immense.
Slowing traffic makes cities safer for all.
Slowing traffic makes cities safer for all.
December 20, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Streets designed to allow vehicle traffic to flow “freely” (i.e. as fast as possible) create a serious threat to safety. After decades of designing roads for traffic to flow freely, the human cost of loss of life & injury has been immense.
Slowing traffic makes cities safer for all.
Slowing traffic makes cities safer for all.
Any day that starts with a bike ride is a good day in my book!
December 18, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Any day that starts with a bike ride is a good day in my book!
So this is where the free scooter helmets end up?
December 17, 2025 at 2:48 AM
So this is where the free scooter helmets end up?
Spent the day with my 7yo granddaughter Gracie. It was wonderful!
December 16, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Spent the day with my 7yo granddaughter Gracie. It was wonderful!
Ten years ago my son Toby, a personal trainer at the time, started a thing called DadBods, for men of a certain age not prioritizing their health (physical, emotional, mental). It’s still going years after Toby changed his work & a great part of our lives. Yesterday we did a teams triathlon!
December 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Ten years ago my son Toby, a personal trainer at the time, started a thing called DadBods, for men of a certain age not prioritizing their health (physical, emotional, mental). It’s still going years after Toby changed his work & a great part of our lives. Yesterday we did a teams triathlon!
Finally catching up with The Night Manager show. Good spy thriller but watching it on @amazonprime.bsky.social the number and length of the ads is ridiculous on a paid streaming service. I’ll be leaving it when I’ve finished watching this.
December 13, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Finally catching up with The Night Manager show. Good spy thriller but watching it on @amazonprime.bsky.social the number and length of the ads is ridiculous on a paid streaming service. I’ll be leaving it when I’ve finished watching this.
Cities can — and should — be places of opportunity for all residents.
Inclusive growth is not automatic; it needs data-informed policy, strong governance, and deliberate strategies that ensure prosperity benefits everyone.
www.oecd.org/content/dam/...
Inclusive growth is not automatic; it needs data-informed policy, strong governance, and deliberate strategies that ensure prosperity benefits everyone.
www.oecd.org/content/dam/...
www.oecd.org
December 13, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Cities can — and should — be places of opportunity for all residents.
Inclusive growth is not automatic; it needs data-informed policy, strong governance, and deliberate strategies that ensure prosperity benefits everyone.
www.oecd.org/content/dam/...
Inclusive growth is not automatic; it needs data-informed policy, strong governance, and deliberate strategies that ensure prosperity benefits everyone.
www.oecd.org/content/dam/...
Yet another reason I won’t be travelling to the US anytime soon.
www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/u...
www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/u...
Travel trouble: Aussies face US social media crackdown
Australian travellers could face tougher measures to enter the US under a proposed crackdown by the Trump administration.
www.thenewdaily.com.au
December 10, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Yet another reason I won’t be travelling to the US anytime soon.
www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/u...
www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/u...
I left over a year ago. Not sure why anyone still uses it. Bluesky is the new Twitter!
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) announced that it will no longer publish content on Elon Musk’s platform, X. The organization said it can “no longer ethically participate in a social network that its owner has transformed into a machine of disinformation and propaganda.”
European Federation of Journalists to stop posting content on X
The EFJ represents over 295,000 journalists in 44 countries.
www.thelondoneconomic.com
December 10, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I left over a year ago. Not sure why anyone still uses it. Bluesky is the new Twitter!
Mural in South Brisbane:
December 10, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Mural in South Brisbane:
Evening in my local park - the balm of nature being enjoyed by many people and dogs!
December 8, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Evening in my local park - the balm of nature being enjoyed by many people and dogs!
Some Brisbane. (Pics by my mate Andrew Foley on FB).
December 5, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Some Brisbane. (Pics by my mate Andrew Foley on FB).
I feel fortunate to live around the corner from Rosalie Village in Brisbane. It is lovely, has 12+ restaurants/bars/cafes, chemist, 2 hairdressers, dentist, dry cleaner, optometrist, physio, yoga, saunas, massages etc.
I go there all the time. Guess this is what walkability looks like!
I go there all the time. Guess this is what walkability looks like!
December 5, 2025 at 8:42 AM
I feel fortunate to live around the corner from Rosalie Village in Brisbane. It is lovely, has 12+ restaurants/bars/cafes, chemist, 2 hairdressers, dentist, dry cleaner, optometrist, physio, yoga, saunas, massages etc.
I go there all the time. Guess this is what walkability looks like!
I go there all the time. Guess this is what walkability looks like!
Getting some nature in around the corner in a local park.
December 2, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Getting some nature in around the corner in a local park.
Bluesky is the new home of the fantastic urbanist community that used to inhabit Twitter but, like me, has abandoned that platform. Check out @brenttoderian.bsky.social and hit the starter pack heading to find people he has kindly assembled to follow for this and join in the conversation!
December 1, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Bluesky is the new home of the fantastic urbanist community that used to inhabit Twitter but, like me, has abandoned that platform. Check out @brenttoderian.bsky.social and hit the starter pack heading to find people he has kindly assembled to follow for this and join in the conversation!
Brisbane undertook tree planting ahead of the 1982 Commonwealth Games & Expo88, & since in key city streets. They’ve made the city Centre greener & more walkable.
Scaling this up ahead of the 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games would leave a great legacy of a cooler, greener & more walkable city.
Scaling this up ahead of the 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games would leave a great legacy of a cooler, greener & more walkable city.
December 1, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Brisbane undertook tree planting ahead of the 1982 Commonwealth Games & Expo88, & since in key city streets. They’ve made the city Centre greener & more walkable.
Scaling this up ahead of the 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games would leave a great legacy of a cooler, greener & more walkable city.
Scaling this up ahead of the 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games would leave a great legacy of a cooler, greener & more walkable city.
Poinciana central in a local park near me!
November 30, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Poinciana central in a local park near me!