Markus Johnson
@markusja.bsky.social
Abundant housing, abundant transit, & abundant bike lanes in our cities occupies a lot of my thinking. I'm sure other pieces of my personality will peek through over time.
Consider reading: https://medium.com/@markusjohnson2195
Consider reading: https://medium.com/@markusjohnson2195
Reposted by Markus Johnson
New York hotels aren’t getting cheaper anytime soon.
November 26, 2025 at 7:32 PM
New York hotels aren’t getting cheaper anytime soon.
Lol, 4th quarter possession with 1:15 left.
November 25, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Lol, 4th quarter possession with 1:15 left.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
seems like an easy fix for the US to just adopt the sensible EU regs! bsky.app/profile/bubb...
again, this is a Europe regulations vs U.S. regulations thing! there are a total of five pages discussing the different beam strength at different wavelengths in the european standard, whereas the DOT says headlights must be "white."
November 25, 2025 at 12:32 AM
seems like an easy fix for the US to just adopt the sensible EU regs! bsky.app/profile/bubb...
Reposted by Markus Johnson
A+ urban design. No notes.
November 23, 2025 at 6:05 PM
A+ urban design. No notes.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Who invests in critical thinking and who invests in an AI chatbot to help you think will be really telling.
November 23, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Who invests in critical thinking and who invests in an AI chatbot to help you think will be really telling.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
We need to be less weird about regulating e-bikes. Sure, differentiate electric motorcycles or dirt bikes. But I’ve seen throttle villainized so needlessly - all it does is give you a little push from stop to start. Let people have whatever features make them feel confident on a bike!
November 23, 2025 at 6:28 PM
We need to be less weird about regulating e-bikes. Sure, differentiate electric motorcycles or dirt bikes. But I’ve seen throttle villainized so needlessly - all it does is give you a little push from stop to start. Let people have whatever features make them feel confident on a bike!
Reposted by Markus Johnson
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
By American standards, the Paris suburbs still have a crazy high population density. Here's a map I made a while back comparing it to Chicago.
November 22, 2025 at 9:13 PM
By American standards, the Paris suburbs still have a crazy high population density. Here's a map I made a while back comparing it to Chicago.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
I am studying for the American Planning Association's professional certification exam and I am kind of blown away by the planning profession's lack of faith in itself and confidence in its own judgment.
We know that building more lanes does not fix traffic congestion. We've known this for 75 years!
We know that building more lanes does not fix traffic congestion. We've known this for 75 years!
November 23, 2025 at 1:15 AM
I am studying for the American Planning Association's professional certification exam and I am kind of blown away by the planning profession's lack of faith in itself and confidence in its own judgment.
We know that building more lanes does not fix traffic congestion. We've known this for 75 years!
We know that building more lanes does not fix traffic congestion. We've known this for 75 years!
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Yeah like a lot of things in the USA we accept a lot more risk for the dominant high status way of being than the low status one. (Cars v. Trains; SFH v. Multifamily)
November 19, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Yeah like a lot of things in the USA we accept a lot more risk for the dominant high status way of being than the low status one. (Cars v. Trains; SFH v. Multifamily)
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Calling the world we have a "revealed preference" is such an incredible hand-waving of the legal framework that permeates our society.
Like, do we think poor people just *prefer* living on the wrong side of the tracks? Why don't they just move to the nice neighborhoods?
Like, do we think poor people just *prefer* living on the wrong side of the tracks? Why don't they just move to the nice neighborhoods?
November 19, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Calling the world we have a "revealed preference" is such an incredible hand-waving of the legal framework that permeates our society.
Like, do we think poor people just *prefer* living on the wrong side of the tracks? Why don't they just move to the nice neighborhoods?
Like, do we think poor people just *prefer* living on the wrong side of the tracks? Why don't they just move to the nice neighborhoods?
This! Will knows the history that zoning & suburbia were socially pushed at a national level because of a mix of racism/segregation, political elite anti-city preferences, & car industry consumerism. Being so confident that people chose their preference when the alternative is illegal is a big jump
This would be a compelling argument if every city in the nation didn’t make new apartments illegal 50-70 years ago
Right, this is true, but the OVERWHELMING evidence of the past 100 years of American life is that vastly more people want space and a car than a smaller unit and a car-free lifestyle. This is mostly why the suburban share of US population has grown relentlessly for the entire 20th and 21st century
November 19, 2025 at 1:28 AM
This! Will knows the history that zoning & suburbia were socially pushed at a national level because of a mix of racism/segregation, political elite anti-city preferences, & car industry consumerism. Being so confident that people chose their preference when the alternative is illegal is a big jump
Reposted by Markus Johnson
“Every fire department in continental Europe and east Asia have better firefighters than California” is their argument! Kinda crazy!
November 18, 2025 at 7:46 PM
“Every fire department in continental Europe and east Asia have better firefighters than California” is their argument! Kinda crazy!
Reposted by Markus Johnson
I love how the firefighters union, when confronted with data about the safety of single stair, argue “Well New York and Seattle have good firefighters, unlike here in California where we suck ass at our jobs”
November 18, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I love how the firefighters union, when confronted with data about the safety of single stair, argue “Well New York and Seattle have good firefighters, unlike here in California where we suck ass at our jobs”
Reposted by Markus Johnson
These is a troubling quote because this is not how it’s supposed to work. Fire safety rules are supposed to balance cost and benefit, not just push for any possible risk reduction no matter the cost.
November 17, 2025 at 9:30 PM
These is a troubling quote because this is not how it’s supposed to work. Fire safety rules are supposed to balance cost and benefit, not just push for any possible risk reduction no matter the cost.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Major announcement in just-posted board documents: DC's Metro is moving fast toward automation.
Over 15 years, Metro plans full automation & platform screen doors, which the agency says will improve safety, reliability, & travel times—at reduced costs.
www.wmata.com/about/board/...
Over 15 years, Metro plans full automation & platform screen doors, which the agency says will improve safety, reliability, & travel times—at reduced costs.
www.wmata.com/about/board/...
November 17, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Major announcement in just-posted board documents: DC's Metro is moving fast toward automation.
Over 15 years, Metro plans full automation & platform screen doors, which the agency says will improve safety, reliability, & travel times—at reduced costs.
www.wmata.com/about/board/...
Over 15 years, Metro plans full automation & platform screen doors, which the agency says will improve safety, reliability, & travel times—at reduced costs.
www.wmata.com/about/board/...
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Fascinating to compare analysis and messaging. WMATA publicly quantifying the efficiencies they want, meanwhile the MTA won’t even publicly quantify the inefficiencies they don’t want. Is it because the MTA is afraid of its shadow politically? Or do they not even know their numbers?
@wmata.com out here talking about moving to full automation and platform screen doors across the network while lawmakers in NYS push forward nonsensical bills that would mandate a minimum of TWO workers per @mta.info train, removing even one person train operation.
Major announcement in just-posted board documents: DC's Metro is moving fast toward automation.
Over 15 years, Metro plans full automation & platform screen doors, which the agency says will improve safety, reliability, & travel times—at reduced costs.
www.wmata.com/about/board/...
Over 15 years, Metro plans full automation & platform screen doors, which the agency says will improve safety, reliability, & travel times—at reduced costs.
www.wmata.com/about/board/...
November 17, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Fascinating to compare analysis and messaging. WMATA publicly quantifying the efficiencies they want, meanwhile the MTA won’t even publicly quantify the inefficiencies they don’t want. Is it because the MTA is afraid of its shadow politically? Or do they not even know their numbers?
They shouldn't have spilt Shimura learning about her son into two episodes. Really messed with the emotional weight of that scene
November 16, 2025 at 4:45 AM
They shouldn't have spilt Shimura learning about her son into two episodes. Really messed with the emotional weight of that scene
Reposted by Markus Johnson
I think something that is really under-appreciated about elite institutions is that they select for ambition more than anything else.
This is a problem IMO because there are very real tensions between ambition and character attributes we should be selecting for in leaders!
This is a problem IMO because there are very real tensions between ambition and character attributes we should be selecting for in leaders!
At this point I think institutions like the Supreme Court have made it abundantly clear how poisonous this system is for our entire society.
November 15, 2025 at 10:15 PM
I think something that is really under-appreciated about elite institutions is that they select for ambition more than anything else.
This is a problem IMO because there are very real tensions between ambition and character attributes we should be selecting for in leaders!
This is a problem IMO because there are very real tensions between ambition and character attributes we should be selecting for in leaders!
Reposted by Markus Johnson
The most fire-safe buildings we have are modern apartment buildings. To prevent fire deaths, allow more modern apartment buildings to get built. Testimony from Milwaukee firefighters.
Modern Apartments Are the Safest Housing, Firefighters Explain
YouTube video by Pew
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:07 AM
The most fire-safe buildings we have are modern apartment buildings. To prevent fire deaths, allow more modern apartment buildings to get built. Testimony from Milwaukee firefighters.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
One of the things I got from my engagement w/ethnography for my undergrad thesis was that communities often define themselves by *what they're against*. That's why I have deep concerns with a reliance on "community" as the building block of activism and policy--it inherently risks being reactionary.
November 14, 2025 at 4:35 PM
One of the things I got from my engagement w/ethnography for my undergrad thesis was that communities often define themselves by *what they're against*. That's why I have deep concerns with a reliance on "community" as the building block of activism and policy--it inherently risks being reactionary.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
By learning from other countries and adopting international best practices, California High Speed Rail was able to cut its costs by $14 billion and cut 70% of tunnels.
This is a big lesson for transit projects both in NY & around the US: start by learning from other countries.
tinyurl.com/mvsmfxa2
This is a big lesson for transit projects both in NY & around the US: start by learning from other countries.
tinyurl.com/mvsmfxa2
November 11, 2025 at 10:29 PM
By learning from other countries and adopting international best practices, California High Speed Rail was able to cut its costs by $14 billion and cut 70% of tunnels.
This is a big lesson for transit projects both in NY & around the US: start by learning from other countries.
tinyurl.com/mvsmfxa2
This is a big lesson for transit projects both in NY & around the US: start by learning from other countries.
tinyurl.com/mvsmfxa2
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Higher Ed students are members of your community, PERIOD.
If they work in your city, they pay local taxes & as residents they are spending their money *locally*.
Stop treating student housing as some sort of burden and start putting some respect on them as part of the citizenry of your city.
If they work in your city, they pay local taxes & as residents they are spending their money *locally*.
Stop treating student housing as some sort of burden and start putting some respect on them as part of the citizenry of your city.
How is a student who lives in New York not a New Yorker?
November 13, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Higher Ed students are members of your community, PERIOD.
If they work in your city, they pay local taxes & as residents they are spending their money *locally*.
Stop treating student housing as some sort of burden and start putting some respect on them as part of the citizenry of your city.
If they work in your city, they pay local taxes & as residents they are spending their money *locally*.
Stop treating student housing as some sort of burden and start putting some respect on them as part of the citizenry of your city.
Reposted by Markus Johnson
Shorter waits, faster rides. In just three years, we’ve gone from 5% to 70% of Metrorail customers waiting less than six minutes for their train. 👍
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Shorter waits, faster rides. In just three years, we’ve gone from 5% to 70% of Metrorail customers waiting less than six minutes for their train. 👍
Reposted by Markus Johnson
A while back, I went down a rabbit hole in our land use code's requirements on "Design and Architectural Standards." It was so absurd that I had to write this article as a coping mechanism. I also dug into the history of where these standards came from (tl;dr: it was a reaction to this BRIGHT BLUE)
When City Governments Act Like HOAs
Death to "bright, vibrant, vivid hues of color"!
cascadianabundance.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:59 PM
A while back, I went down a rabbit hole in our land use code's requirements on "Design and Architectural Standards." It was so absurd that I had to write this article as a coping mechanism. I also dug into the history of where these standards came from (tl;dr: it was a reaction to this BRIGHT BLUE)