Laurens van Dijk
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laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Laurens van Dijk
@laurensvandijk.bsky.social
96 followers 230 following 26 posts
Urban Development Enthusiast | Economic Geographer | Talks and shares about: #Urbanism #Mobility #Innovation #Infrastructure #Companies #Business #Strategy #Proximity #EconomicDevelopment
Sharing from Sydney, with Dutch roots

Growth @ Arcadis
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laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Peter Wennink - Former ASML CEO - warns NL faces tough choices. Where will 2% growth come from: tech, green energy, logistics? Planning isn’t just space, it’s priorities. Are we ready for the hard calls?

nltimes.nl/2025/12/12/f...
Former ASML CEO warns the Netherlands faces tough choices to secure future prosperity
Former ASML chief executive Peter Wennink argues in a government-commissioned report that the Netherlands faces tough decisions if it wants to foster investment and maintain its standard of living. Th...
nltimes.nl
December 15, 2025 at 4:01 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Nederland staat voor een enorme renovatie-opgave: 141.000 km wegen, duizenden bruggen en tunnels. Samenwerking en inzicht zijn cruciaal om onze infrastructuur toekomstbestendig te houden. Hoe pakken we dit aan? #Infrastructuur #Renovatie

www.tno.nl/nl/newsroom/...
Renovatie-opgave infrastructuur vraagt inzicht en samenwerking
Hoe maken en houden we onze infrastructuur toekomstbestendig? Peter Rasker van TNO en Lindy Molenkamp van provincie Noord-Holland geven hun suggesties.
www.tno.nl
December 8, 2025 at 10:08 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Not sure I agree, but interesting from James Plunkett: the ‘disciplines of government’ lens—legacy comms/policy vs design/product. Feels right in places, off in others. Worth a read. Thoughts?

medium.com/@jamestplunk...
The disciplines theory of government
Are legacy disciplines dragging the whole operation down?
medium.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:43 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Cities thrive on more than GDP. Future urban success = health, equity, sustainability & resilience. Time to measure what matters for people and planet.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Beyond growth — why we need to agree on an alternative to GDP now
The world needs to move towards an approach to measure well-being rather than economic growth. Here’s how that can happen.
www.nature.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:42 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
By the 2050s nearly everyone will live in cities — and that makes urban design a health strategy. Cool roofs, green space, clean transport and strong water systems prevent illness before it starts. Climate action is public health.

impact.economist.com/health/the-p...
The power of prevention in cities to support health in a changing climate
In this blog, Kris Licht, CEO of Reckitt, and Iñaki Ereño, CEO of Bupa—co-leads of the newly released “Resilient Cities, Reimagining Health”—argue that cities hold the key to healthier, more resilient...
impact.economist.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:16 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Can cities boost housing and biodiversity? England’s proposed “forest city” aims to do both—walkable, green, and transit-focused. Could this be a model for the future? 🌱

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
How ambitious ‘forest city’ plan for England could become a reality
Cross-party coalition behind proposals hope eco-friendly scheme for million people could begin before end of decade
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:16 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
“Build, build, build” – but at what cost? [column in Dutch]
Europe’s edge is walkable cities: vibrant, compact, full of chance encounters. Lose that, and we risk soulless sprawl.

#UrbanDesign #Walkability #CityLife www.vastgoedmarkt.nl/203337/bouwe...
'Bouwen, bouwen, bouwen': een valkuil voor leefbare steden
Europese steden blinken uit in leefbaarheid. Dit in tegenstelling tot Amerikaanse steden. Maar pas op met 'bouwen, bouwen, bouwen'. Voor je het weet heeft ook Nederland (weer) een serie uitgestrekte, ...
www.vastgoedmarkt.nl
November 25, 2025 at 11:16 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Interesting! Urban planners: let’s design cities with real biodiversity, not just green spaces. Nature is vital for healthy bodies & minds. #urbanplanning #biodiversity #health

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health
In Finland, kindergartens are exposing children to more mud, wild plants and moss - and finding changes to their health that show how crucial biodiversity is to wellbeing
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:21 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
New York City's creative sector fuels 1 in 8 dollars of economic activity, but artists face housing insecurity atm. Cities thrive when talent thrives, affordable housing is key to cultural and economic vibrancy.

rpa.org/work/reports...
Nowhere to Paint?
In order to maintain its cultural vibrancy, New York City needs to address the unique barriers artists face in securing affordable housing.
rpa.org
November 17, 2025 at 12:17 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Amsterdam: the world’s original climate-adapted city. Wild to see 750 years of water management explained so clearly. As a Dutchie, feels very accurate — and very relevant.

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Europe’s Original Climate-Resilient City Has a Lesson for Us All
On Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, it continues to be a leader in climate adaptation — showing how a city can thrive in overcoming existential challenges.
www.bloomberg.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:45 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
One year into Labor’s 5-year housing plan, progress is uneven: ACT, VIC & WA lead with 18%+ of targets met, while NSW, TAS & NT lag (<10%). Bottlenecks? Planning rules, labour shortages. Reform & streamlined approvals are key to hitting 1.2M homes. #HousingPolicy

www.afr.com/policy/econo...
Lifters and leaners: How each state is going on its housing target
Australia has fallen 66,000 homes short of the 240,000 required to keep pace with Labor’s goal of 1.2 million new homes by 2029.
www.afr.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Laurens van Dijk
railmaps.com.au
A high-speed rail line between Newcastle and Sydney would be delivered in three stages under ambitious plans detailed in a business case which envisages Newcastle to Central Coast trains starting by 2037 then to the Sydney CBD by 2039, Parramatta and WSA by 2042.

www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...
Staged build of high-speed train line from Newcastle to Sydney revealed
Details of the ambitious plans are revealed in an evaluation of the mega project, which shows three-fifths of the 191-kilometre line would be through tunnels.
www.smh.com.au
November 5, 2025 at 11:18 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
What a brilliant idea to extend the lightrail along this corridor. Having lived just one street from Parramatta Rd in the Inner West, I know how transformative this could be. Linking housing, jobs & transport is the key to unlocking #Sydney’s future.

greekherald.com.au/news/busines...
Business Sydney campaign sees Parramatta Road redeveloped to address housing shortage
Business Sydney’s long campaign for Parramatta Road to be redeveloped to help solve Sydney’s housing crisis is becoming a reality.
greekherald.com.au
November 9, 2025 at 10:34 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
AI’s Hidden Bill: Powering the Future, Draining the Present

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...
From Mexico to Ireland, Fury Mounts Over a Global A.I. Frenzy
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:27 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Exciting how micro mobility is transforming our urban spaces into sustainable communities,
youtube.com/watch?v=3bUc...
Andrew Savage, VP of sustainability at Lime on Net-Zero commuting | Sustainability Week London 2025
YouTube video by Economist Impact
youtube.com
November 2, 2025 at 5:25 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Cities become sustainable one piece of real infrastructure at a time — like the new 20-stall Tesla Supercharger hub in Goulburn.

www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/tes...
Tesla opens the Southern Hemisphere's largest Supercharger site in NSW
A new rapid-charging station for 20 vehicles has opened and is accessible for both Tesla and non-Tesla EVs.
www.carexpert.com.au
October 29, 2025 at 6:58 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
More relevant than ever: social isolation, urban sprawl, and the challenge of planning our suburbs to deal with higher temperatures. We need infrastructure that connects, cools, and cares, not just growth.
www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Are we turning the housing crisis into a living crisis? - ABC listen
We build more and more homes for growing urban populations. But doing so without providing much needed amenities doesn't serve our suburbs and the people who live in them. It risks confounding social ...
www.abc.net.au
October 24, 2025 at 1:37 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Great article on libraries as social hubs and downtown boosters. When I moved to Sydney 3yrs ago I was amazed: beautifully designed local libraries, free access, digital newspapers, ebooks, community space. Well done city of Sydney!

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
With Roles as Civic Hubs, Libraries Turn Over a New Page
Cities looking to revive downtowns are increasingly leveraging the ability of public libraries to draw crowds and encourage economic development.
www.bloomberg.com
October 20, 2025 at 2:01 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
'700.000 kiezers in het buitenland stemmen niet' (NOS)… Verbaast me niks als ik kijk naar mijn expatkring. Zonde, onbenut potentieel. Geen campagnes voeren in het buitenland oké, maar iemand bij een partij zou hier eens in moeten duiken hoe je ze/ons bereikt. Schrijf al die NL multinationals aan.
October 18, 2025 at 1:30 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Sydney being #1 startup spot in the Southern Hemisphere doesn’t surprise. I call this place home since 3 years, and I see the tight link between business, govt and universities up close. A fertile place for innovation, if you can afford to stay and start-up…

www.innovationaus.com/sydney-ranks...
Sydney ranks as Southern Hemisphere's best city for startups
Sydney has maintained its position as the top startup ecosystem in the Southern Hemisphere and clocked an estimated value of $55 billion in new rankings, but couldn’t buck the global trend of a post-p...
www.innovationaus.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Most countries don’t have megacities, but infrastructure can substitute for density, making networks Europe’s strength. With good connectivity and last mile solutions you can tap into urban agglomeration benefits without living in London or Amsterdam.

research-portal.uu.nl/files/425221...
research-portal.uu.nl
October 12, 2025 at 11:01 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Many cities are fixated on capital investment as proof of progress — “how many km built.” But actual value is delivered by how many people you shift per hour, how much delay you remove per dollar.

www.bcg.com/publications...
Moving Millions: A Recipe to Make Urban Mobility Work
Congestion, accidents, emissions, and other challenges require cities to develop holistic mobility alternatives that will shift travel from private transport to public and active modalities.
www.bcg.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:29 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Transport isn’t a hierarchy of modes but a shared system. Bologna proves outcomes matter: zero pedestrian deaths, more cycling, less pollution. Yet success like this fuels the left-right debate. An important question is who ultimately owns these outcomes.

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
A Showdown Over Speed and Safety, Italian-Style
In 2024, Bologna became the first major city in Italy to set a 30 kilometer per hour speed limit. But ‘Città 30’ also triggered a fight with conservative lawmakers.
www.bloomberg.com
October 7, 2025 at 8:58 AM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Reminded me of Richard Florida's ideas on the creative class. Do people follow places or do places come after people? Cities with cultural richness & diversity attract talent, driving economic growth. #CreativeClass #EconomicGrowth

www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/sit...
www.ucl.ac.uk
October 2, 2025 at 8:36 PM
laurensvandijk.bsky.social
Urbanists are staring down the barrel of a new reality: the post-peak city. How do we build for BOTH growth AND decline?🤔 Let's rethink our cities to be agile, flexible & frugal - not just competitive, sustainable & resilient. #urbanplanning #postpeakcity

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The Steep Curve to Peak Urban
The century from 1980 to 2080 will be a period of rapid urban expansion that strains housing and planning capacity around the world. Then comes population decline, and an uncertain future.
www.bloomberg.com
October 2, 2025 at 7:20 AM