The Urban Syntax
@theurbansyntax.bsky.social
The Urban Syntax is a documentation of my affinity with urban themes and how it influences my work as a graphic designer.
www.djohanjohari.com
www.djohanjohari.com
Reposted by The Urban Syntax
January 15, 2026 at 7:42 AM
Reposted by The Urban Syntax
Wishing a Happy Batman '66 Day to those who celebrate, like @munira.bsky.social.
On this day sixty years ago, the Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward debuted on ABC Television.
January 13, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Wishing a Happy Batman '66 Day to those who celebrate, like @munira.bsky.social.
Reposted by The Urban Syntax
When Glenfarg’s last commercial bus service vanished, it risked the viability of the village. So residents built their own. The result is a thriving community-run network – and a clear example of Community Wealth Building in action.
This is how Glenfarg rebuilt its bus service – and its future:
This is how Glenfarg rebuilt its bus service – and its future:
How Glenfarg rebuilt its bus service – and its future - The Scottish Beacon
“You’re regularly told that ‘this bus has changed my life’.” Drew Smart is one of the founders and Chairman of the Glenfarg Community Transport Group (GCTG). He’s speaking from the front seat of one o...
www.scottishbeacon.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:41 PM
When Glenfarg’s last commercial bus service vanished, it risked the viability of the village. So residents built their own. The result is a thriving community-run network – and a clear example of Community Wealth Building in action.
This is how Glenfarg rebuilt its bus service – and its future:
This is how Glenfarg rebuilt its bus service – and its future:
Reposted by The Urban Syntax
“Copenhagen reported that 62% of its residents are now commuting to work or school by bike — an increase from 52% in 2015 & 36% in 2012, when the City Council launched a 14-year-plan to improve the quality, safety & comfort of cycling.”
#Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.
#Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.
Copenhagen has taken bicycle commuting to a whole new level
Cycling has been a part of that good life in Copenhagen for decades. In recent years, it has enjoyed yet another unfathomable surge in popularity — taken to the next level thanks to constantly improvi...
www.latimes.com
January 9, 2026 at 4:10 PM
“Copenhagen reported that 62% of its residents are now commuting to work or school by bike — an increase from 52% in 2015 & 36% in 2012, when the City Council launched a 14-year-plan to improve the quality, safety & comfort of cycling.”
#Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.
#Copenhagen chose. They keep choosing even better every year.
“We can't return to normal, because the normal that we had was precisely the problem.”
www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/c...
www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/c...
January 15, 2025 at 3:31 PM
“We can't return to normal, because the normal that we had was precisely the problem.”
www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/c...
www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/c...
"You are privileged. Just reading this sentence makes you part of the 85% of the world population that is literate, the 20% that understands English, and the 40% that has access to the internet. ...The Politics of Design is a book that shows the cultural and political bias of visual communication"
untold stories
www.untold-stories.net
January 3, 2025 at 5:07 PM
"You are privileged. Just reading this sentence makes you part of the 85% of the world population that is literate, the 20% that understands English, and the 40% that has access to the internet. ...The Politics of Design is a book that shows the cultural and political bias of visual communication"
Some obstacles we face in the current urban landscape are cross-generational. They often come with solutions which are held within the senior members of our community. GenLab Collective is a non-profit initiative that bridges these keepers of wisdom with the future generation.
Community Heroes: Helping seniors to stay active needs a lot of work, but getting the young involved has its happy rewards
I am a lecturer in a tertiary institution passionate about life skills education. In late 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, I embarked on a journey that would change my life and, I hope, the lives o...
www.channelnewsasia.com
January 2, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Some obstacles we face in the current urban landscape are cross-generational. They often come with solutions which are held within the senior members of our community. GenLab Collective is a non-profit initiative that bridges these keepers of wisdom with the future generation.
In this extract from her book, 'Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist', Liz Pelly details how Spotify is using stock music to populate its playlists. Has convenience and the constantly shortening of our attention spans come at the expense of artists?
The Ghosts in the Machine, by Liz Pelly
Spotify’s plot against musicians
harpers.org
January 1, 2025 at 4:43 PM
In this extract from her book, 'Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist', Liz Pelly details how Spotify is using stock music to populate its playlists. Has convenience and the constantly shortening of our attention spans come at the expense of artists?
An anomaly in a climate where media consumption is 'invisible'.
There's Only 1 DVD Rental Store Left in the UK—and It's Thriving
TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill, Suffolk, is the UK's last-remaining DVD rental store. And, in the age of streaming, business is thriving.
www.vice.com
January 1, 2025 at 3:27 PM
An anomaly in a climate where media consumption is 'invisible'.
Some of you might have been singing this last night. This is its origin story. Happy 2025.
Why we sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on New Year’s Eve
The iconic song became a staple at the stroke of midnight with a little help from 18th century poet Robert Burns and the Scottish diaspora.
www.nationalgeographic.com
January 1, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Some of you might have been singing this last night. This is its origin story. Happy 2025.
Lost World is a short documentary of the Cambodian sand used for Singapore’s land expansion. The director, Kalyanee Mam, explores the ecological and cultural displacement that comes from the literal shifting of land.
Lost World - Emergence Magazine
As Singapore dredges sand out from beneath Cambodia’s mangrove forests, an ecosystem, a communal way of life, and one woman’s relationship to her beloved home are faced with the threat of erasure. Dir...
emergencemagazine.org
January 1, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Lost World is a short documentary of the Cambodian sand used for Singapore’s land expansion. The director, Kalyanee Mam, explores the ecological and cultural displacement that comes from the literal shifting of land.
Reposted by The Urban Syntax
"Why do you write fantasy?"
Because the magic parts aren't the actual magic. They're just a way to connect to something deeper inside all of us.
Because the magic parts aren't the actual magic. They're just a way to connect to something deeper inside all of us.
December 30, 2024 at 1:22 AM
"Why do you write fantasy?"
Because the magic parts aren't the actual magic. They're just a way to connect to something deeper inside all of us.
Because the magic parts aren't the actual magic. They're just a way to connect to something deeper inside all of us.
Reposted by The Urban Syntax
Jednota, Czechoslovakia Matchbox Labels, 1963
designreviewed.com/artefacts/je... #matchboxlabels #ephemera #graphicdesign #illustration
designreviewed.com/artefacts/je... #matchboxlabels #ephemera #graphicdesign #illustration
December 29, 2024 at 9:13 AM
Jednota, Czechoslovakia Matchbox Labels, 1963
designreviewed.com/artefacts/je... #matchboxlabels #ephemera #graphicdesign #illustration
designreviewed.com/artefacts/je... #matchboxlabels #ephemera #graphicdesign #illustration
This led me down a path of reflection on how a common language could homogenize a multi-ethinic nation. Periodically we see questions being asked about the Singapore identity. As we move forward, maybe the next question we might ask is the importance of even having one.
How Much Does Our Language Shape Our Thinking?
English continues to expand into diverse regions around the world. The question is whether humanity will be homogenized as a result.
www.newyorker.com
December 28, 2024 at 12:37 PM
This led me down a path of reflection on how a common language could homogenize a multi-ethinic nation. Periodically we see questions being asked about the Singapore identity. As we move forward, maybe the next question we might ask is the importance of even having one.
What’s great about this, is the constant reminder of a life waiting to happen, literally behind your workspace. It brings into thought this notion of having a work-life balance. I’m all for that. Wait, I’m actually not. I’m much more keen on having a work<life one.
These designers turned their office into a skate park
The playful space features furniture that transforms from a standing desk into a half-pipe, a floor lamp into a ramp, and more.
www.fastcompany.com
December 26, 2024 at 12:56 PM
What’s great about this, is the constant reminder of a life waiting to happen, literally behind your workspace. It brings into thought this notion of having a work-life balance. I’m all for that. Wait, I’m actually not. I’m much more keen on having a work<life one.
The observation made by Bilge Ebiri in this essay, “To live in the present, one must set aside both the past and the future”, is one to live by. Perfect Days might not be a film for many, but it serves as an equalizer to living in the city, and a great reminder to take our feet off the pedal.
Perfect Days: Where the Light Comes Through
In one of the most patient films he has ever made, Wim Wenders captures how everyday existence drifts into our dream lives.
www.criterion.com
December 26, 2024 at 9:16 AM
The observation made by Bilge Ebiri in this essay, “To live in the present, one must set aside both the past and the future”, is one to live by. Perfect Days might not be a film for many, but it serves as an equalizer to living in the city, and a great reminder to take our feet off the pedal.
Language, Please is an initiative that assists in understanding the context of language as it evolves, and its relation to identity. I hope that this continues to keep the Sticks and Stones proverb as a mantra of indifference on a personal level, and not as a liberty of callousness with our speech.
Home -
Language, Please is a free, regularly updated resource for anyone seeking to thoughtfully cover evolving social, cultural, and identity-related topics. Get
languageplease.org
December 22, 2024 at 9:13 PM
Language, Please is an initiative that assists in understanding the context of language as it evolves, and its relation to identity. I hope that this continues to keep the Sticks and Stones proverb as a mantra of indifference on a personal level, and not as a liberty of callousness with our speech.
This video brings up a shot of nostalgia. This led led me to living up to the quintessential human trait of appreciating things only when they are gone: the remembrance of magazine kiosks in Singapore.
A day in the life of a kiosk - Film
French newspaper kiosks might have evolved but they still play a key role in the life of Paris. And there’s one that has become a star in its own right – Le…
monocle.com
December 22, 2024 at 3:54 AM
This video brings up a shot of nostalgia. This led led me to living up to the quintessential human trait of appreciating things only when they are gone: the remembrance of magazine kiosks in Singapore.
#sghostilearchitecture is a project by Diana Rahim that documents such public installations. In her interview with Object Lessons Space, she implores us to be mindful of our immediate environment and to explore the connotations that might come with these installations.
Diana Rahim on Documenting Hostile Architecture, Questioning the Arbiters of Public Space and the Importance of Spatial Justice — Object Lessons Space
Diana Rahim on Documenting Hostile Architecture, Questioning the Arbiters of Public Space and the Importance of Spatial Justice Share: ︎ ...
objectlessons.space
December 21, 2024 at 5:33 PM
#sghostilearchitecture is a project by Diana Rahim that documents such public installations. In her interview with Object Lessons Space, she implores us to be mindful of our immediate environment and to explore the connotations that might come with these installations.
"Favora gives us a typeface to express a new hope for progress."
Hope in multi-shaped alphabets? I need some time to think about this. Still a nice typeface though.
Hope in multi-shaped alphabets? I need some time to think about this. Still a nice typeface though.
www.youworkforthem.com
December 20, 2024 at 12:48 PM
"Favora gives us a typeface to express a new hope for progress."
Hope in multi-shaped alphabets? I need some time to think about this. Still a nice typeface though.
Hope in multi-shaped alphabets? I need some time to think about this. Still a nice typeface though.
I've always thought that SMRT had a decent wayfinding system before the network grew to what it is today. I'm not sure how many updates have been made, but this article showed how one student's redesign proposal came to fruition.
One Designer’s Quest to Redesign Singapore’s Subway Signage
I was taken on a tour of Singapore’s mass rapid transit system in early March to see its new signage system. As lead designer Samuel Lim guided me through a station, he stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh dear!” he said, “Here come the paper signs...” A portable stand was holding up one A4-size sheet
eyeondesign.aiga.org
December 20, 2024 at 3:44 AM
I've always thought that SMRT had a decent wayfinding system before the network grew to what it is today. I'm not sure how many updates have been made, but this article showed how one student's redesign proposal came to fruition.
Reposted by The Urban Syntax
