Toby Lloyd
tobylloyd.bsky.social
Toby Lloyd
@tobylloyd.bsky.social
Policy wonk, spad, consultant, writer, Londoner. Housing, urbanism and transport mainly.
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
Bargain! Great book....
November 3, 2024 at 4:39 PM
The OBR's recent report on investment has this startling chart, but not the data behind it. Do the green lines turn negative in the 1980s due to the New Towns Development Corporations paying off their debts, council house sales under the Right to Buy, or something else? obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...
September 30, 2024 at 9:09 PM
This. Obsessive parochialism is the mark of the true Londoner.

And real Londoners don’t just not get the tube, they don’t even live in places on the tube map.

Also, the real divide is not the Thames but the Fleet: west London is basically Buckinghamshire.
It's a tradition as old as time, Toby. It means nothing at all.

In any case, we can all unite in agreeing that west London is the absolute worst, barely London at all.
September 8, 2024 at 8:26 PM
What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?

A million pounds of public spending isn’t enough to count as loose change (equivalent to about 1p out of every £12,200).
September 6, 2024 at 7:47 AM
August 19, 2024 at 8:09 PM
I feel seen
I’ve got it nailed :
- Twitter for rage & click bait & macho macho men 💪🏽
- Threads for benign happy- and let’s be honest- mostly irrelevant and not life changing content
- BlueSky for niche geeks looking for a tribe
- LinkedIn for long form self-congratulation
August 19, 2024 at 8:04 PM
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
I’ve done a starter pack on economics, data, and a bit of AI. Although the picture below is male dominated it is 50/50. Do let me know of others to include and I might do a second pack
go.bsky.app/R5q59tM
August 19, 2024 at 4:14 PM
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
Another plug for @transportfornewhomes.org.uk and @transportgood.org. Both no longer posting to the other place.
August 19, 2024 at 9:53 AM
Bluesky has finally - and suddenly - achieved the critical mass of interesting/smart/informed contributors needed to provide me with my preferred diet of digestible geekery. Thanks Elon!
The Treasury’s stifling fiscal rules are a huge barrier to long-term growth, it forces successive govts to choose between short-term political goals and meaningful projects which have a lasting benefit well beyond any political cycle - the former often comes out on top.

An excellent read from Conor
Over the weekend I decided to start a blog.

I can't promise it will update regularly, that it will be interesting, or that the posts will follow any coherent theme.

I've kicked things off with a classic: complaining about the UK's fiscal rules.

medium.com/@conorsewell...
August 19, 2024 at 9:44 AM
This is beautiful. Almost manages to impose logic on the imperial system of measurements. Almost….
August 19, 2024 at 9:33 AM
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
People seem to be asking whether there's a UK Housing starter pack, so I have made one up. Do share.

And let me know if I've missed people off here (space to add another 15!) go.bsky.app/NRu8tPX
August 16, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
OK, it might just be the former 'legal twitter' crew moving here en bloc and reassembling, but my impression is of a serious shift of (intermittently) serious people to this place over the last few days. Including some deliberately giving up big followings. This is qualitatively new.
August 13, 2024 at 10:25 PM
A real honour, if mildly terrifying, to be on The Expert Factor podcast with Paul Johnson and Hannah White - two of my wonk heroes - talking about why our housing system is such a mess.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
‎The Expert Factor: Can the next government fix the housing crisis? on Apple Podcasts
‎Show The Expert Factor, Ep Can the next government fix the housing crisis? - 28 Jun 2024
podcasts.apple.com
June 29, 2024 at 10:12 AM
Latest planning stats are miserable... the housebuilding downturn is getting serious. gov.uk/government/s...
June 13, 2024 at 10:51 AM
www.forbes.com/sites/carlto... Sad to see them reneging on their own popular and successful policies to improve the environment, health and neighbourhoods.
ULEZ And LTNs To Be Scrapped Should Tories Win U.K. Election
Tories double down on pro-motoring rhetoric in hope of winning U.K. general election due to be staged on July 4.
www.forbes.com
June 8, 2024 at 10:08 AM
Like everyone else on the planet, I've done a podcast - on how to build the homes we need (and how not to do it). podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...
‎Building Talks...: Home Truths Episode 3: In conversation with Toby Lloyd, former No 10 adviser on Apple Podcasts
‎Show Building Talks..., Ep Home Truths Episode 3: In conversation with Toby Lloyd, former No 10 adviser - 20 May 2024
podcasts.apple.com
May 21, 2024 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
Delightful story (and actionable, if you're in the UK) of regular people creating cycling and pedestrian paths using some permitting and bureaucracy loopholes and lots of volunteer labor.
Lovely story from Laura Laker this - the amazing difference that beautiful, safe pathways can make to rural communities. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
May 16, 2024 at 3:27 PM
Lovely story from Laura Laker this - the amazing difference that beautiful, safe pathways can make to rural communities. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
May 16, 2024 at 3:03 PM
Nice piece. The importance of local government is always underplayed in our national story. And I never thought I’d see the words ‘Stockport Municipal Reform Jug’ used together.
May 1, 2024 at 8:34 AM
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
How central heating changed everything about our homes - superb piece by a @britishacademy.bsky.social supported researcher on how architecture can overlook comfort, and the need for new imaginings for green homes of the future
on.ft.com/4cp51eW
How central heating changed everything about our homes
The ability to make our indoor spaces consistently warm transformed how we live — now, climate change demands a similar upheaval
on.ft.com
March 26, 2024 at 8:05 PM
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
This is very well observed.
On how economists aren’t always good at recognising how specialised they are
March 20, 2024 at 7:45 PM
A crushed Tesla and George W Bush’s paintings: photos of the day – Thursday www.theguardian.com/news/gallery...
March 14, 2024 at 9:19 PM
You may not like my housing policy-heavy content, but at least I have a cute dog. (This had better work, @columnist.bsky.social)
March 13, 2024 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Toby Lloyd
This is exactly what we need to be doing, right now - for greater housing + transportation affordability, regional livability, food security, wilderness preservation, energy security, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
March 11, 2024 at 2:47 PM