Andy Boenau
@urbanismspeakeasy.com
When I'm not engineering safe & healthy streets, I'm running my mouth about it.
urbanismspeakeasy.com
urbanismspeakeasy.com
"The Death and Life of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs (redacted to avoid offending professional planners)
December 7, 2025 at 9:41 PM
"The Death and Life of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs (redacted to avoid offending professional planners)
In the US, we make sure that our 300 million motor vehicles have proper housing. Sometimes, there's even room for vehicle operators to be co-housed.
December 6, 2025 at 9:07 PM
In the US, we make sure that our 300 million motor vehicles have proper housing. Sometimes, there's even room for vehicle operators to be co-housed.
The promise of freedom and wealth held until cities and suburbs began optimizing for vehicle throughput instead of local access and mobility.
open.substack.com/pub/speakeas...
open.substack.com/pub/speakeas...
Why everything turns to asphalt
There’s a King Midas aspect to motor vehicles, this technological gift that promised and delivered abundance until it became a curse.
open.substack.com
December 6, 2025 at 3:08 PM
The promise of freedom and wealth held until cities and suburbs began optimizing for vehicle throughput instead of local access and mobility.
open.substack.com/pub/speakeas...
open.substack.com/pub/speakeas...
There's a King Midas aspect to motor vehicles. The Midas touch was great until he wanted to eat or drink or just hug his daughter.
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91443440/ame...
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91443440/ame...
American cities have too many streets, parking lots, and garages
We're discovering that car-dependent places can't sustain the human activities they were meant to enable.
www.fastcompany.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:06 AM
There's a King Midas aspect to motor vehicles. The Midas touch was great until he wanted to eat or drink or just hug his daughter.
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91443440/ame...
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91443440/ame...
The status quo believes the fantasy that traffic violence is inevitable. That there’s nothing we can do. The truth is, we can prevent severe crashes.
www.fastcompany.com/91443434/cha...
www.fastcompany.com/91443434/cha...
To change our safety culture, we need storytellers
Powerful personal narratives are key to reducing traffic deaths. For real change, the average person needs to know the stories of the victims of road accidents.
www.fastcompany.com
November 30, 2025 at 12:50 AM
The status quo believes the fantasy that traffic violence is inevitable. That there’s nothing we can do. The truth is, we can prevent severe crashes.
www.fastcompany.com/91443434/cha...
www.fastcompany.com/91443434/cha...
When DOTs refuse to use roundabouts, commercial corridors turn into this:
November 23, 2025 at 9:58 PM
When DOTs refuse to use roundabouts, commercial corridors turn into this:
The lack of diversity of thought on this site is why I spend so little time here. It's also why, I think, so many people are returning to X.
There’s a sort of Dunning-Kruger effect happening where people who read widely, consider various perspectives, and put in effort to understand views they disagree with worry that they don’t do that enough, while people who don’t do any of that accuse others of being in a bubble and call it a day.
November 2, 2025 at 6:14 PM
The lack of diversity of thought on this site is why I spend so little time here. It's also why, I think, so many people are returning to X.
The economics principle behind bad traffic can be used to create good traffic. I wrote about INDUCED DEMAND for @fastcompany.com 👇
www.fastcompany.com/91418253/eco...
www.fastcompany.com/91418253/eco...
The economics principle behind bad traffic can be used to create good traffic
There’s a way for departments of transportation to take advantage of induced demand.
www.fastcompany.com
October 21, 2025 at 10:11 AM
The economics principle behind bad traffic can be used to create good traffic. I wrote about INDUCED DEMAND for @fastcompany.com 👇
www.fastcompany.com/91418253/eco...
www.fastcompany.com/91418253/eco...
Normalizing good urbanism requires culture change, and culture change requires an advocacy long game that makes space for ideas that seem impossible today.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/your-advoc...
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/your-advoc...
Your advocacy can help shift good urbanism from fringe to mainstream
Today’s unthinkable ideas can reshape our neighborhoods for the better.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com
October 12, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Normalizing good urbanism requires culture change, and culture change requires an advocacy long game that makes space for ideas that seem impossible today.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/your-advoc...
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/your-advoc...
Normalizing good urbanism requires culture change, and culture change requires an advocacy long game that makes space for ideas that seem impossible today.
www.fastcompany.com/91415749/how...
www.fastcompany.com/91415749/how...
How unthinkable ideas can reshape our cities for the better
Civilizations advance when we ask the big "What If" questions that sometimes fall outside of the mainstream.
www.fastcompany.com
October 8, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Normalizing good urbanism requires culture change, and culture change requires an advocacy long game that makes space for ideas that seem impossible today.
www.fastcompany.com/91415749/how...
www.fastcompany.com/91415749/how...
In the US, local land use regulations are the key to unlocking healthy infrastructure. Zoning forces everything to be sprawled out across creation.
If neighborhoods are allowed to have a variety of land uses, then riding a bike becomes an obvious & practical way to get around.
If neighborhoods are allowed to have a variety of land uses, then riding a bike becomes an obvious & practical way to get around.
September 20, 2025 at 7:43 PM
In the US, local land use regulations are the key to unlocking healthy infrastructure. Zoning forces everything to be sprawled out across creation.
If neighborhoods are allowed to have a variety of land uses, then riding a bike becomes an obvious & practical way to get around.
If neighborhoods are allowed to have a variety of land uses, then riding a bike becomes an obvious & practical way to get around.
Doomer advocacy is a losing strategy, but it's common among US bike advocates.
Things can get better in the end. After all, Copenhagen wasn't always Copenhagen.
Organize fun group rides. Make some short trips by bike with a friend. Celebrate new bike lanes. Spread hope.
Things can get better in the end. After all, Copenhagen wasn't always Copenhagen.
Organize fun group rides. Make some short trips by bike with a friend. Celebrate new bike lanes. Spread hope.
September 17, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Doomer advocacy is a losing strategy, but it's common among US bike advocates.
Things can get better in the end. After all, Copenhagen wasn't always Copenhagen.
Organize fun group rides. Make some short trips by bike with a friend. Celebrate new bike lanes. Spread hope.
Things can get better in the end. After all, Copenhagen wasn't always Copenhagen.
Organize fun group rides. Make some short trips by bike with a friend. Celebrate new bike lanes. Spread hope.
Road building contractors, truckers, civil engineers, and labor unions—they all funnel substantial sums of money into political campaigns because they want access to decision-makers and key influencers so they can shape legislation to their advantage.
www.fastcompany.com/91402783/gro...
www.fastcompany.com/91402783/gro...
Ground transportation is one of the most lobbied sectors in the United States. Here’s why that matters
Ground transportation lobbyists spent $267 million and won 72% of the bills they sought to authorize in a single year.
www.fastcompany.com
September 17, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Road building contractors, truckers, civil engineers, and labor unions—they all funnel substantial sums of money into political campaigns because they want access to decision-makers and key influencers so they can shape legislation to their advantage.
www.fastcompany.com/91402783/gro...
www.fastcompany.com/91402783/gro...
Zoning broke our brains, and legalizing healthy infrastructure is the first step in the path to recovery.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/zoning-bro...
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/zoning-bro...
Zoning broke our brains
Legalizing healthy infrastructure is the first step in the path to recovery.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com
September 14, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Zoning broke our brains, and legalizing healthy infrastructure is the first step in the path to recovery.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/zoning-bro...
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/zoning-bro...
Human-scale design outlawed.
People separated from friends & family.
Racial tensions exacerbated.
Housing variety outlawed.
Housing prices jacked up.
Car dependency normalized.
Agree or Disagree:
Zoning created more problems than it solved.
🤔
People separated from friends & family.
Racial tensions exacerbated.
Housing variety outlawed.
Housing prices jacked up.
Car dependency normalized.
Agree or Disagree:
Zoning created more problems than it solved.
🤔
September 9, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Human-scale design outlawed.
People separated from friends & family.
Racial tensions exacerbated.
Housing variety outlawed.
Housing prices jacked up.
Car dependency normalized.
Agree or Disagree:
Zoning created more problems than it solved.
🤔
People separated from friends & family.
Racial tensions exacerbated.
Housing variety outlawed.
Housing prices jacked up.
Car dependency normalized.
Agree or Disagree:
Zoning created more problems than it solved.
🤔
Our built environment doesn’t have to be so depressing.
Walk-friendly, bike-friendly, transit-friendly places are good medicine, and they’re not impossible to build.
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91396643/bui...
Walk-friendly, bike-friendly, transit-friendly places are good medicine, and they’re not impossible to build.
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91396643/bui...
Our built environment doesn’t have to be so depressing
America’s built environment does not fit who we are as humans, but we can turn this around with reforming land use planning.
www.fastcompany.com
September 7, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Our built environment doesn’t have to be so depressing.
Walk-friendly, bike-friendly, transit-friendly places are good medicine, and they’re not impossible to build.
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91396643/bui...
Walk-friendly, bike-friendly, transit-friendly places are good medicine, and they’re not impossible to build.
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91396643/bui...
Innovations like this are necessities because so many people suffer from Car Brain.
www.fastcompany.com/91386390/ai-...
www.fastcompany.com/91386390/ai-...
AI bus cameras will drive a transit revolution
The technology is already in place in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and elsewhere.
www.fastcompany.com
August 21, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Innovations like this are necessities because so many people suffer from Car Brain.
www.fastcompany.com/91386390/ai-...
www.fastcompany.com/91386390/ai-...
The moment we stop treating the bus as a social program and start treating it like an express sidewalk, we unlock a public good that meets people where they are and moves them forward.
www.fastcompany.com/91386390/ai-... @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91386390/ai-... @fastcompany.com
AI bus cameras will drive a transit revolution
The technology is already in place in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and elsewhere.
www.fastcompany.com
August 19, 2025 at 10:09 PM
The moment we stop treating the bus as a social program and start treating it like an express sidewalk, we unlock a public good that meets people where they are and moves them forward.
www.fastcompany.com/91386390/ai-... @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91386390/ai-... @fastcompany.com
Asking big Why and What If questions is a missed opportunity for people working on shaping the built environment.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/great-idea...
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/great-idea...
Great ideas start with dumb questions
Asking big Why and What If questions is a missed opportunity in shaping the built environment
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com
August 15, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Asking big Why and What If questions is a missed opportunity for people working on shaping the built environment.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/great-idea...
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/great-idea...
There are times when the best way to learn something about urbanism is to embrace sheer ignorance.
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91381078/gre...
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91381078/gre...
Great ideas start with dumb questions
Embracing sheer ignorance can lead to learning about new topics and even improvements in infrastructure.
www.fastcompany.com
August 8, 2025 at 9:03 PM
There are times when the best way to learn something about urbanism is to embrace sheer ignorance.
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91381078/gre...
My latest in @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91381078/gre...
The pedestrian survival rate when hit at 40 MPH is only 15%. We've got a cultural problem that needs fixing, because…
✅ Driving 40 MPH on city streets is considered to be acceptable.
❌ Punishing people for driving 40 MPH on city streets is considered to be unacceptable.
✅ Driving 40 MPH on city streets is considered to be acceptable.
❌ Punishing people for driving 40 MPH on city streets is considered to be unacceptable.
August 3, 2025 at 1:44 PM
The pedestrian survival rate when hit at 40 MPH is only 15%. We've got a cultural problem that needs fixing, because…
✅ Driving 40 MPH on city streets is considered to be acceptable.
❌ Punishing people for driving 40 MPH on city streets is considered to be unacceptable.
✅ Driving 40 MPH on city streets is considered to be acceptable.
❌ Punishing people for driving 40 MPH on city streets is considered to be unacceptable.
I share some free tools for ‘amatuerbanists’ who want to plan a city without permission.
www.fastcompany.com/91374198/cit... @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91374198/cit... @fastcompany.com
City planning without permission
Free web tools such as Google Maps and OpenStreetMaps can help amateur urbanists create happy, healthy communities.
www.fastcompany.com
July 31, 2025 at 10:58 AM
I share some free tools for ‘amatuerbanists’ who want to plan a city without permission.
www.fastcompany.com/91374198/cit... @fastcompany.com
www.fastcompany.com/91374198/cit... @fastcompany.com
It’s encouraging to see on-paper enemies form a bond over the YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement. Still, be prepared for the massive ideological fight now that young socialists are growing in prominence in cities across the country.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/sound-econ...
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/sound-econ...
Sound economics will open the doors to abundant housing
Beware the feel-good political rhetoric promising homes for everyone.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com
July 21, 2025 at 10:43 AM
It’s encouraging to see on-paper enemies form a bond over the YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement. Still, be prepared for the massive ideological fight now that young socialists are growing in prominence in cities across the country.
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/sound-econ...
www.urbanismspeakeasy.com/p/sound-econ...
How great would it be if kids graduated without the assumption that they must be completely dependent on a personal automobile?
usa.streetsblog.org/2025/07/16/c... @usa.streetsblog.org
usa.streetsblog.org/2025/07/16/c... @usa.streetsblog.org
Can Colleges Do A Better Job of Fighting Car Dependency? — Streetsblog USA
"How great would it be if kids graduated without the assumption that they must be completely dependent on a personal automobile?"
usa.streetsblog.org
July 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
How great would it be if kids graduated without the assumption that they must be completely dependent on a personal automobile?
usa.streetsblog.org/2025/07/16/c... @usa.streetsblog.org
usa.streetsblog.org/2025/07/16/c... @usa.streetsblog.org