GeorgeWeeks2014

GeorgeWeeks2014

@georgeweeks2014.bsky.social

🇪🇺British/New Zealand urban planner & university teaching fellow living and working in Auckland. Twitter refugee. Interested in most things, esp. architecture, energy, accessibility, sustainability, comedy and health. My views are my own. #FBPE

3.6K followers5.1K following5K posts

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

Absolutely incredible bike tour of Sydney from Sara Stace. If you don’t know her she is a force for change. While I sit around complaining she is out there changing things from the inside that leads to real change on the ground.

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

Lula: "We had to overcome foreign interference through digital platforms, which we will have to regulate. A crime in the digital world must be treated the same as a crime in the real world. We cannot have monstrous companies earning millions... not paying taxes... wanting to steer elections."

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

Bolsonaro's loss is not just a loss for Bolsonaro. It's a loss for Trump. For Musk. For Milei. For Netanyahu. For Farage. For Meta and Zuckerberg. For the meat barons, the fossil fuel corporations, and the rest of the neocolonial looters. And it is a massive win for humanity and the living planet.

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

#AtlasNetwork thinktanks funded by Big Oil/billionaires pushed privatisation of public assets in the '80s, then sold to Atlas insiders. They advocated for removal of taxation of fossil/polluting industry, undermine public support for climate policy & block clean energy with disinformation. #NZpol

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GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

In his acceptance speech, Lula says he will work to regulate digital platforms in Brazil. “Digital crimes must be dealt with like real-life crimes.” This comes after Meta directly interfered with the Brazilian elections, favouring Flávio Bolsonaro.

The invention of the modern shipping container in the 1960s transformed freight transport. New Zealand relies on shipping for pretty much all imports. Auckland is a major (for NZ) container port. It would be a much more difficult exercise if shipping still used hawsers, hooks & pallets. #shipping

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

Replying to @bloomberg.com

Does everyone realize how unbelievably important this is? His opponent is not only fascist, but he would have burned most of the Amazon Rainforest, often called the “lungs of the earth”. Serbia ✅ Brazil ✅ U.S. TBD France TBD (runoff key)

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came from behind to win Brazil’s runoff election, halting a right-wing wave sweeping Latin America and defying predictions that the 80-year-old political veteran had finally reached the end of his extraordinary career. bloom.bg/4BsvV24 📷: Maira Erlich/Bloomberg

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

This is a brilliant article. “How to vote? In my view, if your electorate has a progressive candidate who could win, vote for them. But whatever else you do, party vote Green. It’s not just that there’s so much at stake, although there is. It’s that this is a moment of so much opportunity.” #nzpol

simonwilsonhopetown.substack.comThe age of hopeSo much noise and so much confusion, and yet what a time for hope this is. Hope and hard work, that is, because despite appearances this election is not about gangs and race.

"Meet me at the café in Onehunga." "Which café??" "The café with a MiG-21 on the roof. Obvs." ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ #Onehunga is one of Auckland's oldest and most varied suburbs, with quirks that I like very much. This ex-Soviet fighter jet is certainly different to your common-or-garden Kiwiana.

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

“But for all that, it’s the Greens, not Labour, who embody the progressive movement. The Greens will drive what progress we make. It’s the Greens, in cost of living, climate, housing and health, who embody hope.” #nzpol Couldn’t agree more. simonwilsonhopetown.substack.com/p/the-age-of...

simonwilsonhopetown.substack.comThe age of hopeSo much noise and so much confusion, and yet what a time for hope this is. Hope and hard work, that is, because despite appearances this election is not about gangs and race.

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

🍃🌹🌿 Wondering who to #vote for? Care about the #environment, #conservation, #climate, #freshwater, #HumanRights, #jobs, #wages, #weekends, #sickleave, #food, #transport, #energy #housing, #TeTiriti #PartyVoteGreen✅+🖤💚❤️

For most of human history, a city was one walkable node. Public transport enables *many* walkable nodes to be part of a greater whole. This is because public transport and walking are highly space efficient. Driving isn't. Overreliance on cars and parking makes for a very unappealing city.

Jason Kemp@dialogcrm.bsky.social

I’m on a train. Been in Melbourne area for a few days now & just loving the trains. Have a side trip to Albury coming up. From Melbourne city to Albury return is $5.70 x 2. Absolutely amazing pricing for a journey of roughly 4hrs each way. Good public transport is what makes cities great. #PT

I keep hearing a podcast ad for ACT: "Think the government hasn't gone far or fast enough?...even vote for ACT is a vote for the Right. Party vote ACT" No! The only solace that I can gain from this is that the algorithms are completely out of whack with their listeners.

If you've ever enjoyed The BFG, Matilda, etc I really recommend 'Storyteller; the authorised biography of Roald Dahl'. This is a thoroughly illuminating and entertaining tale. It's no haciography; this is proper warts-and-all stuff. Dahl was a unique character and his own story is worth knowing.

As a child of the 1980s, it's remarkable that the archetypal Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake double act only started with The BFG in 1981. Before this, he used other illustrators, e.g. the excellent Jill Bennett in 'Danny the Champion of the World'. Dahl died in 1990. His last decade was prolific.

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

307,991 eligible voters not enrolled as of Friday. Almost half (43%) are 18-24. The least enrolled age group; now even more so than 2023. This govt KNEW this would happen—and did it anyway, with no mitigation plan. Such disdain for democracy, and for young people. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/election-...

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

TWO DAYS NZ registration cuts off in the midst of this holiday weekend (not after it) 300k+ missing voters elections.nz/stats-and-re... No it’s not more organised No it won’t speed up vote count Yes it is voter suppression Yes it unfairly advantages wealthy/older voters SO Get registered!

If you've ever enjoyed The BFG, Matilda, etc I really recommend 'Storyteller; the authorised biography of Roald Dahl'. This is a thoroughly illuminating and entertaining tale. It's no haciography; this is proper warts-and-all stuff. Dahl was a unique character and his own story is worth knowing.

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It's also a treat to see how much of Dahl's experiences made their way directly into his books. This photo of RD and his son Theo with a kite is very similar in spirit to Danny and his father kite flying.

Storyteller is a long book (651 pages) but it is a real page-turner. Dahl liked art, music, wine, snooker and stories. He didn't enjoy non-fiction, nor did he enjoy biographies. He thought they were boring. Dahl's own biography is a treat and I recommend it highly. Get it from Auckland Libraries.

If you've ever enjoyed The BFG, Matilda, etc I really recommend 'Storyteller; the authorised biography of Roald Dahl'. This is a thoroughly illuminating and entertaining tale. It's no haciography; this is proper warts-and-all stuff. Dahl was a unique character and his own story is worth knowing.

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Dahl on 'What makes a good children's writer': "Children love being spooked. They love suspense. They love action. They love ghosts. They live chocolate and toys and money. They love magic. They love being made to giggle...but hate descriptive passages and flowery prose...they become easily bored."

All kinds of interesting and important people make an appearance in Dahl's life. ▪︎ Eleanor Roosevelt ▪︎ FDR ▪︎ Ian Fleming ▪︎ Walt Disney ▪︎ CS Forester ▪︎ Charles Marsh Despite these types of connections and his success as a writer, he never was part of the establishment. Always his own man.

If you've ever enjoyed The BFG, Matilda, etc I really recommend 'Storyteller; the authorised biography of Roald Dahl'. This is a thoroughly illuminating and entertaining tale. It's no haciography; this is proper warts-and-all stuff. Dahl was a unique character and his own story is worth knowing.

As a child of the 1980s, it's remarkable that the archetypal Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake double act only started with The BFG in 1981. Before this, he used other illustrators, e.g. the excellent Jill Bennett in 'Danny the Champion of the World'. Dahl died in 1990. His last decade was prolific.

Dahl worked well w/ people who understood him. His second wife Liccy Crossland certainly did, as did Stephen Roxburgh, his editor from 1982. And Quentin Blake. This was the most productive period of his life. To Blake on BFG illustrations: "We must see helicopters. Children like helicopters." 🚁

I lived & worked in London when the Mayor's Vision for Cycling was published "London's cycling mode share is too low", said the naysayers. "Cycling won't work here." The profound shift in ambition for the bicycle has led to many more cycling trips. Build for the traffic that you want to see. 🚲🚴‍♂️🚵‍♂️

Melissa & Chris Bruntlett@modacitylife.com

Since 2016, London’s cycling network has grown fivefold, from 90 to 450 kilometres. The results? 1.5 million daily cycle journeys—a 43% increase since 2019—twice as many bikes as cars on City of London streets during the day, and motor traffic in steady decline—having fallen 25% in the same period.

Here are some photos of people on bikes that I took in the City of London in 2025. The City Corporation has made a decisive move to favour active modes and public transport because this is better for business and liveability. Result: better streets and more people using them.

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

Since 2016, London’s cycling network has grown fivefold, from 90 to 450 kilometres. The results? 1.5 million daily cycle journeys—a 43% increase since 2019—twice as many bikes as cars on City of London streets during the day, and motor traffic in steady decline—having fallen 25% in the same period.

My latest book review: 'Transit by Design' by @nicolas-reid.bsky.social is on @greaterauckland.bsky.social - have a read of Reid! It is full of cool transit diagrams 📖

reid.bsky.socialreid.bsky.social
Greater Auckland@greaterauckland.bsky.social

"A dense-yet-handy primer that helps the reader to ask the right questions." In today's post, @georgeweeks2014.bsky.social reviews TRANSIT BY DESIGN, written by "one of New Zealand’s best-qualified transport planners" @nicolas-reid.bsky.social. www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/10/21/b...

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

Replying to @asherwilsongoldman.bsky.social

Yes but if people think they need it to vote then they could be inclined to not vote. Any barrier at all is more barriers than we need. Voting should be so simple so that everyone can participate.

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

Between 2021 and 2025, around 2 million cyclists passed the floating bus stops on Leith Street, Edinburgh, and around 5 million bus passengers boarded or alighted here. No injuries have been recorded. Over the same period, drivers injured around 600 Edinburgh pedestrians, killing 16.

Ten academic posts on low-traffic neighbourhoods. Plenty of evidence out there. Go and read it. Then use it to create better streets. #LTN

Active Travel Academy@active-ata.bsky.social

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods - 'more research need'.. Well from 2022 to 2025, funded by the NIHR, we (& colleagues) did that research. And we have 10(!!) peer reviewed articles so far, with more on the way. Here's a summary of our papers so far (all open access so get reading):

GeorgeWeeks2014 reposted

“Dutch people cycle an average of 2.6km each per day. If this pattern was replicated worldwide, annual carbon emissions would drop by 686 million tonnes. This mammoth figure exceeds the entire carbon footprint of most countries, including the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia.” @euronews.com

euronews.comCycling like the Dutch would slash the world’s carbon footprintIf everybody cycled like the Dutch, we could offset the UK or Australia’s entire carbon footprint.