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Neurodivergent experiences of streets and possible improvements to the built environment
1 in 7 people are neurodivergent. Their brains are different with differences in social understanding, sensory processing, communication and information processing. This relates to neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. Neurodivergent people think differently and can often excel – at creativity, innovation, specialisation and hyperfocusing. Check out this 2 minute primer on Read more
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The black elephant of digital accessibility in the transport sector
As the year draws to an end I’m now familiar with the term ‘black elephant’ (h/t Anna Rothnie) and realise that it very aptly represents digital accessibility when it comes to transport planning and appraisal. A black elephant is something visible to everyone but no one wants to deal with it so they pretend it’s not Read more
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Britain 2023: Six months in prison for peacefully walking on a road
As many of us stagger into Christmas, dazed by the surreal existences we now lead where we simultaneously get on with the day job while facing the extential threat of climate change, peaceful protesters are being imprisoned. When I began my career in transport over 30 years ago I could not have imagined the digitalised Read more
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Foresight through developing shared mental models: The case of Triple Access Planning
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…. six triple access futures, and a mental model in a pear tree. Daniela Paddeu and I are pleased to share our new paper (free to access) which sets out how systems thinking can be used to make sense of the Triple Access System we Read more
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COP28 or COPOUT28? Let’s ask Robin Lyons
COP28 or COPOUT28? On the day the thrashed-out result emerged, I have been proudly attending the graduation ceremony of my son Robin Lyons. Alongside running Ergon Theatre (one of the UK’s leading climate theatre companies) and his own carbon literacy training company ‘Climate Leadership Training’ (https://www.climateleadershiptraining.co.uk/), Robin has studied full-time for his Masters in Environmental Governance at the Read more
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Just Stop Oil. How much plainer could it be?
Just Stop Oil. How much plainer could it be? We are up shit creek. Oil lobbyists, right through into the heart of COP28 and with their tendrils into governments and the media, are fighting like cornered rats. They are banking on the fact that most people seem either ambivalent, in denial as the first stage Read more
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CIHT Annual Luncheon
Climate action, Equality, diversity and inclusion, and Professionalism. And Megadeth🤘 The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Annual Luncheon is a gathering to behold. 1700+ people together in one sitting to reflect upon the year gone by and the imperatives ahead that require our attention. Our President Karen McShane was stateswomanlike in her speeches with heartfelt and eloquent Read more
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UWE Green Fortnight on YouTube
Green Fortnight runs each year at UWE – “our annual festival of eco ideas, events and smart living”. With my wonderful colleague Associate Professor Daniela Paddeu in the Chair for a joint University of the West of England and Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) webinar on climate action, this was my opportunity to share my thoughts as a concerned Read more
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Personalised numbers plates – a sign of imminent civilisation collapse?
I have to be honest, when I saw ‘81 ACK’ sat there exuding opulence and then spotted ‘G4FFA’ sat proudly behind it today, it felt like they had to be a prompt for a post. Isn’t it funny what floats people’s boats. At COP 28 a few hundred million dollars have been pledged (so far) Read more
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Cartoons get to the heart of the insanity of real life
Cartoons are powerful. They cut through faff and verbosity and get to the point. And they generally amuse us because they resonate so strongly with the insanity of real life. Tim Gent suggested yesterday that bringing over an old thread from Twitter I generated back in July 2021 might be worth doing. I was reluctant to Read more
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I can’t be that important as I didn’t fly by private jet to speak at the ATRF conference
I can’t be that important as I didn’t fly by private jet to the Australiasian Transport Research Forum to talk on climate action. A privilege to deliver one of the keynotes today at the ATRF in Perth on the day that COP28 gets underway with three UK elites arriving to it separately in private jets Read more
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We all need to be climate activists now
We all need to be climate activists now. Look past the day to day distractions, beyond the air-brushed media and consumption marketing. Pull back the curtain to confront the ugly reality and consider what you can do to make a difference. Future generations are counting on us. We’re counting on us. Following my keynote address Read more
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Try starting a sentence about road investment with ‘Why don’t we just…’. The problem is finishing such a sentence. Steve Gooding & I have been chewing this over. Steve’s career history is steeped in dealing with road investment, notably as former Director General (Roads) at the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom. I had the privilege of…
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How do you complete post-it notes in workshops? I’ve facilitated lots of workshops online and offline and a point I make to participants more and more often is this. Please remember that while you may have a rich discussion in your group, what gets taken away afterwards is the (virtual) flipchart page with the post-it…
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‘A call for change’– a psalm by Rosie Lyons God, why oh why is the world warming up? Why are there bike paths but there are no bikes? Lord, please I need your help. Is it true that our oceans are filled with plastic? I need your guidance. Show people there is a more sustainable…
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30 citizens of Bristol have a taste of FUTURES – a six stage vision-led approach to strategic planning for an uncertain world (which applies Triple Access Planning to how to shape the future using Decide and Provide). Within the project ‘Triple Access Planning for Uncertain Futures‘, Mott MacDonald has been helping us explore with academics and practitioners…
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A decade ago John Dales coined ‘Decide and Provide’ in an LTT article. Hot on the heels of that we found ourselves at the New Zealand Ministry of Transport coming up with the same term to describe a new approach to transport planning (contrasted with Predict and Provide) emerging from strategic work I’d led (https://lnkd.in/eGzvnikr). With Cody…
What the hell is going on? 