Thoughts, insights and rants about futures, climate change, system change, transport, wicked problems, EDI, and heavy metal

By Professor Glenn Lyons

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  • Changemakers – a podcast with the wonderful Annette Smith talking about FUTURES

    Changemakers – a podcast with the wonderful Annette Smith talking about FUTURES

    Annette and I first started working together in the last century! We were once ‘young professionals’ and part of the Transport Visions Network. Years later we’ve found ourselves taking on the future together again. I’m delighted to be part of this new podcast from the University of the West of England in which Annette Smith and I reminisce about… Read more

  • Happy valentines day, I’d fly anywhere just to be with you

    Happy valentines day, I’d fly anywhere just to be with you

    Happy valentines day, I’d fly anywhere just to be with you. Taylor Swift’s private jet use puts carbon credits, personal choice and personal influence under the spotlight. Taylor Swift is making headlines, and not just attracting the attention of swifties. For those in the dark, it seems she now has only one private jet. This… Read more

  • From ugly to beautiful – the case of Le Plessis-Robinson

    From ugly to beautiful – the case of Le Plessis-Robinson

    Want some hope and inspiration? Wondering if it is possible to change things from awful to beautiful? Then step away from what is at the top of your to-do list and spend 13 mins watching this video. To those who have opportunistically weaponised ’15 minute city’ in pursuit of political populism and profit, stop stealing… Read more

  • It never ceases to amaze me how Antonio Guterres continues to come out with ‘clarion call’ statements

    It never ceases to amaze me how Antonio Guterres continues to come out with ‘clarion call’ statements

    It never ceases to amaze me how Antonio Guterres continues to come out with ‘clarion call’ statements that you’d hope would galvanise unified and collective action for survival as we stand on the brink, but don’t. Here are some examples: 🔥 “We are in the fight of our lives, and we are losing” (COP27) 🔥… Read more

  • We are operating here in privatised public space – our ‘club membership’ can be revoked by the club at any time

    We are operating here in privatised public space – our ‘club membership’ can be revoked by the club at any time

    I’m a metal-loving transport nerd and wondering what the future holds for this platform which is why I set up https://glennlyons.blog/. If you regularly use this platform as your primary means of keeping in touch with your professional network and getting involved in exchange of knowledge and opinion, how would you feel if your account… Read more

  • 10 years ago today I began my secondment as Strategy Director with the New Zealand Ministry of Transport

    10 years ago today I began my secondment as Strategy Director with the New Zealand Ministry of Transport

    10 years ago today I began my secondment as Strategy Director with the Te Manatū Waka – Ministry of Transport (New Zealand). I flew over 11,000 miles to get there. I ended up making the NZ trip four times – over 90,000 fossil-fuelled miles. It was one of the great privileges of my career working as… Read more

  • Please don’t tell the Government that I spent three hours IN my working day in an event on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

    Please don’t tell the Government that I spent three hours IN my working day in an event on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

    Please don’t tell the Government that I spent three hours IN my working day in an event on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. For those of you who may be alarmed by this admission, please be assured that no productivity was harmed in my taking part in this event – my first workshop of the day… Read more

  • Madness lies in doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result – from transport planning to Triple Access Planning

    Madness lies in doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result – from transport planning to Triple Access Planning

    Madness lies in doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. So instead of transport planning in the paradigm of predict and provide, we bring you Triple Access Planning (TAP) in the paradigm of Decide and Provide. While transport planning has continued to evolve, it has remained tethered for too… Read more

  • Götterdämmerung Syndrome

    Götterdämmerung Syndrome

    Götterdämmerung Syndrome – “as death approaches, they [narcissists] do their best to destroy as much of the world as they can”. I’ve just reached the half-way point of The Ministry For The Future and the passage in the image below stands out. A quote from an article on the website Psychology Today called ‘How Narcissism… Read more

  • Trustee of the Global Warming Policy Foundation

    Trustee of the Global Warming Policy Foundation

    Thank goodness this at least means he isn’t gunning for being chair of the Climate Change Committee, an appointment that isn’t being rushed following the departure of Lord Deben. It seems he is a trustee of the Global Warming Policy Foundation. I once listened to one of their webinars just to keep a check on… Read more

  • EDI is so woke, isn’t it?

    EDI is so woke, isn’t it?

    EDI is so woke isn’t it? I mean it is only relevant to…..oh, well, hang on…..everyone! We are now online for the event below on 1 February. It’s free to attend (assuming you have the time and means) and open to all – even to politicians who are concerned that EDI may be getting too… Read more

  • First they came for…

    First they came for…

    It is quite chilling to read of such developments below – a “First they came for…” sensation. I find myself once again oscillating between chasing deadlines amidst a pile of day-job work and opening my eyes wide in shock at what is happening around us. “They shouted up: ‘If you don’t come down and open… Read more


  • Predict and Provide just keeps rising from the dead, doesn’t it? Bear with me. The album ‘From Hell I Rise’ has just arrived. A little of what you fancy does you good. Calling all my metalhead connections – this is a BIG hashtag#MetalFriday. I remember going with Robin Lyons to see Slayer for their final…


  • Storytelling, personal journeys, and leaders walking the walk help us to nurture talent, embrace diversity and foster an inclusive working environment. But we have a long way to go. I have been at the annual Construction Industry Council (CIC) conference today on behalf of Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) – a gathering of…


  • I’ve never been to Glastonbury Festival but I’m guessing getting your summer rail journey planned across Europe is on a par with the stress of whether or not you’ll get a Glasto ticket when they become available. Last year for the family holiday in southern spain I went by train (while the others flew). The…


  • Here’s your progressively zoomed-in May 2024 update on decarbonisation: globally as a whole, globally for transport, globally for direct emissions from transport, for direct emissions from transport in the UK and for car driving and flying. The story goes like this in brief: We need to reduce emissions globally by 45% compared to 2010 levels…


  • Our journeys through life and careers are about people at the heart. I am increasingly aware of this as I reflect. It was therefore a most welcome opportunity this weekend to head to The Black Heart in Camden Town, London. Will Pedley will be known to many of you as the current Transport Planner of…