Happy birthday to an actual President, Barack Obama. 💙

Today, for the first time in New York City history, 2,000 two year-olds received offers for FREE 2-K. A big step for those who take baby steps. A big step towards a City every New Yorker can afford.

Hope your week is off to a great start. Esther and I just wanted to remind you that public joy doesn’t simply emerge from good design and public policy. It is something we co-steward together. #PublicJoy #costewardship #community

Look how much space cars take up" is a tired advocacy frame. A more aspirational and community-centred approach is: What does pedestrianization make space for? Statements often polarize, but good questions begin conversations.

We shouldn’t stop at saying we want car-free streets. We should add: ~ wide enough sidewalks for youth to hang out after school ~ benches where families with little ones can rest ~ street canopies that shade elders during their morning walks ~ patios providing a platform for local artists and…

Car-free streets are not synonymous with culturally rich streets. Removing cars creates possibility, but it does not automatically create a vibrant place. A truly vibrant public space is not only defined by what is absent; it is defined by what is present—who and what is able to flourish there.

Really appreciate Black Public Joy reader reflections. Some readers are most struck by what Lisa describes as “taking joy into our own hands” as we navigate public life while others connect deeply with examples of how Black communities have created places & practices of joy throughout history.

The cost of groceries has become one of the defining challenges of the affordability crisis. That's why our municipal grocery stores will offer a 30% discount on the grocery staples New Yorkers depend on — from meat to produce to dairy.

Public joy is not simply an individual feeling. It is civic, cultural, and spatial infrastructure.Let’s unpack how it operates as civic infrastructure: ~ Indicates whether people feel safe, a sense of belonging, and freedom of expression in public space; 🧵…

Here’s the moment my neighbour Carmen came over with Gus, her sweet dog, and brought unexpected public joy into a heavy conversation. My friend Sapphira, shown here with Gus, is an architect shifting her practice toward spaces of grief after the recent loss of her sister to gender-based violence.

A question I hope will be answered on this thread: How can this important three month pilot be leveraged for the permanent restoration of public life? An observation: There should be an advocacy & evaluation strategy attached to this pilot. Following.

Brent Toderian@brenttoderian.bsky.social · last wk.

Was Vancouver City Council’s decision to extend the Granville Street Pedestrian Zone beyond the World Cup a “mistake?” Despite its popularity with businesses, residents, etc, some in the media, and a city councillor, have suggested that. Here’s how I responded to a media post on the other site.

Factors that shape excellent public spaces beyond design: ecological & historical context responsive policy balanced safety approaches social plans centring co-stewardship maintenance budgets & plans physical, cultural & economic accessibility a lil messiness daily public joy rituals & practices

Good grief, this hits home.

Terrifying to see wildfires raging through Scotland. The climate crisis isn't a distant threat - it's right here and right now. How many warning signs and alarm bells until Andy Burnham takes action to end oil and gas drilling?

As an author who’s also a public space practitioner, my work extends beyond the page through public joy practices centred on reverence & gratitude, honouring people who’ve helped shape public spaces. Here's one of those moments with Minnijean Brown-Trickey who helped desegregate American schools.

@reenamahajan.bsky.social @katjadiehl.bsky.social @brenttoderian.bsky.social @tomflood.bsky.social @streetfilms.bsky.social @jaypitter.bsky.social @lanrickbennett.bsky.social @sflkirk.bsky.social @nondriver.bsky.social @gregshill.com @davidzipper.bsky.social @thewaroncars.bsky.social

Jason Hickel@jasonhickel.bsky.social · 3w ago

In case you need another reason to believe that public transit is superior to private cars: Not only are private cars more expensive, more resource-intensive, and more climate-damaging, they are also causing us to have dementia. www.newsweek.com/common-tire-...

NEW: We’re very pleased to announce the addition of Anna Zivarts @nondriver.bsky.social as an ongoing collaborator with the Urban Truth Collective, author of “When Driving Is Not An Option.” Read her bio and watch for our first collaboration shortly! #UrbanTruth www.urbantruthcollective.com/about-1

David Bowie, New York, 1989, by Masayoshi Sukita.

I’m pleased to share that Black Public Joy has been named to the 2026 Toronto Book Awards longlist, alongside a number of impressive authors and titles. As always, I’m grateful not only for the recognition, but for the community of readers who’ve really supported this work. #BlackPublicJoy

Hoping to hear Uncle Crawfy on my ride in. Thanks for the share Linda Luztono h/t @namshine.bsky.social @jaypitter.bsky.social

I took a hard look at the financial donors to ICE’s biggest supporters in Congress. These are people who want to significantly expand ICE’s power and have sponsored or co-sponsored legislation to do so. Here are the top 25 consumer brands bankrolling the biggest ICE supporters in Congress:

now that the world cup's over we can get back to what Seattle does best: opposing everything that makes the city slightly better for poor people (and everybody else) www.theurbanist.org/property-own...

Property Owner Opposition Prompts Seattle Public Restroom Reshuffle

Two public restrooms near 1st Avenue S and Charles Street will be relocated by early August after SDOT settled with a nearby property owner who filed an appeal. Cederstrand Rentals called the use "inc...

theurbanist.org

I become so tender when I’m on vacation. This morning, I realized I’ve seen a lot of monarch butterflies all over Provincetown this week. And then I got choked up because it occurred to me that seeing them here means gardeners have been cultivating what the monarchs need in order to thrive. 😭🥹

Amazing. And also, this act of heroism shouldn’t have been required by a child.

Charlie Angus@charlieangus104.bsky.social · 2w ago

Hero story: The people in Collins First Nation had minutes to escape the wildfire. 13-year-old Chance Paavola was piloting an emergency escape vessel when he saw an overcrowded boat on the verge of sinking. He turned back, helped save the passengers just before the flames closed in.

Amazing. And also, this act of heroism shouldn’t have been required by a child.

Charlie Angus@charlieangus104.bsky.social · 2w ago

Hero story: The people in Collins First Nation had minutes to escape the wildfire. 13-year-old Chance Paavola was piloting an emergency escape vessel when he saw an overcrowded boat on the verge of sinking. He turned back, helped save the passengers just before the flames closed in.

Sadly, this has become the narrative around so many unsustainable and potentially ruinous choices: AI fossil fuels pipelines deforestation wider roadways unaffordable housing surveillance tech privatization of public assets They’re not inevitable, they're political, policy & economic choices.

Meredith Glaser@cyclingprofessor.bsky.social · 2w ago

The narrative around autonomous vehicles often frames them as inevitable. But choosing them is a political choice, not a technological certainty. When we treat self-driving cars as the default future, we choose to double down on private, car-centric infrastructure and unsustainable futures.

Sadly, this has become the narrative around so many unsustainable and potentially ruinous choices: AI fossil fuels pipelines deforestation wider roadways unaffordable housing surveillance tech privatization of public assets They’re not inevitable, they're political, policy & economic choices.

Meredith Glaser@cyclingprofessor.bsky.social · 2w ago

The narrative around autonomous vehicles often frames them as inevitable. But choosing them is a political choice, not a technological certainty. When we treat self-driving cars as the default future, we choose to double down on private, car-centric infrastructure and unsustainable futures.

Before Sister Rosetta Tharpe, it was guitarist, bassist and vocalist Memphis Minnie (1897-1973) who helped shape the sound of modern pop music and recorded around 200 songs #WomensArt

New research shows direct link between traffic and crime. They theorise that the root cause is a breakdown in community ties. When cars are allowed to dominate, people retreat indoors, lose trust in their neighbourhood, and stop looking out for one another. #ReimagineDublin

Does traffic drive street crime? Our study investigated

Motor traffic makes residents feel less safe from vandalism, burglary and violence.

theconversation.com

Nobody disputes that having access to a car in a car-dominated society is good. It gives one access to jobs, healthcare, food, education, social opportunities and more. All we're asking is for people to go one step deeper and ask why access to such basic rights requires buying and operating a car.

Romeo Kokriatski@vagrantjourno.bsky.social · 3w ago

I grew up in Jackson Heights in Queens and we still had a car, and our lives got measurably better when we did.