Notices by Brent Toderian (brenttoderian@mastodon.online)

This breaks some people’s brains.

In most cities, Costco stores fuel sprawl & car dependency.

In Vancouver, our full-sized downtown Costco has residential towers above & a skytrain station next door. LOTS of customers don’t drive to it.

We live a block from it. We call it “the convenience store.”

It's a goal of mine to help make this the most famous, well-known and UNDERSTOOD quote about cities in history. Please share it as much as you can.

NEW: “Toderian says it’s easy to be distracted by futuristic innovations like electric cars, drone delivery networks & hyperloops. ‘The real solutions are a lot less sexy and a lot more common sense… Tech won’t save us if we get the fundamentals wrong.”

I was 1 of 3 urban experts asked to weigh in.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-a-world-without-traffic-three-urban-experts-rethink-how-cities-move/

This is an INSANE decision by the E.U.

“By signing up to mutual recognition of vehicle standards with the U.S., the E.U. has waved the white flag on road safety. This is not a technical detail – it is a political choice that puts trade convenience ahead of saving lives.”

This will kill people.
https://etsc.eu/etsc-mutual-recognition-deal-with-u-s-will-cost-lives-on-europes-roads/

You can be a “car guy” and not like car dependency. You can be a “car guy” and get that too many cars in cities is bad for everyone, including drivers. You can be a “car guy” and be tired of lies & manipulations like “the war on cars.” You can be a “car guy” and know more choice means more freedom.

“The rise in high-fronted SUVs poses a clear and growing threat to public safety, especially for children,” states the report. “With no benefit to society, it’s time for lawmakers at all levels to act.” Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com.

Cap SUV/truck hood heights. And ban unsafe designs.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2025/06/11/eu-must-cap-suv-hood-heights-urges-report-crash-test-body-says-not-as-simple-as-that/

One of the most successful pedestrian streets in the world, the Strøget in Copenhagen, was filled with cars until a 2 year pedestrianization pilot project in 1962. The opposition argued “no cars means no business,” but the street has been a massive retail success, the city’s busiest shopping street.

WATCH & SHARE: A prominent youtuber is giddy (but also very convincing & thorough in covering the joys, advantages, issues and challenges) about how trying biking for transportation in London has changed his life.

Easy to watch & more convincing probably than 99% of public campaigns.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmf6aEx09Oo&feature=

NEW: 1km of Montreal’s Ste-Catherine Street will become permanently “pedestrian only” (less than perfect term since it will be a people-place for a LOT more than walking). 225+ new trees, vegetation-covered pits for rain drainage, more seating, illuminated canopy, financial help for businesses, etc. https://bsky.app/profile/brenttoderian.bsky.social/post/3lx3l6uzmgs2v
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ste-catherine-east-pedestrian-street-1.7615675

“Helsinki has not recorded a single traffic fatality in the past 12 months, city and police officials confirmed this week.”

City engineer credits lower speed limits and smart design.

I agree. #Helsinki #VisionZero
https://yle.fi/a/74-20174831

READ: I’m frequently interviewed about the challenges of planning downtowns and urban places to be great for kids/families to live. This morning I sent a reporter this planetizen article I wrote 13 years ago, that’s still VERY relevant. Thread coming. https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/58567-families-will-choose-live-downtown-if-we-design-kids

“One mile on a bike is a $.42 economic gain to society, one mile driving is a $.20 loss.”

“Which means that Copenhagen, a city of 1.2 million people, saves $357 million a year on health costs because something like 80% of its population commutes by bike.”
https://grist.org/biking/one-mile-on-a-bike-is-a-42-economic-gain-to-society-one-mile-driving-is-a-20-loss/

In a sane world, this would be the biggest, most important news story in the world.

‘Tipping points’ experts issue urgent message to world leaders.

“Every fraction of a degree above 1.5°C matters. And every year of “overshoot” matters too.”

“It’s ultimately a matter of survival.”

#ClimateCrisis
https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/tipping-points-experts-issue-urgent-message-to-world-leaders/

“A major ocean current in the Southern Hemisphere has reversed direction for the first time in recorded history, in what climatologists are calling a ‘catastrophic’ tipping point in the global climate system.” #ClimateCrisis
https://www.intellinews.com/southern-ocean-current-reverses-for-first-time-signalling-risk-of-climate-system-collapse-389540/

According to the City of Paris, in the last 10 years 150,000 trees have been planted and 45 hectares of parks created in the already hot city, all intended to not only improve quality-of-life today, but also help the city adapt to and manage summer heatwaves of 50℃ (122F) projected by 2050.

They’ll be planting a lot more. It’s common sense, really.

“Tesla's so-called self-driving software won't stop for a school bus or a kid running from behind said bus, but despite that, the automaker is moving forward with plans to introduce robotaxis, saying it's totally safe.”

This one turned onto train tracks…

Read More:
https://www.jalopnik.com/1887837/tesla-in-self-driving-mode-hit-by-train/

Want greener, cooler cities that are a “breath of fresh air?“ In case you thought Paris wasn’t ambitious enough this weekend, on top of our new exhibition, they opened the wonderful new “Urban Forest” in the square in front of City Hall! Part of Mayor Anne Hidalgo and her great team’s brilliant urban greening strategy.

Sadly, the now-famous summer activation of the former highway for cars running along the Seine River in Paris, transforming it into a vibrant and popular people-place, doesn’t start for another two weeks.

So this is all that’s going on.

Yes, I’m being sarcastic.
#ParisPlage

As a general rule, in every election everywhere, we really might want to consider not supporting the candidates that billionaires like best.

The Canadian Election is on Monday.

Pierre Poilievre, who has been running for YEARS, still refuses to apply for the normal security check, in the middle of a security crisis.

He must know that his refusal has been badly hurting him with voters.

So I have to assume that he knows he CAN’T pass it.