Stephen Frost

Lovely eg of good things happening when you create places that different groups of ppl feel welcome:

“When you start sitting down with people you realise actually there’s very little difference between us – we all do the same thing; we all go to work, we come back and we all worry about the kids…”

‘We create social cohesion’: the rise of the West Midlands’ Desi pubs With sizzling mixed grills and bhangra playing, Desi pub owners are transforming places of exclusion into new community hubs

I do love a Desi Pub article in the national press www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle... They are such a wonderful phenomenon.

What technology takes from us – and how to take it back | Rebecca Solnit The long read: Decisions outsourced, chatbots for friends, the natural world an afterthought: Silicon Valley is giving us life void of connection. There is a way out – but it’s going to take collectiv...

Always read @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social. A lot of problems I think about would be less intractable if we talked to real humans.

Paying attention to birdsong while walking in nature can boost wellbeing, my research shows Listening to birdsong while walking in nature reduced both psychological and physiological markers of stress.

Paying attention to birdsong while walking in nature can boost wellbeing

theconversation.com/paying-atten...

I research the harm that can come to teenagers on social media. I don’t support a ban The appeal of a ban lies in its simplicity. But complex social problems rarely yield to simple technological solutions.

If harms are socially rooted, then technical restrictions alone are unlikely to solve them. A ban treats social media as the problem, rather than asking deeper questions about why certain behaviours … occur in the first place. #rhizomaticharms theconversation.com/i-research-t...

“We’re all exposed to air pollution, and the evidence keeps mounting that it harms our health in serious ways. Cleaning up our air could do far more good than we realise.” 👇

Why do people support or oppose bike lanes? Our research sheds light on public opinion Research suggests that more consultation about cycle lanes would bring more support for them.

Cycle lanes and LTNs often attract loud opposition, making them seem deeply unpopular. But are they?

Across multiple studies (survey + analysis of 36k UK tweets), we find broad support - especially for well-designed, segregated lanes. Good quality cycle lanes benefit all!

🔗 shorturl.at/Ovkco

A new guest post I’ve written for Sam Freedman’s Substack, exploring the evidence on civic renewal and Labour’s communitarian turn… 👇

What do people in England think about their local area? In this short report I take a look at surveys we conducted with @yougov.co.uk in 2022, 2024 and 2025 to gain some insights...

Some key findings...

There are now at least 365 UK MPs with accounts on Bluesky – more than half (56%) of all MPs

🔴 This includes nearly 70% of Labour MPs
🔶 Nearly 90% of Lib Dem MPs
🟢 All the 4 Green MPs

🔵 But only 5% of Conservative MPs
➡️ No Reform MPs

Maybe let's share starter packs again for people new or reactivated on the site?

Mine is this UK / EU Active Travel people Starter Pack (150 people, now full). Feel free to suggest others in replies.

go.bsky.app/GYyLGPA

I wondered what had happened! Cheers!

Everyday concerns: What people want from transport Stephen Frost is the former head of transport policy at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) where he focused on climate policy, social justice and public engagement in decision making. Pri...

Want to get more involved in making our streets safer and greener?

We have the perfect way to kick things off!

Join us and @sfrost.bsky.social on Monday 12th Jan for our free webinar, Everyday Concerns: What People Want From Transport
actionnetwork.org/events/every...

Think society is in decline? Research gives us some reasons to be cheerful If we look at people’s values - abstract ideals that guide our behaviour - there are reasons to be positive about society.

A bit of positivity to start your working day.

this relatively old post has really stuck in my head for quite some time. It collects and represents so much about the basic principle of projections: not as crystal balls into the future but as stories that massively influence decisions we make today, and ironically create new futures

Everyday concerns: What people want from transport Stephen Frost is the former head of transport policy at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) where he focused on climate policy, social justice and public engagement in decision making. Pri...

🚨Event! Tackling Car-dependent New Housing 🚨

Join us and @sfrost.bsky.social, former head of transport policy at the Institute for Public Policy Research as we discuss the public’s views on transport and what it means. 🚗🚌

🗓️ Register now (it's free!)
actionnetwork.org/events/every...

Cities aren’t built for older people – our study shows many can’t walk fast enough to beat a pedestrian crossing Many older people with reduced mobility say they feel ‘hurried’, ‘rushed’ and ‘unsafe" when walking around their city.

The onus should not rest on individuals with reduced mobility to keep pace in a fast-moving world. We urge cities to prioritise urban design that puts pedestrians first – creating environments that enable physical activity, especially among vulnerable groups.
theconversation.com/cities-arent...

This year, I have seen a glimmer of hope: people are ditching a life led on screens for the real thing | John Harris Whether it’s nightclubs banning phones or a drop in online dating, there are signs that we’re rediscovering the joy of being in the moment, says Guardian columnist John Harris

I wrote this about the rising sense of a)social media's decline (in all senses), and b)some kind of return to Real Life www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Reducing traffic with “carrots”: A review of the evidence Reducing traffic volumes is one way to reduce carbon emissions from the transport sector. Since increasing driving costs is often met with public resi…

Yet another evidence review argues very strongly that simply providing alternatives to driving doesn't reduce driving

This isn't surprising, if only thanks to habit. If I unthinkingly jump in my car for every trip (as many do), new buses won't change that
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

@bmj.com, a renowned health journal, slams car bloat:

"Cars are becoming steadily larger, [and] with this comes potential harms to health...Action is needed locally, nationally, and internationally to curb sales of new SUVs and to reduce their presence in urban areas."

www.bmj.com/content/391/...

EV drivers could face new tax in Budget The BBC understands there have been

Clearly a lot of details to work through in how it’s implemented but this new pay per mile charge for EVs is a necessary& fair policy. Hope HMT are engaging with devolved nations & local gov on its design as this is a real opportunity to think creatively & more holistically about motoring taxation

Lime rolls out 500 e-bikes with child seats in Paris Global shared micromobility operator Lime has deployed 500 e-bikes equipped with child seats in Paris to move away from a “one size fits all” offering.

Lime Bikes with chlid seats rolled out in Paris zagdaily.com/trends/lime-...

A quarter of Britain’s native plants are now at risk of extinction

The first update in two decades to a “red list” of plants found a substantial increase in the number of threatened species
www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

Low-income areas in England and Wales face worst air pollution, analysis finds Exclusive: Experts say impact on people of colour and those who do not drive is ‘grave environmental injustice’

Analysis from @friends-earth.bsky.social provides new insight on environmental injustice in the UK:

“… people of colour, those on low incomes and non-drivers are now disproportionately overrepresented in the 5% of neighbourhoods still exposed to the most extreme air pollution.”

A diagram showing how 13 minutes' walk gets you to just 75% as many places as a 15-minute walk

My new newsletter is out, in which we use basic high-school maths to complain about street design

simple.ghost.io/lets-do-the-...

Sounds like a great trip! We’ve just got back from over a week in Rotterdam and used the trams most days. I really enjoyed it but the 4yr old loved it - especially the bits on grass or by the water. Really easy to use with the 1yr olds buggy too.

But who speaks for the dead? Break out the ouija boards and activate the ghost of Doris Stokes. We're reaching back beyond the grave to solve today's transport and environmental crises.

But who speaks for the dead?

I've got another newsletter out, and I think this is quite a thought-provoking one simple.ghost.io/but-who-spea...

Really the only downside to having an electric cargo bike is inevitably becoming boringly evangelical about how good they are 😅 If you’re thinking about it, do it. Zero regrets.

My kids have never said "yay!, let's go in the car", whereas they love hopping on the cargo bike

Millennial dads are experiencing something mums have known for a long time | Gaby Hinsliff Men want to be active, engaged parents, but many are being torn apart by the competing demands of family and work, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff

Thank you so much to @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social for writing this. Pretty much every dad I know feels this way, but also often feels they can’t articulate it.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...