Cities in the English-speaking new world aren't often compared favourably against European cities, at least from a design and transportation perspective. Car dependence, sprawl, and inefficient land-use are all big issues in the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The contrast between these countries and Europe is what got me interested in urbanism and transportation in the first place. I think there is at least one aspect of Anglo-urbanism that doesn't get enough apprec

The Swiss Federal Office of Topography (SwissTopo) has been publishing detailed topographical maps of Switzerland since 1845, updating these almost yearly ever since. Not only are these maps true works of craftsmanship, they also allow us to look back at the evolving landscape of the country over a century-and-a-half of social and environmental change. I was recently browsing through the 2025 update and was struck by some saddening, and some uplifting, natural changes. Swiss

Two transit agencies pursue similar projects - with very different levels of transparency Background: Railway double-tracking One of the strengths of railways is that they can handle bi-directional train traffic on a single track, as long as trains pass each other at safe locations. The same cannot be said for most other network systems, like roads, water pipes, or electrical wiring. The flexibility of single-track railways is great for rail operators because it means they ca