Author | Lightnews

Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Sep 18

The Happiest Cities in the World are Also the Most Bicycle Friendly

#bicycling #urbanplanning #cityplanning #bicyclefriendly

The Happiest Cities in the World are Also the Most Bicycle Friendly

The 2025 Happy City Index is in and the world's happiest cities are also some of the best places to ride a bike.

momentummag.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Aug 19

Want to Stay Healthy? Move to a Walkable City.

#walkability #urbanplanning #cityplanning

Want to Stay Healthy? Move to a Walkable City.

A new study illustrates how a city’s specific infrastructure contributes to its inhabitants’ overall health and wellbeing

www.outsideonline.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Jul 16

This Is Why America Needs Public Media #publicmedia #pbs #npr

Opinion | This Is Why America Needs Public Media

www.nytimes.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Jun 25

How the Grateful Dead built the internet

#gratefuldead

How the Grateful Dead built the internet

Before the internet took over the world, psychedelic rock band The Grateful Dead were among the first – and most influential – forces at the dawn of online communication.

www.bbc.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Jun 20

How the Grateful Dead’s ‘Wall of Sound’ System Nearly Bankrupted Them — and Changed Concert Audio Forever

#gratefuldead #wallofsound

How the Grateful Dead’s ‘Wall of Sound’ System Nearly Bankrupted Them — and Changed Concert Audio Forever

Grateful Dead's legendary Wall of Sound system, which redefined concert audio, is chronicled in Brian Anderson's new book 'Loud and Clear.'

www.billboard.com

Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Jun 17

Count me in that 25%!

#cordcutting #cordcutter

More Than A Quarter Of Americans No Longer Watch Live TV, Study Says

Twenty-eight percent say they don't watch any live TV at all, up from 20% two years ago, finds new data. It's even higher among Gen Z—41% don't watch.

www.forbes.com

Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · May 23

Don’t judge. #letterboxdfriday #LastFourWatched

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Apr 14

How Did This Suburb Figure Out Mass Transit?

#transit #urbanism

How Did This Suburb Figure Out Mass Transit?

Transit ridership is off the charts in Brampton, Ontario, despite its typical low-density suburban layout. Here’s how the city got residents to get on the bus.

www.bloomberg.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Apr 9

Living Car-Free in Arizona, on Purpose and Happily

#carfree #walkability #urbanism #transit

Living Car-Free in Arizona, on Purpose and Happily (Gift Article)

One community near Phoenix is taking a “completely different” approach to development.

www.nytimes.com

Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Apr 1

etree.org/index.php

bt.etree.org | Community Tracker

etree.org

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Mar 28

Excited to attend my 18th consecutive Banff Mountain Film Festival! #banff #banffmountainfilmfest

Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Mar 13

Why Europe is going ‘car-free’

#carfree #walkability

Why Europe is going ‘car-free’

At a time when NYC and the Trump administration are battling over a congestion pricing program, Europe is dramatically scaling back its relationship with cars.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Feb 16

I’m already subscribed. Where is the tracker?

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Feb 5

Five Things Dems Must Do to Fight Trump Now

The party is not helpless. In fact, Democrats have some effective tools at their disposal.

www.thebulwark.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Feb 4

Musk’s Takeover Of The Government’s Computer Systems Needs To Be Understood As A Cyberattack, Or Worse

People sometimes think that cybersecurity is just about defending computer systems from remote adversaries. But it’s broader than that; cybersecurity has always been about protecting computer syste…

www.techdirt.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Feb 3

Bookstores are making a comeback! #books #bookstores

Barnes & Noble will open 60 new bookstores in 2025, breaking last year's record as bookstore revival ramps up

After a decade of downsizing, the beloved bookseller is seeing a resurgence thanks in part to TikTok's #BookTok and a rise in so-called 'third spaces.'

www.fastcompany.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Jan 29

It’s a marathon not a sprint.

Christopher Gerken @christophergerken.bsky.social · Jan 29

Don’t become overwhelmed. This is a tactic.

Wise and important words, from sociologist Jennifer Walter, about what is happening in this country right now and what to do about it.

“As a sociologist, I need to tell you, your overwhelm is their goal.” (1) 🧵

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Jan 29

Flying snakes are the stuff of nightmares!

Joanna Bagniewska @joannabagniewska.com · Jan 29

What better way to celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake than by reading about how paradise tree snakes fly?

Yep, snakes fly.

They take off with a jump, shape themselves into a flattened, undulating "wing body", and glide down some 8.3m.

🧪 🌍 🐍
Paper by J. Socha:
dx.doi.org/10.1038/s415...

The paradise tree snake mid-glide. Credit: Jake Socha

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Jan 21

The Trump executive orders that threaten democracy

Amid the flurry of executive orders on Day 1, these could prove the most damaging to the republic’s health.

www.vox.com

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Jan 7

Pixelfed.org

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Dec 26

I have been waiting for this since the beginning of Bluesky!

Bluesky @bsky.app · Dec 26

Merry Christmas from us to you 🎄🎁💙 We launched Trending Topics today, and you can find it by tapping the search icon on the bottom bar of the app or the right sidebar on desktop.

Screenshot of trending topics launched on Christmas 2025. Topics trending include: Virat Kohli, Red Panda, Porzingis, Post Malone, Beyoncé, Gavin and Stacey Finale, Sixers, A Complete Unknown, King Henry, Joel Embiid, Pentatonix

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Dec 9

Cantana?

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Dec 9

Why can’t I follow a hashtag? #bluesky

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Dec 6

Agreed. Call them posts.

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Doug McKown @dougmckown.com · Dec 2

Thanks!

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