Greg Vann
@gregvann.bsky.social
Australian urbanist at large based in Brisbane, 46+ years experience. Founder Urban Mentors Collective. Co founder Ethos Urban, President Queensland Walks. Keen to make cities better and to help those who want to do that.
As the jacarandas pass their peak purple in Brisbane, it’s time for the poincianas to shine!
November 5, 2025 at 11:17 PM
As the jacarandas pass their peak purple in Brisbane, it’s time for the poincianas to shine!
Plenty out enjoying a splendid spring day at Plant 4 in Bowden, Adelaide’s biggest urban renewal project. It’s brilliantly done.
November 1, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Plenty out enjoying a splendid spring day at Plant 4 in Bowden, Adelaide’s biggest urban renewal project. It’s brilliantly done.
Staying with my mate Stephen Yarwood at his place in Bowden, Adelaide’s biggest urban renewal area. It really is world class!
October 30, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Staying with my mate Stephen Yarwood at his place in Bowden, Adelaide’s biggest urban renewal area. It really is world class!
Excellent Keeble Lecture by Professor Jua Cilliers tonight on the essential role of green infrastructure. It’s not optional, beauty & amenity, it’s an essential asset.
A real call to action for all of us:
“the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”.
A real call to action for all of us:
“the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”.
October 29, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Excellent Keeble Lecture by Professor Jua Cilliers tonight on the essential role of green infrastructure. It’s not optional, beauty & amenity, it’s an essential asset.
A real call to action for all of us:
“the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”.
A real call to action for all of us:
“the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”.
My local school has organised a walking bus this morning to raise funds for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
It must be an articulated bus as it’s at least 100m long! 😊
Wonderful to see.
It must be an articulated bus as it’s at least 100m long! 😊
Wonderful to see.
October 29, 2025 at 12:40 AM
My local school has organised a walking bus this morning to raise funds for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
It must be an articulated bus as it’s at least 100m long! 😊
Wonderful to see.
It must be an articulated bus as it’s at least 100m long! 😊
Wonderful to see.
Been drawing some faces lately, with mixed success but lots of enthusiasm.
October 28, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Been drawing some faces lately, with mixed success but lots of enthusiasm.
Two cafes and oat piccolos into this wet and delightfully cool Brisbane day and life is good!
October 28, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Two cafes and oat piccolos into this wet and delightfully cool Brisbane day and life is good!
After a couple of hot muggy days, Brisbane delivered a cracker of a thunderstorm this arvo, complete with some brief but full on hail.
October 26, 2025 at 8:32 AM
After a couple of hot muggy days, Brisbane delivered a cracker of a thunderstorm this arvo, complete with some brief but full on hail.
Despite the rhetoric peddled by self interested groups blaming the planning system for the housing crisis, new research by the University of Melbourne shows most Australian rate it very low (2%). Let’s start dealing with the real issues. theconversation.com/most-austral...
October 22, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Despite the rhetoric peddled by self interested groups blaming the planning system for the housing crisis, new research by the University of Melbourne shows most Australian rate it very low (2%). Let’s start dealing with the real issues. theconversation.com/most-austral...
Doing the rounds on Australian social media:
October 22, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Doing the rounds on Australian social media:
Meanwhile this tree in my neighbourhood is hitting peak yellow!
October 22, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Meanwhile this tree in my neighbourhood is hitting peak yellow!
And as Brisbane’s jacarandas hit peak purple, this rare white one around the corner from my house is in full bloom too. My late wife Jan Smith loved this tree, so it’s a lovely reminder of her. ❤️
October 21, 2025 at 4:43 AM
And as Brisbane’s jacarandas hit peak purple, this rare white one around the corner from my house is in full bloom too. My late wife Jan Smith loved this tree, so it’s a lovely reminder of her. ❤️
It’s jacaranda time in Brisbane. They are emblematic here & bloom in a riot of purple sprinkled over the city. The local story for university students is they signal time to study for end of year exams. For everyone else, time to enjoy their vibrancy and the purple carpet as their flowers fall.
October 20, 2025 at 10:29 PM
It’s jacaranda time in Brisbane. They are emblematic here & bloom in a riot of purple sprinkled over the city. The local story for university students is they signal time to study for end of year exams. For everyone else, time to enjoy their vibrancy and the purple carpet as their flowers fall.
In Tasmania, our island state, this week, I visited the town of Sheffield, which has a great story. On its knees in the 1980s, citizens got together & helped transform it into an outdoor art gallery as the “Town of Murals”, with an annual Murals Fest too. Now attracts over 200k visitors a year!
October 16, 2025 at 6:15 AM
In Tasmania, our island state, this week, I visited the town of Sheffield, which has a great story. On its knees in the 1980s, citizens got together & helped transform it into an outdoor art gallery as the “Town of Murals”, with an annual Murals Fest too. Now attracts over 200k visitors a year!
Down at the Gold Coast for work today, got here early for a quick swim at Main Beach and a spot of breakfast at its old school pavilion. The beach is till recovering from Cyclone Alfred earlier this year but is coming back from the hard work being done to restore it.
October 9, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Down at the Gold Coast for work today, got here early for a quick swim at Main Beach and a spot of breakfast at its old school pavilion. The beach is till recovering from Cyclone Alfred earlier this year but is coming back from the hard work being done to restore it.
Some quick brush pen faces of varying quality!
October 8, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Some quick brush pen faces of varying quality!
It’s grandkids time!
October 7, 2025 at 2:21 AM
It’s grandkids time!
Today’s incidental urban wildlife spotting was this tawny frogmouth who decided to sit on the road for a while.
October 6, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Today’s incidental urban wildlife spotting was this tawny frogmouth who decided to sit on the road for a while.
Great to meet up with @uytaelee.bsky.social and show him around Brisbane today. What a great contribution he makes to making city
planning meaningful to the average punter!
planning meaningful to the average punter!
October 6, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Great to meet up with @uytaelee.bsky.social and show him around Brisbane today. What a great contribution he makes to making city
planning meaningful to the average punter!
planning meaningful to the average punter!
Mind you, I did see this large water dragon so that’s something!
October 5, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Mind you, I did see this large water dragon so that’s something!
Got out to my alma mater University of Queensland where the Brisbane signature jacaranda trees usually put on a brilliant purple show in October.
It was a sign that you had to study for end of year exams. The dry spring meant this year’s showing was ordinary. See this year’s and last year’s below.
It was a sign that you had to study for end of year exams. The dry spring meant this year’s showing was ordinary. See this year’s and last year’s below.
October 5, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Got out to my alma mater University of Queensland where the Brisbane signature jacaranda trees usually put on a brilliant purple show in October.
It was a sign that you had to study for end of year exams. The dry spring meant this year’s showing was ordinary. See this year’s and last year’s below.
It was a sign that you had to study for end of year exams. The dry spring meant this year’s showing was ordinary. See this year’s and last year’s below.
SUVs: safer for people with them, way more dangerous to everyone else: youtu.be/nYyutqP48ok?...
October 4, 2025 at 9:43 AM
SUVs: safer for people with them, way more dangerous to everyone else: youtu.be/nYyutqP48ok?...
Just spent a week with family at Moffat Beach on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane. It is really special, tucked away from main roads, with surf & still beaches, parks, playgrounds, cafes & restaurants a short stroll away.
Didn’t wear shoes or use car for a week!
Didn’t wear shoes or use car for a week!
October 4, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Just spent a week with family at Moffat Beach on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane. It is really special, tucked away from main roads, with surf & still beaches, parks, playgrounds, cafes & restaurants a short stroll away.
Didn’t wear shoes or use car for a week!
Didn’t wear shoes or use car for a week!