Car-free #ebike, #blogger, foodie in #KeyWest. #CLT born. Raised @Kannapolis. BS in #Geography from #UNCC. Master of Urban & #Regional Planning @Portland_State.
Key West, FL
Joined May 2009
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Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
🌍 World Car-Free Day | September 22
Imagine a city where the streets belong to people, not just vehicles.
Cleaner air, quieter neighbourhoods, safer roads, and more space to walk, cycle, and connect. 🌿
World Car-Free Day grew from European initiatives in the 1990s into a global movement encouraging sustainable transportation.
🚶 Walk when you can. 🚲 Cycle for shorter journeys.
🚌 Choose public transport when practical.
The idea isn't to eliminate cars. It's to build cities where owning one isn't a necessity for everyday life.
A better city isn't just one that moves more vehicles. It's one that moves people better. 💚
#WorldCarFreeDay #SustainableTransport #CleanAir #GreenCities #September22
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
Whoa! The 4th Circuit, post-death-of-Chevron- doctrine, overturns decades of agency precedent and rules that whenever a noncitizen's prior criminal conviction is vacated, it eliminates any immigration consequences flowing from that conviction, no matter the reason for vacatur.
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
BREAKING: The Supreme Court rules 6-3 in favor of the Trump admin on Temporary Protected Status, blocking the lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds, allowing DHS to strip over 350,000 people of legal status even though they utterly failed to follow the required legal procedures.
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
.@TMobile Completes Landmark Hometown Grants Initiative, Transforming 500 Communities t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier…
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
This SCOTUS rulings so far
•Universities using race criteria to counter historical racism in admissions is unconstitutional, BUT
•ICE fascists using race criteria to target people of color is constitutional, BUT
•State legislatures using race criteria to counter historical voter suppression is unconstitutional, BUT
•Trump using race criteria to enact travel bans is constitutional
In short—race criteria that centers white people is constitutional, but race criteria otherwise is unconstitutional😐
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
Haitians in the US will keep, for now, their Temporary Protected Status (TPS), despite Secy Noem’s attempt to end it. Last night, a split panel of the DC Cir denied a stay of Judge Reyes’s 2/2 order, which blocked Noem’s action as arbitrary & capricious. ...
1/3
storage.courtlistener.com/re…
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. But right now, they’re under attack.
Several Republican-controlled states have redrawn their congressional maps to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterm elections.
Now Virginia has a chance to help level the playing field. If you live in the Commonwealth, early voting begins March 6, and Election Day is on April 21. Vote YES.
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
Carmel, IN replaced 120 stop lights with roundabouts and this happened:
🚨 90% drop in fatal crashes
🚨 40% drop in total crashes
🚨 $21.6 million saved in long-term maintenance
And that $21.6m isn't even counting the enormous financial savings of preventing crashes. 🤯
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
North America's auto-centrism is an anomaly.
The rest of the world understands the value of multimodalism.
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
America has too many bus stops. Removing excess bus stops speeds up bus services, makes them more reliable, and reduces transit costs, all of which boosts ridership.
For example: San Francisco has an average of eight stops per mile, whereas European cities tend to have only four stops per mile. Moving to a European model only adds 1–3 mins of extra walking to get to a stop.
Portland saw a six percent increase in bus speeds from a project which increased average stop spacing by just 90 feet. SF boosted ridership by 14% by removing some stops. Other cities have used limited stop services to boost ridership by 25–33%!
New at Works in Progress, @nithin_vejendla on a rare example of a transit reform that is at once fast, cheap, and effective.
worksinprogress.co/issue/the…
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
1.3 billion people live with a significant disability.
To achieve a better future, the unique needs of people with disabilities must be addressed in all aspects of societies.
Wednesday is the International Day of People with Disabilities.
un.org/en/observances/day-of…
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
🌍 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘆!
Let’s commit to transport that’s safe, fair & low carbon.
✅ Share your story
✅ Tag your city to inspire local action
#TransportDay #SustainableTransport #MobilityForAll
worldsustainabletransportday…
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
Did you host a #GISDay2025 event? We want to celebrate you! 🥳🌏
Post about your event + upload photos in our worldwide forum. Plus, you'll earn this cool badge when you post! Get started: ow.ly/Bieb50Xx8RX
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
90% of Gen Z and millennial survey respondents said they’d pay more for a home in a walkable community; with 1/3 saying they’d "pay a lot more."
"Walkability has become one of the most valuable amenities in today’s housing market."
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
Happy GIS Day! 🥳🎉
Take a minute to hear from Esri President and Founder Jack Dangermond, who attended the very first #GISDay event in 1999.
Let’s share and learn from each other to better understand the value and impact of GIS 🌎
#GISDay2025 #GeographyAwarenessWeek
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
🌍 Day 2 of Geography Week 2025: The Power of “Where” 🌎
Did you know that 80% of all data created by humans has a location component?
Your phone knows where you took that photo. Your favorite delivery app knows the fastest route. Emergency services know exactly which building is on fire. Cities know where floods are most likely to hit next.
That’s the magic of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
GIS isn’t just pretty maps. It’s the invisible technology that:
- Helped contain outbreaks by mapping disease spread in real time
- Saves endangered species by showing exactly where habitat is disappearing
Every time someone asks “Where should we build this?” “Where are people most at risk?” or “Where did this problem start?”, someone, somewhere, opens a GIS.
Geography isn’t about memorizing capitals anymore.
It’s about understanding patterns, solving real problems, and literally seeing the world differently.
Drop a 🗺️ if you’ve ever used Google Maps, Strava, Pokémon GO, Uber, or even checked the weather today… congratulations, you’ve used Geographic thinking.
#GeographyWeek2025 #GISDay #GeographyMatters #WhereItHappens #MapsChangeTheWorld #GIS
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
It’s #geographyawarenessweek! Test your geo skills with a favorite story—
Misconceptions by @John_M_Nelson 🌐ow.ly/WmAO50XrTiB
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
Washington, DC is a beautiful city.
DC is home to 700K people and welcomes millions every year.
We have the #1 park system, fantastic public schools, and a tremendous public transportation system.
And we are at a 30-year low in violent crime.
It's important for all who live here and visit to know how beautiful our city is and how proud we are of all that we've accomplished.
Ray Atkinson, AICP (he/him) retweeted
On this day in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed. The ADA is a landmark civil rights law fought for and won by disabled activists who demand dignity, access, and justice.
We honor this day by continuing the struggle for true accessibility, inclusion, and liberation for all.
#ADAAnniversary #DisabilityJustice #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs