We are an entertaining bunch

Our annual 'Entertaining, Short, Fun and Fast' (ESFF) evening is always good fun - and this years event in October was no exception.

If you don't know the format, the rules are:

• the presentation is 20 slides long

• each slide is shown for 20 seconds

• slides automatically advance so no talk is longer than 7 minutes.

It is a really fun format of presentation which forces the presenter to be succinct - waffling is not possible. I would recommend anyone who regularly does work presentations to try using this format as a training excercise - you will be surprised how hard it is the first time.

The standard of presentations was excellent, and we had a diverse range of topics (despite the lack of gender diversity). I took away the following gems:

• South Korea built a 600km cycle touring route as part of their Four Rivers project that upgraded water infrastructure. This is South Korea's premier cycle route and is now on my holiday wish list.

• The Three Capes Track in Tasmania is stunning, and has the three essential ingredients for success:

1. interesting, engaging and beautiful

2. achievable for most people thanks to great walking tracks

3. comfortable accomodation with the essentials - so you dont need to cary them

• Where is the 'missing middle' - the medium density family housing within 30 minute cycle/public transport commute from the city, priced for a 1st home buyer

• Micro-mobility has been around far longer than Lime Scooters - but in the last 2 years it has become an important mode for cities. Is our infrastructure and regulation ready to support micro-mobility as a viable transport solution to mobility issues in our inner city? Not yet unfortunately.

• There is a hierarchy of activism and protest - where should we be on the continuum when it comes to active transport:

1. Institutional and conventional

2. Symbolic, asthetic and sensory

3. Movement in space

4. Solemnity and sacred (emotional response)

5. Civil disobediance

6. Collective violence and threats?

Transport nerds are all the same - we take photos of bicycle paths, trams, buses etc. when on holiday, and often make trips just to see cool transport stuff. This tends to infuriate and frustrate our families - but keep it up, we like hearing about the great things happening around the world. Come share your learnings with the rest of us at next years ESFF.