Mall Rats - MMD#369
Good day my good friend.
Every day that goes by, the warning signs get louder. And every day we do nothing, what we need to do becomes harder and harder. At times like this, it is easy to lose heart in what needs to be done in the transport sector to meet the challenges posed to us. But regardless, we must rise to them. Because we have no other choice.
If you have any suggestions for interesting news items or bits of research to include in this newsletter, you can email me.
James
Indian Railways - not all bad
I hate to say it, there is a certain stereotype that springs to the mind of many when it comes to Indian Railways. That of an unsafe railway with old carriages filled to the rafters and with people sat on top. On tracks and trains little updated since the time of British rule. Not helped by major collisions such as that which took place recently in Odisha. But what is the situation actually like on the ground?
Indian Railways is the 4th largest railway in the world, with nearly 25 million using the system daily. Over 70% of the broad gauge routes are electrified. With such a huge system, the experiences of it are highly varied. Significant investment in electrification is helping to green the network. But the trains have had a significant cultural impact on the country, connecting communities and people across the nation. Yes, they could be safer, and yes the experience for many could be much better. But India would not be the nation it is without them, and the stereotype does not fit the reality.
With great power, comes great responsibility
While pondering the words of Uncle Ben (or not, if you know your comic books), there is a line of thought within transport that transport patterns are (partly) the result of power structures. To be fair, much is made of how modern transport planning and its assumptions towards favouring peak hour flows may descend from the needs of white middle class men. Oh, and there is the whole crash test dummies thing as well.
This article in Mobilities about the role of market places and state-centred mobilities prompted this line of thinking. We know from the data that different people and groups of people have different travel behaviours, and they often have different travel needs too. But linking that effect to different power structures is hard to do. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do what we can to help disadvantaged groups, bit that maybe part of this help is to understand how power structures may or may not affect how we get around.
Random things
These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.
Poor Air Quality Isn’t the Only Way Wildfires Affect Cities (The City Fix)
The gap between universal credit and the cost of living is growing (New Economics Foundation)
Cognitive Endurance and Long-Run Outcomes (Economics That Really Matters)
The US doesn’t have a law mandating EV battery recycling. Should it? (Grist)
Something interesting
There has been a long narrative about how malls are dying. But that isn’t always the case, as this video shows. Context is everything, and in some contexts, malls are still doing very well. Though if cities want to do what Nottingham did to the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre…I wouldn’t object.
If you do nothing else today, then do this
The Transport Planning Society has opened its annual Bursary competition to young transport planners. If you are young and a transport planner, you should sign up to it. You can also attend an online session planned for 6th July to hear from those who have already taken part, and hear how they found the experience.