😀 Positive Energy - MM#581
Good day my good friend.
After Monday’s disquiet lets say, having two days with awesome people doing awesome things really is mana from heaven, and the perfect antidote to dark times. So a big thank you to Georgia Yexley for the great walk and talk around the parks of North London, and to the brilliant team who support me in my role as councillor at Flitwick Town Council (yes, THAT Town Council) for filling me up with inspiration just when it was needed. Every one of you is awesome. 👏
If the weekend’s announcement by the Prime Minister still has you hot under the collar, we are talking ‘changing the narrative’ on sustainable transport at Mobility Camp on 26th September 2023 in Birmingham. It would be great to see you there. Get your tickets now.
If you like this newsletter, please share it with someone else who you think will love it. I will love you forever if you do. ☺️
James
🧱 Power in creation
This is a bit of a change in pace. But with numerous crises blowing in from every direction in transport - from a climate crisis to rampant inequality to political stagnation - it is important that we take a step back to realise why what we are doing is important. You know I love a quote, and so whenever anything is bad and you lose hope its worth remembering the words of the wisest gardener, Samwise Gamgee:
“It's like the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad has happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. I know now folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something. That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for.”
As someone with an engineering background, I find a lot of joy in things being made. And in seeing people using things being made in incredibly creative ways. I got to see a great example of this at the newly-created Devonshire Square in Palmers Green. Where just some seating, planters, and a stencil on a wall has completely changed how a space is used. As well as for sitting (and apparently a market), I saw the space used for skateboarding, socialising, and children playing. A simple creation giving people the opportunity to be creative and express themselves.
Closer to home, the project I am most proud of in my career is the refurbishment of Ridgmont Station House in Bedfordshire into a cafe and heritage centre. When the Community Rail Partnership first came up with the idea, that is all that was planned. Now, its home to a wonderful cafe, heritage centre, businesses, a station garden group, and a station adoption group. Its not just a place to grab a cuppa while waiting for a train (when they start running again). Its a community focal point, allowing people to socialise and do great things for their communities.
The point I am making here is that there is power in simply creating something for the betterment of others, no matter how small. Its why I love tactical urbanism. System change is needed to tackle the wide variety of issues that we face. But sometimes changing your world is as important as changing the whole world. Its easy to look at such projects and say that this project does not result in significant change. It is just for fun and to feel good.
To those of you who say that, I say this - and what is wrong with that? Fight for the big change, deliver the small change is what I say. And we all need some joy in this world. So why not deliver some in the time that we have in this wonderful (but flawed) world of ours?
What you can do: For everyone, I cannot recommend the Tactical Urbanist’s Guide enough. Read it, digest it. Discuss it with like-minded people in your community or even at work. Then, choose a project and just go ahead and do it. Then sit back and watch people enjoy your work.
If you want to explore station adoption or reusing old station buildings, I highly recommend the Community Rail Network’s Resources for Station Groups.
🏫 Look to Town Halls, not Whitehall
At least here in the UK, much of the best public sector work in tackling major issues of the day has not come from the great halls of power in Westminster, but in local government. Personally, I am a massive fan of The Preston Model of public services, but there are plenty of other ways by which local government is delivering real change in a number of policy areas.
Edward Houghton of DG Cities reminded me of this excellent Local Government Association report on the Neighbourhood Approach to Decarbonisation. It shows quite how huge the impact of local government work is. Personal favourites are the Community Orchards of Redcar and Cleveland and the EV Revive Network in South Gloucestershire.
I find that these sorts of things are enabled by the ability of local government to simply act. Whitehall gets caught up in politics (as do Town Halls), but local government just does and never gets the credit it deserves.
What you can do: Read the Local Government Association’s Neighbourhood approaches to decarbonisation report. First, enjoy the positive feeling you get from these examples. Second. if any of them inspire you, message them. Talk about how they achieved what they did. And do it.
🎓 From academia
The clever clogs at our universities have published the following excellent research. Where you are unable to access the research, email the author - they may give you a copy of the research paper for free.
Beyond fare evasion: the everyday moralities of non-payment and underpayment on public transport
TL:DR - Different people moralise fare evasion differently on social media. I’ll let you be the judge.
TL:DR - Trying to model how different people will co-operate in urban renewal projects over time. Their social network structures play a huge role.
Innovation in stable competitive tendering regimes: An insoluble knot?
TL:DR - A restrictive tendering approach means people are not free to innovate.
More travel, more well-being of older adults? A longitudinal cohort study in China
TL:DR - Older people value social trips more than getting to the shops.
✊ Awesome people doing awesome things
Most of you know that I have been a massive fan of Sarah Barnes over at Along for the Ride for a long time. She does amazing work in advocating for all of the people who are making a positive change in the world of transport, particularly the unsung heroes. As well as being extremely clever and kind to boot.
She had a personal tragedy last week, and it would be amazing if you all could head on over to Along for the Ride and give her some love and support in the comments.
Got someone doing something awesome in transport decarbonisation, transport justice, or transport safety who deserves a shout out? Let me know about them so we can give them a shout out!
📼 On the (You)Tube
An old video this one (well, 2 years old) on how easy it is to get around New Zealand by car. I don’t know how easy it is because I have never been, but needless to say that this is an eye-opening experience!
What you can do: Watch the video. Check out Waka Kotahi’s plans for improving transport across New Zealand. Let them know what you think of their current plans (the consultation on the Sustainable Public Transport Framework open until 5th August seems especially pertinent). Play with their open data to identify potential solutions to the challenges, or challenges they have missed, and tell them about it. Or maybe share your work with the world (I am happy to help!).
📻 Easy Listening
The need for shade is becoming increasingly important. And this excellent episode of the 99% Invisible Podcast looks at the poor design choices behind ‘La Sombrita’ and how access to shade has an inequality lens to it.
What you can do: Fortunately, for professionals designing in shade is really easy. Its included as part of design manuals such as Manual for Streets and the Healthy Streets Design Check. Insist on good shading - especially trees - as part of any new infrastructure scheme. If someone objects, show them the impact it has on temperatures on streets and the comfort of users.
For advocates, review the designs of street improvements. Ask if basic shade is provided, and if shade is provided could be provided more simply (e.g. a tree and not a structure). Provide comments and feedback. If you want to improve your own streets, you can run your own Healthy Streets Design Check, and share the results with elected officials.
🖼️ Graphic Design
Big sky country likes to keep its cars running for a long time. In all honesty - is this bad? Depending on your mileage, keeping the old car that still works running reduces some pollution compared to replacing it with a newer car. Of course, the ideal is to scrap the car completely and get a bike.
What you can do: You can play around with the data from the US and the UK. What you can do is use this as the basis of a marketing campaign. Something like reducing emissions by keeping the old car running as long as you can. Or maybe targeting marketing for alternatives and even EVs in areas with a high turnover rate of cars.
📚 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.
Why HSBC’s decision to move says as much about Central London as it does about Canary Wharf (Centre for Cities)
Soaring temperatures and food prices threaten violent unrest (The Economist)
Wild camping allowed on Dartmoor again after court appeal succeeds (The Guardian) - Coming from God’s Own Country myself (Devon, in case any tries to argue otherwise) this news made me unreasonably happy.
Wells Are Running Dry in Rural Communities of Color. Is a Fix in Sight? (The Daily Yonder)
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