Make World Streets happen in 2010: Subscribe, support, write, advise, get involved

World Streets is entirely dependent on the support of subscribers and others who share our deep concerns about sustainable transportation, sustainable development and social justice. Subscription is free for all who cannot afford it, and as a matter policy we do not accept advertising. We count on your support and invite you to consult the following to see how you can best contribute.

Contents:
1. Individual subscription

2. Institutional subscription/partnerships
3. Foundations
4. Personal gifts, donations
5. How to transfer funds
6. The last mile
7. Seven reasons why this is a great idea
Individual subscription
World Streets is a public interest publication which, as a matter of policy, we make freely available to all who are looking to understand, support, and contribute to the sustainability agenda anywhere in the world. We firmly believe that there should be no barriers, and especially not commercial ones, to the free circulation of news, tools, counsel and peer exchanges when it comes to important issues of sustainable development and social justice. Students, people working in the developing countries, volunteer organizations, unfunded local or public interest groups and others of limited means are invited to come in and enjoy the benefits of the journal without payment. For those who use it and can afford it, we ask that they step up to do their part. (To receive a free subscription, we would ask you to email us a short note with your name, city, country. And, if you wish, something about your work and interests in this area. Thanks for the courtesy.))

* Suggested contribution: EUR 50.00 (USD 70.00)

Public agencies, ministries and funded NGOs and associations
At the state, national, regional or international level, these key institutions with broad responsibilities to guide policy, education, communications and investments in the fields of transportation, environment, cities, energy, or climate can provide valuable support for all concerned by making Streets available to their members, staff and associates.

Deliverables, Supporting services for subscribers and partners:

1. Subscribers have full access to all of the focus groups set up under the New Mobility Agenda (carsharing, value capture, share transport (xTransit), World Transport Journal, "low-car" strategies, PBS, etc.), each of which assembles and serves an international expert community working in the given area for collaborative exchanges of information and views. The individual fora are supported by regular, often daily, updates on events, discussions, and issues in the topic area which are available to members only. The emphasis is on "exception information" bearing in mind that our members are busy and do not have to much time to spend on scanning external information. (For more on this go to www.program.newmobility.org.)

2. In addition to having full access to both the World Streets daily and the specific program sites, subscribers and partners receive free copies of the World Streets Monthly Report for their own in-house and other distribution.

3. There is important potential for co-organizing seminars, workshops and events in support of sustainable transport projects and groups taking the lead in their area. This is been done in many cities and countries in the past, and we have full experience in how to handle this in a workmanlike manner.

4. Subscribers and partners are invited to suggest topics, events, working tools, or projects which they feel need to be more broadly known, and for which the fully independent reputation of World Streets ensures accuracy and relevance.

5. Finally subscribers and partners are invited on joining to nominate a collaborating partner group, program or city from the developing countries to benefit at no cost and fully from their subscription. Our hope is that they will chose a partner group in a country in which their own bilateral aid program is active, to get full synergy from the collaborative partnership.

These are the organizations who are in an ideal position to take a strong lead, and we want them to do so because they understand that the benefits of distributing World Streets widely to their staff and cooperating groups considerably outweigh the price of subscription. (See section below on "The last mile" for some ideas on this.) Depending on the size and means of the institution . . .

* Suggested subscription: EUR 5.000/10,000 (USD 7,000/14,000)

Cities, Local government.
Local government are the ones closest to the issues and who make the decisions that count. Via the daily journal and the monthly edition we supply them with a carefully selected, easy to digest, steady flow of exception information, insight, clues and feedback from world experts that would cost them many times more than the annual subscription to develop on their own. It also gives them a chance to make their voice heard on a worldwide forum. Depending on size of city and available resources . . .

* Suggested subscription: EUR 2,000 (USD 2,800)

Public transport operators, other service providers and management groups
World Streets provides an efficient way for their officers and staff or these groups to stay on top of the issues, challenges, and accomplishments at the leading edge and from an international perspective. Again depending on size and resources . . .

* Suggested subscription: EUR 3,000 (USD4,200)

Private sector suppliers to the sector (goods and services)
This is more delicate, but this form of open public support is appropriate for companies and organizations who are firmly committed to the sustainable transport agenda. Suppliers of goods and services in such areas as insurance, non-motorized transport, carsharing, liftsharing, strategic parking, logistics, buses, delivery services, locational systems, integrated multi-modal ticket/access systems, transport logistics, spatial planning, and specialized consultancy, management and research groups are appropriate. Depending on size of enterprise . . .

* Suggested contribution: EUR 500/5,000 (USD 700/7000)

Universities and research institutions
World Streets offers a good fit and tool for university teaching and research programs at all levels. Various forms of collaboration and mutual support are possible. Get in touch so that we can discuss.

* Suggested subscription: EUR 1,000 (USD 1,400)

3. Foundations
Until such time that we have developed the necessary firm base of support for our continuing operation, once-off gifts and donations will go a long way to help us fund our early operational and start-up costs in these crucial first phases. We are particularly hopeful for the support of foundations, groups with such budgets, and well-to-do individuals who share our sense of mission. If you are among them, please contact us for more information. And if you have a lead or know someone we should contact for discussions, please let us know.

4. Private donors, personal contributions, gifts
We hope to get support from individuals and families of means who share our concerns, and who are ready to reach into their pockets to give proof that the struggle for sustainable cities must engage us all.

World Streets is going to need significant financial support if it is to continue through 2010. Despite the many volunteers pitching in with ideas, articles and encouragement, our programs are still costly to run and require an annual budget on the order of EUR 100,000 to get the job done. (There is a lot going on here, the iceberg under the tip, which is needed to get the journal out each day and which of course you never see, including management and oversight of all that goes into maintaining the New Mobility Agenda focus programs and sites – see www.program.newmobility.org to get an idea on that.)

This level of funding normally can come only from foundations, public agencies, or well-to-do individuals. But there is plenty of scope for smaller, more strategic donations as well, and here is maybe where you will have some ideas. Your counsel and initiative will be helpful in several ways.

• By making a contribution - large or small - you are sending us a strong signal that what we are doing has value.

• Your contributions will help us to fund the diversity of our existing programs at the quality level and frequency you are used to.

• An active contributor base helps us equally to turn to the foundations, agencies, and individuals that can make more sizable contributions to help us make-up a budget shortfall.

5. How to transfer funds:

Make immediate payment via Paypal or credit card:
Payment by Paypal is simple and fast:

(1) Click www.paypal.com.
(2) Enter your account (or set one up quickly (and safely) as indicated).
(3) Click "send money".
(4) Address: association@ecoplan.org.
(5) Amount.
(6) Click "Personal".
(7) Click "Gift".
(8) Thank you for helping World Streets to continue in 2010.

PayPal also has provision for paying by credit card. It is fairly well explained on the site.

To make direct bank wire transfers:

Account Holder: Association EcoPlan International
Account no. 00010465401
Crédit Industriel et Commercial de Paris
Succursale BR (Montparnasse)
202 Blvd. Raspail / 75014 Paris, France
SWIFT: CMCIFRPP
IBAN : FR76 3006 6106 2100 0104 6540 105

If you prefer to send a check direct our mailing address is:

Association EcoPlan International
9, rue Gabillot
F69003 Lyon, France

Kindly make your check payable to "Association EcoPlan International".

6. The last mile:
(The "last mile" or "last kilometre" is the final leg of delivering connectivity from a communications provider to a customer.)
It is one thing to subscribe to and support World Streets, but quite another to figure out how best to fit all that can come with it into a busy schedule. We have several thoughts on this which we would like to put briefly before you.

For individual subscribers, here are three ways to be kept efficiently informed (Other than simply bookmarking the page and referring to it as you wish):

1. RSS feeds: To activate this you will see the necessary information in the upper left column of the site. Under the heading: "Free daily delivery: RSS". (We find Bloglines.com entirely satisfactory.)

2. World Streets Forum: Alternatively you can sign into the World Streets Yahoo group forum by sending a blank email to WorldStreets-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . There you can select receiving individual notification either of all new postings or a daily summary.

3. The World Streets Monthly Report. Let us know that you would like to receive the monthly summary, for which all we need is your request and the e-mail address to which it should be set.

For larger organizations, these options also work but the problem remains how ensure that this information gets transmitted to your busy colleagues in an efficient way. We have been told by some of our long-time collaborators that they handle this through personal networks and internal list serves; but some organizations have internal communications systems which can be put to work for these purposes.

Some of our associated groups have taken the step of integrating summary information on the latest Streets articles directly into their websites. This can be done efficiently and in different ways. One that we quite like has been developed by the Oxford Transport Network in which you can see at http://oxtran.ning.com/. There they have placed a feed in their central column which automatically provides information on the last five articles. Other groups do the same but limited either to titles only or to the title with two or three lines of summary information. (We are told that since this information is automatically updated daily, it also serves to bring traffic to their web site.)


7. Seven reasons why you should pitch in and help us continue our contribution:

1. Your vote for the future: Because if you are a parent or active citizen it is the right thing to do for your children, for your city, for your nation, and yes, for the planet. (And it is simple and cheap.)

2.Act now: Getting behind World Streets and the New Mobility Agenda demonstrates publicly that you give high importance to the critical vital climate/transportation link and the need for acting now -- and not waiting about for some kind of long term deus ex machina that may or may not solve your and the planet's problems.

3. Worldwide focus: It gives you an efficient way to track some of the things going on at the leading edge not only in your own country or regional grouping. Its genuine worldwide focus -- North/South, East/West (and South/North) -- reporting from source, brings to your attention projects, ideas and clues which otherwise you are just about certain to miss.

4. Re-defining the mainstream: By stepping forward you provide proof that you are part of the growing movement that is in the process of transforming sustainable transportation from a marginal activity, into the defining mainstream of 21st century transportation policy and practice at the leading edge.

5. Share with others: By doing your bit, you are helping make these ideas and materials available to cities, researchers, activists, and others all over the world, including many others who otherwise cannot even afford it on their own.

6. Make your voice heard: As a colleague and supporter, you and your team are in a position to work with the editorial staff from time to time to let the world know about your leading projects and accomplishments.

7. Step forward: And finally, if you do not step forward to do this, if we do not step forward to do this . . . who will?

For the rest, thank you in advance for your contributions, your counsel and your support. And if you wish to talk about any of this, here is how you can get in touch. Believe me, we will not be able to do this without you!


Eric Britton
Editor, World Streets
Tel. +336 5088 0787 • Skype newmobility
eric.britton@newmobility.org or fekbritton@gmail.org


PS. Have a look at who visited World Streets today. They have to be coming here for a reason.

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