Early this morning World Streets welcomed our 3000th registered reader

Early this morning World Streets welcomed our 3000th registered reader. After almost to the day four years of faithful service to the cause of sustainable transport, sustainable cities and sustainable lives, since the beginning of the year we have started to receive a substantial increase in these contacts.  For example, even as I write this note, the number is up to 2015 (which you can confirm for yourself in the top right column). We feel proud and hope that you as one of our readers feel proud too. After all , the only reason we are here is to learn from each other and do what we can to make our cities and our planet fairer and better places for all, today and tomorrow.

Why has this bump of interest come about?

It is certainly not because we are publishing more.  And while the quality standard remains high as ever,  but as editor I cannot really spot any major difference.

I have to guess it is because of the fact that we have started to give much more coverage and put more work into the Equity Initiative, including a total Spring cleaning and redrafting of the blog so that our readers can conveniently navigate of the considerable body of work and references being shared here under this heading.

And this is our lesson. To put the concept of equity at the very top of our list for the remainder of this year. To continue coverage in these pages, to engage cities and other partners wishing to test the water for this "new" and as yet not very clearly defined concept. To continue our efforts to publish a short book on the subject by mid year (book already in progress as you can see in the equity section of this site).  And to encourage others to do the same or, one might reasonably hope, more and better.

Who reads World Streets in Spring 2013?

The following map summarizes the locations of the last 80 visitors to check into the site. The overall pattern is pretty much what we see from day to day, though we usually have regular traffic from Japan, Korea and Taiwan. On the other hand China is well hidden behind the wall.  And it is always heartwarming when we hear from readers in the Middle East and Africa.

(The US pattern that we are seeing today is also quite typical, and the fact that for the most part we are accessed by people in states that voted for President Obama is also perhaps worth a thought.)



Our readers today come from more than one hundred fifty countries on al continents. Just below you will find a listing which presents them in order of frequency of access, with the US, the UK, Canada Australia and India at the top - not surprising since we publish in English.

1. United States


2. United Kingdom


3. Canada


4. Australia


5. India


6. France


7. Germany


8. Brazil


9. Italy


10. Spain


11. Netherlands


12. Sweden


13. South Africa


14. New Zealand


15. Portugal


16. Philippines


17. Russian Federation


18. Chile


19. Taiwan


20. Belgium


21. Finland


22. Estonia


23. Thailand


24. Norway


25. Singapore


26. Korea


27. Denmark


28. Poland


29. Mexico


30. Turkey


31. Indonesia


32. Japan


33. Malaysia


34. Austria


35. Switzerland


36. Pakistan


37. Greece


38. Hong Kong


39. Colombia


40. Ireland


41. Israel


42. Serbia


43. Czech Republic


44. Hungary


45. Argentina


46. Romania


47. Ukraine


48. Iceland


49. United Arab Emirates


50. Latvia


51. Lithuania


52. Bangladesh


53. Kenya


54. Viet  Nam


55. Slovenia


56. Nigeria


57. Saudi Arabia


58. Croatia


59. Slovakia


60. Egypt


61. Albania


62. Bulgaria


63. Peru


64. Moldova


65. Nepal


66. Sri Lanka


67. Uganda


68. Qatar


69. Cambodia


70. Dominican Republic


71. Ghana


72. Lebanon


73. Venezuela


74. Jordan


75. Mauritius


76. Ecuador


77. Iraq


78. Kuwait


79. Trinidad and Tobago


80. Mozambique


81. Bosnia and  Herzegovina


82. Puerto Rico


83. Georgia


84. Bahrain


85. Macao


86. Tanzania


87. Ethiopia


88. Cyprus


89. Brunei


90. Darussalam


91. Oman


92. Syrian Arab Republic


93. Macedonia


94. Malta


95. Jamaica


96. Morocco


97. Azerbaijan


98. Senegal


99. Mongolia


100. Algeria


101. Costa Rica


102. Armenia


103. Palestine


104. Guyana


105. Djibouti


106. Côte d'Ivoire


107. Fiji


108. Maldives


109. Libya


110. Luxembourg


111. Belarus


112. Honduras


113. Tunisia


114. Botswana


115. Guadeloupe


116. Yemen


117. Rwanda


118. Virgin Islands, British


119. Guatemala


120. Afghanistan


121. Gambia


122. Zimbabwe


123. China


124. Faroe Islands


125. Panama


126. Guernsey


127. Kazakhstan


128. Uruguay


129. El Salvador


130. Andorra


131. Paraguay


132. Burkina Faso


133. Lesotho


134. Namibia


135. Swaziland


136. Isle of Man


137. Benin


138. Saint Lucia


139. Bolivia


140. Bhutan


141. Laos


142. Liechtenstein


143. Myanmar


144. Barbados


145. Uzbekistan


146. Bahamas


147. Gabon


148. Sudan


149. Tajikistan


150. Togo


151. Suriname


152. Martinique


153. Réunion


154. Guam


155. Bermuda


156. Aruba

Conclusion

It looks to your editor like we are doing a job that some people at least think needs to be done. So let's keep at it at least  in the year ahead.

The downside for us is that as founding editor  I still have not figured out how to pay for it.  I decided at the beginning that the journal would be free to all, and that we would not accept advertising.  And I must confess that I would rather let the whole thing sink into the ocean before giving up on either of these ethical points.  (If anyone has any ideas of how we can find the support necessary to continue to do the job, that would be a great and timely relief.)

In the meantime we are going to push hard to make a major contribution with the Equity Initiative in the year ahead, and hope that you will stay on board for the voyage, and possibly even get directly involved. We are betting on equity. Because without it I don't see a lot of any real promise on the horizon.

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