International Women's Day . . . and World Streets

Today is the ninety-ninth anniversary of the first International Women's Day, a day well worth celebrating. And while we are at it a perfect occasion to remind ourselves of what we need to be thinking about and trying to do over the next twelve months to make sure that when 2011 and that important 100th anniversary roll around, we have made our own best effort for a better and brighter future for all. Because. . . women hold the key to the future of not only sustainable transportation but also to a sustainable and just world. It's that smple.

Women have been absolutely critical to the focus of World Streets, and behind it the work of the New Mobility Agenda since the latter's founding in 1988 -- and, it is fair to say, that this has been the case to a far greater extent than with most of the groups and programs working in our area. Why is that?

From the beginning we have had two very specific policy targets as far as the involvement of women in this sector, both of which eminently ethical and no less practical and political. If you click through the articles which are grouped under the heading http://tinyurl.com/ws-women you will find that on average each month we publish one or two on the subject of women in transport as part of our continuing, long-term, and, we can say, passionate commitment to this great cause.

The first of our arguments in support of a greatly increased role of women in the sector is "Women as our metric for sustainable lives". The second sets out our best arguments for "The leadership role of women in transport".

1. Women as our metric for sustainable transport and sustainable lives:

One does not have to be an especial genius to figure out after spending a few years working with and looking at transportation projects, programs, processes, accomplishments, shortcomings, and hypocrisies in many parts of the world, that the limitations of the policies behind all this jumble have been a direct function of (1) the kinds of people who are making the decisions that shape them, and (b) the kinds of people and interests for whom those decisions are targeted. One and the same, it turns out -- and by way of executive summary let us say that it boils down to: (a) policy decisions and investments made primarily by males and (b) for people (mainly males) who either have or desire to have access to their own cars. No great mystery to that, eh?

The result, as we all know so well, has been a transportation system which pays more attention to vehicles and their requirements then to the full range of people and their very different kinds of requirements.

So once we figured that one out, we began to call out in publications, international fora and our direct advisory work for radical revisions in the entire planning and policy process/paradigm, making the point that it is now time to take it back to the drawing board and put at the core a very different metric than the old one (that is all those men and all their cars), namely women of all ages and stations in our society.

Look, it could not be more simple. Women make an excellent metric. If we design our systems to offer quality service to women in all their varieties and situations, we are going to get an entirely different kind of transportation system. And a better one. If we take into account the full range of their life cycle economic situations, travel constraints, the daily obligations at different periods of their lives, and even their, temperament and values characters, we are going to come up with a set of planning criteria and transportation arrangements that will not only serve them better, but will serve society as a whole a lot better.

With this in mind, from the first day on World Streets, under the posting entitled "Sustainable Transportation Anyone?: It is high time for Plan A", we put the basic design criteria for women right at the top of our list of fundamental building blocks for the new strategy.(You can see all that at http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/03/its-high-time-for-plan-the-new-mobility.html) Here is how it reads:

Strategy 5. Design for women:
Our old mobility system was designed by, and ultimately for, a certain type of person (think about it!). And so too should the new mobility system: but this time around it should be designed to accommodate specifically women, of all ages and conditions. Do that and we will serve everybody far better. And for that to happen we need to have a major leadership shift toward women and, as part of that, to move toward full gender parity in all bodies involved in the decision process. It's that simple.

So, if we can now start to put women as the fundamental metric for sustainable transportation, we are going to get a different and better system.

But that is only the first half of our commitment and campaign.

2. The leadership role of women: (Hold onto your hats. Think Norway)

Our transportation arrangements do not only have to be planned with women in mind ("thank you very much"), but by them -- and, while they are at it, for us all. (And I hope this sounds very simple.)

What about just a bit of parity?

Surface parity, while a start, is unlikely to be sufficient.

We can observe that all too often women who do get into key roles very rapidly begin behaving like or reflecting the behavior and values of men. Examples would be very dangerous ... but try to think of women in such powerful positions who HAVE acted differently to the males in previous or similar positions of influence and power.

It’s just that the worldviews and values of our sector at the top are in general, very male! And this is precisely what we need to change to realize our very different future.

Broaden the skills base of the deciders

The forced, high-priority network expansion that full gender parity requires can open up another priority need that also requires significant rectification. Specifically it can help us to increase greatly the range of backgrounds and skills we bring into the various decision fora. This therefore gives us a golden opportunity to rectify some of the debilitating historical inadequacies in the sector that have led to its underperformance in so many areas.

Of course, as we look to bring in more women we need of course to bring in more expertise in the entrenched professional skills such as transport planning, traffic management, engineering, financial planning, technical modeling and the usual array of “hard skills” which have the front stage in the sector. But that is not enough.

But to get the job done right we also need greatly enhanced competence in such areas as environment, climate, land use, public health, cities, rural areas, community relations, demographics, local government, social services , behavioral psychology, education, childcare, job creation, poverty reduction, communications and all those other key areas of our daily lives which thus far have not received the necessary attention in the transport discussions and decision-making process. And in these, we need both women and men to enhance our understanding of these mission-critical issues and to inform policy and practice in the sector.

Sexism?

Now, is it that I really believe that women are for some reason better, smarter or more noble than we Y chromosome-encumbered males? That’s not the point. Rather it is my experience that women often have a different view of the world in many respects. It is this differentness that we need to bring in and profit from.

However to give this full scope we need to go beyond the usual token representation. We need their strength. And we need their numbers. A scattered handful of females does not appear to suffice to force the change. Put enough women into a forum and they will keep us on our toes. I promise. (The key being the ”enough”.)

There is an analogy with our recent experience with the expanding role of cyclists in some of our cities. If there are none out there on the streets, few people even think about it. If there are a few, this makes no great difference. But once there is a strong quorum, strong presence, this starts to change everything. And not just for the cyclists. There is ample proof in this in city after city where this transformation has started to take place.

One important wrinkle on this is provided by a singing phrase of the Gender and Built Environment collaborative program at http://www.gendersite.org/ who advise us: “Don't treat women equally”. Hmm. Something I think that is important for each of us to think through for ourselves.

Now what?

However it works out, I would hope we do not need yet another law to make this happen. But we will need a high profile public commitment by leaders and a growing culture which accepts that there is simply no other way of going about this. (And if that doesn't work, well there is always the law. No reason to be excessively timid about this.)

On August 26th 1920, almost 89 years to the day, the Nineteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution formally passed into the law, guaranteeing the right of women's' suffrage. A long journey that get its symbolic start when Abigail Adams in 1776 asked her husband, one of the framers of the Constitution and one of our first president to "remember the ladies". To which he responded that men will fight the "despotism of the petticoat".

It then took something like 134 years for this oversight to be rectified. We don't have, and we don't need, that much time to do what we should be doing in our bit of daily life. We can start to get our end of the job done in 2010. If we do it together.

Eric Britton, Editor

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Musing: Chopin, sustainable transport and sustainable lives

All of us who show up here, well most of us anyway, have come to understand that we can't simply cut matters of "transport" with one snip away from the rest of the fabric of our daily lives. Which is why we continually keep repeating phrases like "sustainable cities and sustainable lives" (perhaps much to your annoyance, eh?). Which brings us on this early and cold Sunday morning in Paris to the perhaps surprising link between World Streets and Frédéric Chopin. That's right, Frédéric Chopin.

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Is this too much of a weekend stretch? You tell me.

For starters, Chopin and World Streets were born on the same day but one, March 1st for the great composer, March 2nd for your favorite (and the planet's only) sustainable transport daily. One day and one hundred ninety nine years, that is.

Still too much of a stretch? Admitted. So let's try this. But first, let me invite you to listen to this Nocturne (Opus 15, No. 1, in F) while I give this my last late Sunday morning try.



Chopin reminds us -- you can hear it right here, can't you? -- of the importance of quiet and reflection in our daily lives. Quiet and reflection yes but with plenty of ideas, drive and passion -- not at all a "sit back and wait for it to happen to you" life.

Here in this spirit are three quiet and to me really quite thrilling moments in the life of sustainable ways of getting around (which of course and exactly is why we are all here and what I want for you and all our children).

- On any day in any city in the world, being able to walk quietly and safely on an ordinary street holding the hand of someone you love

- On a visit to Ludwigsburg in southern Germany, on a chilly autumn afternoon as school is just getting out, hearing a distant flutter of almost bird like noises which soon materialize into a gaggle of chaotically peddling schoolchildren, girls and boys, large and small, chatting and laughing as they safely and joyfully make their way home on a reserved bike path. (Shouldn't those be your children?)

- Warmly ensconced in a seat on a clean train getting where we wish to go while comfortably reading a big fat book as the wheels turn beneath us.

Then, and finally for this end of a long week musing, there is the concept of shared space, so important to the composer, writer, painter, playwright and film maker – the vital shared space they seek and create by means of our eyes, ears and minds. No one can listen to Chopin, or Chekov or Molière or or . . . without being drawn into the special space they first create and then draw us in.

We now know this. This concept of shared space is critical for us as well. It's an indisputable fact. There can be no sustainable development, no sustainable cities, nor real well-being for all without deeper and wiser sharing. We have a lot to learn about this.

Yes, the young Pole was telling us something very important, so we really need to listen and learn. And then do.

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Reinventing the Wheel: "Why Cycling Saves Lives" Message from Iceland

The freezing, windswept roads of Iceland don’t sound like the best place for avid cyclists. Morten Lange, head of the Icelandic Cyclists' Federation in an interview with the editor of the Allianz Knowledge Partnership, disagrees, arguing that cycling could save your life.

"There is virtually no difference between the danger in cycling and going by car." - Morten Lange, Director, Icelandic Cycling Foundation

Reporter: Thilo Kunzemann, Editor, Allianz Knowledge Partnership
Isn’t it difficult to convince people to cycle in a country with so much rain and cold?

Morten Lange
People talk about the difficult weather, the distances, and so on. But even though there are some problems, there are so many positive things people don’t realize about cycling, like saving money, saving time, more freedom and substantial health benefits. There are many myths about cycling that aren’t true anymore.

Number 1: Let us go through these myths: Firstly, cycling is hard work. How would you tackle this statement?

This can be true when you start but most people will find that they gain strength when they have done it for some weeks. You can simply begin with a lighter gear and can have an enjoyable trip.

Number 2: The distance to my job is too far to cycle.
Many people think that five kilometers is very far. But when we ran our ‘cycle to work’ campaign here in Iceland, many people were surprised that it was no problem to cycle those five kilometers every day, and the time spent was less than they anticipated.

Number 3: Cycling is dangerous.
People often think that the traffic is intimidating and loud, and they have heard about accidents. But statistics that claim cycling is more dangerous than driving a car are looking at a per kilometer basis, which is not a fair comparison.

People will not go as far by bike as by car, so what you should compare is the danger on a per hour basis or per trip. And then there is virtually no difference between the danger in cycling and going by car. And of course cyclists pose much less danger to others. If cycling replaces car driving for short and medium distances, we get calmer traffic and we will all be safer.

Number 4: It takes too much time.
You are quicker on a bicycle than you think. In many cities around the world, there have been mock competitions during the rush hour between different modes of transport and it is very uncommon that the cyclist doesn’t win.

We did a contest here in Reykjavik in the morning rush hour, and the cyclist was substantially faster than the car driver and the person that went by bus.

How else do you convince people to cycle?
Parking in Iceland is mostly free, and this leads to many problems. Someone has to pay the costs of an under-priced service. So instead of paying to expand their parking lot, two companies in Reykjavik decided to reduce the demand for parking by offering people some money for not using the parking spaces.

They pay people the equivalent of a month's pass on the bus. Everybody who doesn’t use the parking lot gets this payment, regardless of whether they walk, cycle, use public transport or get a lift with a co-worker.

We should follow the British example. Cycling England receives applications from schools to hold bikeability courses for their pupils to promote cycling and teach skills that improve safety. Children are taught how to cycle in "normal" traffic. They feel more confident and their parents are less afraid. Such lessons can be helpful even for seasoned adult cyclists.

What else would have to change so that cycling becomes more attractive?
I think we need a change in perspective and how politicians and public servants talk about traffic safety, health and cycling. The most visible message on cycling from many governments, insurance companies and NGO's has been to stress that pedestrians and cyclists should lookout for cars and behave “responsibly”.

This often means fencing cyclists off from other traffic; make them wear bright clothes, high-visibility gadgets and helmets. This is all logical in a way, but it’s not the cyclist but speeding cars that are dangerous.

These negative messages also overshadow the positive message that cycling and walking is healthy, cost-effective, and fast. This should be changed; cars are the elephant in the china shop not the other way around.

If less people go by bike it generally means less safety for all cyclists, less physical activity and thus poorer public health, more pollution from cars. Politicians and public should rather promote cycling with positive means and introduce lower speed limits. 30 km/h should be the norm for cities and towns.

Now it’s hard to find a route that feels safe. Either you cycle on a busy freeway to work or you can use a map and explore your way. That way you probably end up with a route that is 30 percent longer than the routes cars use.

So you think that it is a question of public policy rather than being up to the individual?

Policy could help. Car users, for example, get many things for free; cyclists do not get similar favors. There are subsidies for driving, like free parking. Cyclists have seldom received subsidies. And for some people its part of their salary to get a car, it’s like a pay raise. If you’re using a bicycle, you don’t get such benefits. This is changing though, for instance in the UK, Norway, and indeed Iceland.

You mentioned the health benefits of cycling; does it really make such an impact?
The World Health Organization has published a tool called HEAT for Cycling that allows governments to assess the economic savings from cycling, savings resulting from reduced mortality or less obesity. It’s available on the web.

Various diseases like heart diseases and several types of cancer are less prevalent among those that cycle. In a study done in Denmark where 30,000 people were followed over 14 years, amongst those that cycled the chance of dying during that period was 30 percent lower than amongst those that did not cycle.

At least two towns, Odense in Denmark and Grimstad in Norway, have seen immediate savings in the health system, as a result of successful promotion of cycling lasting a few years.



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About the author:
Morten Lange describes himself as "as advocate for cycling and other health transport (in my spare time and then some)". He lives, works and pedals in Reykjavik Iceland

About this article:

Morten Lange: "The editor of this greenish website of the German insurance company Allianz, noticed some comments from me criticizing the safety messages on the site, as well as (via twitter) pointing out bicycling as a viable alternative when his article pointed out the many pitfalls of biological fuel replacements. He then contacted me via twitter and conducted the interview above by email. I am telling you this as an example of advocacy taking strange paths ... and of course some of the ideas and knowledge I feel need more exposure, transpire in the interview."

* This interview originally appeared in the Allianz Knowledge Partnership on 4 March.

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To the World Streets Forum, Library and Reading Room

There are several alternative ways of accessing and keeping track of the considerable daily contents of World Streets, among them the various RSS links and bookmarks you will see the top of the menu just your left. It has been our experience in other programs of the New Mobility Agenda, that one of the best ways for colleagues to try all of this together is through a group forum, such as is introduced here.

World Streets has four main functions: (1) A daily (and monthly) publication; (2) a valuable resource for concerned public agencies, researchers, policy makers, students, the media, and active citizens; (3) an on-going collaborative process bringing together something like two thousand colleagues and observers in more than seventy countries on all continents; and binding all this together (4) a worldwide lobby for sustainable transport, sustainable cities and social justice.

This section presents the access, archiving and search functions, which permit our readers to have ready access to the hundreds of articles, postings and comments posted by colleagues around the world since opening of publication on 2 March 2009.

* Click here to check out the Forum. (Access to contents is available to members. See below for quick sign-in routine.)

Subscription: The Forum provides our readers with a handy way to sign in and thereby to make sure that they are efficiently updated in a concise manner concerning all articles and postings that appear in the pages of World Streets.

Signing up is simple - all it takes is a quick e-mail to subscribe@WorldStreets.org identifying yourself by name, institutional affiliation if any, city, country, and preferred e-mail or other contact information.

News options: When it comes to receiving notification and postings, you have three choices, in the event that you are (justifiably) worried about information overload, which we try in any event to make unlikely since there is rarely more than one article per day posted to the site.

You can choose either (a) to receive news of new articles as posted, (b) to receive a compact daily digest, or (c) if you prefer, to receive only special notices which are sent out rarely but which give you an open channel of communications for exception information (this option being only rarely used). These choices you can make at the time you first sign in.

Archives, Library and Reading Room: This function is straightforward, namely that members now have access to the full content of the site, including all published articles and associated communications. The contents are fully searchable (simple keyword and advanced), as you will see on the Messages page.

Forum discussions and comments:
To post a message to the Forum, address your email to WorldStreets@yahoogroups.com. Again, before doing this a first time we invite you to have a quick read of the Welcoming Note at http://forum.newmobility.org/

* Click here to go to Forum

* Click here to sign in.

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Honk! “A Cidade a Pé” (The Walking City) Or how to adjust our mental maps of our city

A perfect idea! Such a brilliant idea, such a simple idea . . . that there is not one city on this crowded planet that is at least a bit proud of itself who should not be thinking about organizing along these lines at least once a year. The true genius of this approach is that it is uncomplicated, doable, and positive. Moreover, it is hugely inclusive – after all what could be more inclusive than walking -- as well as deeply anchored in the culture of the place. Bravo Aveiro and all of you behind this terrific project.

Editor's note: We cannot too much stress the strategic importance of taking a positive approach to rethinking our cities -- really quite important given the extent to which some of these otherwise festive sustainable transport events have often taken a sharp negative turn. Nobody learns from conflict, no citizen wants to have an idea thrust down their throat.

Here you have some preliminary information just in from the organizers and quickly translated by machine, and for what it lacks in terms of linguistic beauty the underlying concept more than compensates. We have requested the organizers to share with us an analytic report for publication so that you will be able to follow and perhaps be inspired by the approach taken in the ideas expressed by all those present.

The City Council of Aveiro Portugal is organizing on 18 March an International Seminar on "The Walking City" in the Cultural and Congress of Aveiro, between 9:00 and 18:00.

The seminar is part of European Mobility Project Active Access, integrated in the European Intelligent Energy Europe, which the city of Aveiro is one of 17 European partners within the network of cities promoting the mobility measures.

The event aims to disseminate and discuss the main objective of European Project "Active Access," promoting policies that improve mobility and cycling, especially in walking as a transport form -- by modifying the "mental map" of citizens in actual practice -- helping citizens to become more aware of the nearby opportunities for shopping, services and leisure in their neighborhoods. Participants will include representatives and experts from several European partners.

It will be attended by members of the Active Access consortium, policy and decision makers, municipal, regional and national mobility professionals and is also open to members of the public. You can download the program and registration form here.

Active Access

The European project aims to achieve a reduction of energy consumption and emissions, and improving the public health, supporting local business and also increasing the sense of belonging to a place, strengthening the ties of neighborhood and implementing the urbanity.

The project is a network of European partners, set up by Napier University (consortium leader) and the cities of Koprivnica in Croatia, L'Aquila in Italy, Szeged in Hungary, Austrian Mobility Research, the city of Tartu in Estonia, the Energy Agency Harguita, the Cyclists' Club of Hungary, the National Center of Health of Slovenia, the German Institute of Urban Affairs, the Energy Agency Prioriterre of Annecy in France, the Energy Agency de Ribera in Spain, Cities 4 Mobility, University of Cyprus, Walk 21 and The Association for Urban Transition.

This members of the network will meet in Aveiro on the 16th and 17 March, prior to the 18 March Seminar.

* Program and Registration Form: Click here

* And here for more on the EU Active Access program:

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World Streets/Monthly Report - February 2010

We very much doubt that most of our busy readers have the time to check into World Streets on a daily basis. For that reason we make available to our subscribers and sponsors in addition to the daily edition, a monthly summary which brings together in one place all postings and comments in a manner in which the busy reader can scan the month's titles in a few lines and make a decision as to whether or not to call up and read the full article. Time-efficient communication in an overload world.

* * * The monthly reports are reserved for supporting subscribers and sponsors. They are also being developed in other language editions. * * *

February 2010, the month that was:
Another busy month on Streets, our eleventh, with 7,786 visitors dropping in from 66 countries over the course of the short month to pick up and at least scan a total of 23 widely varied articles, touching on such exotic topics as carsharing in Croatia and Greece, a decent burial for monorails anywhere on the planet, organizing zero CO2 international conferences between China and Paris, working in world languages, Green Drinks for serendipity, fair transport in South Africa, regulating car advertising in Italy, Canada, and the UK, roads vs. streets and Vancouver's Olympic-try contributions to sustainable transport. All that plus the first World Streets monthly movie program. Read on for more

Who read Streets in February? (Listed in order of frequency of visits)
United States * United Kingdom * Croatia * Canada * Portugal * Spain * Turkey * Brazil * France * India * Czech Republic * Germany * Singapore * South Africa * Italy * Australia * Japan * Sweden * Belgium * Mexico * Poland * Malaysia * Netherlands * Europe * Ireland * Chile * Finland * Iceland * Norway * Austria * Switzerland * China * Israel * Russian Federation * Latvia * Hong Kong * Hungary * Bulgaria * Slovenia * Pakistan * Estonia * Denmark * Saudi Arabia * Egypt * Bangladesh * Taiwan * Ghana * Georgia * Korea * Republic Of * Bosnia And Herzegovina * Guatemala * Cameroon * Colombia * Togo * Bahrain

With this map you can see where the last eighty visitors came from. Generally typical, but from day to day with considerable variations.



How to obtain a copy of the February report:



The monthly editions are available through the World Streets Forum to registered subscribers, collaborators, sponsors and others whom they invite to share these findings. The Forum provides a handy way to sign in and to make sure that you are efficiently informed in a concise manner concerning all articles and postings that appear in the pages of the journal. Here is some first background on how it works - http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2010/03/world-streets-forum-library-and-reading.html

* Click here to check out the Forum. (Access to contents is available to members.)

* To sign up - a quick e-mail to subscribe@WorldStreets.org identifying yourself by name, institutional affiliation 1f any, city, country, and preferred e-mail or other contact information.

Freely available in March:
To celebrate our first full year of publication, the February report is being made available exceptionally an to anyone who comes to the site asks for it.

--> Go for it! Click here to download February report. (Large PDF)

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World Streets contributions under Eric Britton's leadership We asked 100 experts for their views - - and 101 responded.

Dateline Paris. 2 March 2010. We have just completed our first year of publication of World Streets. The results are there for all to see and judge. And we now know that we are going to need financial and other forms of support if we are to continue this international sustainability adventure. Is what we are doing useful and worthy of support? 101 of our readers picked up their pens and responded to our question.


Admittedly you cannot expect to get all that much perspective on this if you ask the editor. So over the last months we invited one hundred of our international readers to provide brief critical comments on the usefulness of this new venture, with a view to having their independent counsel concerning whether or not this project should be continued. Here you have 101 answers, duly signed, unedited and as received from readers in 37 countries expressing their views on the importance of continuing the work of the planet's only sustainable transport daily.

Listen to their voices, they are the experts and the people working hard to make sustainable transport a reality. And here is one you might wish to start with, from a Dutchman working in the field of transport innovation and public policy: "World Streets needs to catch on before my feet get wet." The Dutch have their own way of looking at these things.

Thank you all for your comments and support. And stay tuned. There is a lot more ahead for the second year of World Streets.

Eric Britton,
Editor, World Streets.

One hundred and one responded:

Lake Sagaris, Santiago, Chile said...

World Streets offers an excellent information and exchange service to busy professionals and citizens’ organizations.

We follow its postings closely and translate those most relevant into Spanish, for circulation on our Latin American network of sustainable and active transport enthusiasts, professionals and activists, with excellent results.

Thanks very much to the team responsible. This is an extremely important initiative, with a truly global impact, well worth supporting.

Lake Sagaris
President
Ciudad Viva (Living City)
www.ciudadviva.cl

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Robert C Hampshire, Pittsburg USA said...

I really enjoy the daily emails! It is THE best source in the world for sustainable mobility information. Keep up the great work.

Robert C Hampshire
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh PA USA

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Helmut Holzapfel said...

World Streets is a fantastic tool! WE NEED international networks to share experiences, avoid faults and wrong strategies and to give us news from successes all over the world!

Prof. Dr-Ing Helmut Holzapfel, Kassel Germany
Urban and Transport planning
Kassel University

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Hassaan Ghazali said...

World Streets creates the context to integrate the efforts of so many individuals and institutions. Indeed, it is the perfect platform to carry out research, advocacy and the like. Really looking forward to using it.

Islamabad, Pakistan

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Tom Bertulis, Mexico City said...

I have found World Streets to be vital in keeping up with the latest and greatest in transport issues around the world. World Streets gathers all the newest reports and succinctly puts them in one place. At the same time, it adds valuable insights and ideas not found anywhere else; it is my “one stop shopping” news source. It deftly cuts out superfluous and inadequate information and is leading the way to make this world a leaner, greener place. It is essential that this news source continues to grow as we enter the “Third Wave” of major transport changes on our precious planet.

Tom Bertulis, PE
Senior Technical Advisor
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
Mexico City

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Lee Schipper, Ph.D. Berkeley CA USA said...

The layout and the messages are very very good.

We desperately need this kind of AGORA where we can gather, fight, disagree, and finally agree on sensible transport solutions.

Particularly important is that people from the developing world are chiming in as well.

Lee Schipper, Ph.D.
Berkeley CA USA
Global Metropolitan Studies

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Juan Carlos Garcia Sanchez, Bogota Colombia said...

Attached to your great work guiding the public towards meaningful opinion sharing regarding sustainable transport, you can count on the gratitude of many of us who have opened up their eyes before the seemingly unstoppable crisis coming out of private car usage and lack of efficient commitment to sustainability in the modern societies.....

Keep it up¡ you are one of our last resources.

Juan Carlos Garcia Sanchez
Bogotá Colombia

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W. Dirk van Dijl, Hastings, E. Sussex UK said...

Two boys were playing football in my street earlier this week. What a wonderful sight. Time to reclaim our World Streets!

W. Dirk van Dijl
Hastings, E. Sussex UK

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Ann Hackett, New York NY USA said...

Eric,

Please continue your work on World Streets. It provides a beacon of light showing the way to sustainable living.

Ann Hackett, New York NY USA

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Paul Metz The Netherlands said...

In this age of info overload AND urgent need for practical solutions only the most focused and expert-filtered sources survive. World Streets is one such high value-added site !

Paul Metz
The Netherlands

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Tomás Marín T. Santiago de Chile said...

WS is an excellent initiative for sustainable transport experts and advocates around the world.

For us Latin Americans, it is an important source of innovative ideas and communication exchange, and a relevant independent media.

Tomás Marín T.
Santiago de Chile
Ciudad Viva (Living City) – Active Transport Centre

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David Levinger Seattle WA USA said...

World Streets is the premier global exchange for expert assessments of new mobility innovations.

More than an online publication, it is a network of the leading minds from dozens of countries in the northern and southern hemispheres, rich and poor countries, reporting from every continent.

David Levinger Seattle WA USA
The Mobility Education Foundation |
David Levinger

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Jonas Hagen, ITDP Brazil said...

World Streets is an invaluable resource for sustainable mobility professionals, interested laypeople, and decision makers.

It helps keep this small but dedicated community abreast of global developments and encourage peers that are in adverse circumstances.

Sharing best practices around the world is invaluable and World Streets is an excellent forum for this.

Best regards,

Jonas Hagen, ITDP Brazil

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James P. Clark, New York NY said...

Does the world NEED more and better sustainable transport planning? Absolutely.

Has Eric Britton and World Streets added an invaluable resource to the sustainable transport debate and movement? Absolutely.

Is the chance for a successful global transition to sustainable transport significantly enhanced by the existence of World Streets? Absolutely.

So, in good conscience, support it with enthusiasm and passion and hard work, we must... absolutely.

James P. Clark, New York NY
Chairman, The World Technology Network

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Ian Perry (Cardiff, UK) said...

“New Mobility” is not simply the solution to the problems of the car system, it is a better system, and World Streets is the place to find out more.

Thanks to all the contributors for all their input and to those who read, discuss and implement the knowledge and ideas found here.

* * *

Jack M. Nilles Los Angeles, CA said...

Transportation sustainability is a global problem. Better technology may be necessary, but probably is not sufficient to the task. In this world of finite, and dwindling, energy resources we also need to change our transportation behavior, our modal choices.

World Streets is an important new way to illuminate those issues and get that word around the world. Best of all, World Streets airs the views of many and diverse transportation experts so that better global--and local--perspectives can develop more rapidly.

Don't dig potholes, support World Streets!
--
Jack M. Nilles
Los Angeles, CA

* * *

Sharon Feigon, Chicago IL USA said...
Eric,

Thank you for all your great work keeping up the international dialogue on car sharing and urban mobility. I appreciate your effort to keep us all informed and aware of the latest developments throughout the world.

While I have a lot of contact with our partners in the US, I would never be able to keep up on what is happening internationally without your site.

Sharon Feigon
CEO, I-GO Car Sharing
Chicago IL USA

* * *

Morten Lange, Reykjavik, Iceland said...

World Streets seems to hold a promise to become a great source for making "new" knowledge about transport in towns and cities more visible and available to the interested politician, planner, engineer, professional, activist and citizen. The set of street correspondents at WorldStreets is very impressive.

What we might gain is more efficient, healthy, environmentally sustainable and humane transport in towns and cities around the world.

Morten Lange, MSc
Chairman of the Icelandic Cyclists' Federation
Reykjavik, Iceland

* * *

enrico bonfatti, Bergamo Italy said...

What a crowd...

I think World Street is so useful that I am setting up an Italian version of it, thanks to Eric's strong and continuous support.

Sometimes (I'd better say always) it looks like Italy is far away from Europe. I hope this little thing could help us to get a bit closer, helping my country-fellows to stop believing tales...

enrico bonfatti, Bergamo Italy

* * *

Péter Dalos, Hungary said...

Dear Mr. Eric Britton,

May I denote my appreciation on your personal effort taken towards the field of sustainable transport planning. As a transport planner of COWI Hungary Ltd. I've learned a lot from you and through your forums of expertise. It would be a honour if I could support your activity in the future.

Best regards

Péter Dalos, Hungary
COWI Hungary Ltd

* * *

Dhyana Quintanar, Mexico City said...

World Streets is a fast, attractive and useful resource for us dealing with these very issues as practitioners every day.

It provides valuable insights and information from around the globe, allowing us to constantly evaluate the focus of our projects and providing appealing arguments and references to support our work regardless of the context we are in.

I truly appreciate having this resource available to enhance my work.

Dhyana Quintanar, Mexico City
Coordinator of the NMM Strategy

* * *

Amy Granger, Washington DC USA said...

World Streets helps me keep abreast of developments in shared transit and modern mobility technology. I live in Washington DC and as a concerned member of the global community

I greatly appreciate the updates and information that help shape my perspectives on where we should be directing our efforts.

Amy Granger, Washington DC USA

* * *

Laura Machado, Porto Alegre, Brazil said...

I really do think that World Streets is a good site about sustainable mobility, as the news is updated all the time, always a reason to visit and respond your request!

Laura Machado, Porto Alegre, Brazil .

* * *

Jason Meinzer Philadelphia, PA USA said...

The [WorldCityBike] forum is an invaluable, far-reaching service to many and if halted due to funding constraints would be a true shame.
Cheers,

Jason Meinzer
Philadelphia, PA USA
CityRyde LLC – “Bike Sharing Experts"

* * *

Wayne Worden, Vancouver, B.C. Canada said...

I'm getting a lot of information on World Streets that I suspect I would have to search very hard for on my own. Sustainable transportation is an important subject for me and I appreciate having World Streets as a resource.

Wayne Worden, Vancouver, B.C. Canada

* * *


enrico bonfatti said...

What a crowd...

I think World Street is so useful that I am setting up an Italian version of it, thanks to Eric's strong and continuous support.

Sometimes (I'd better say always) it looks like Italy is far away from Europe. I hope this little thing could help us to get a bit closer, helping my country-fellows to stop believing tales...

Enrico Bonfatti, Bergamo, Italy
http://nuovamobilita.blogspot.com/

* * *

Neil Takemoto, CoolTown Beta Communities, Washington DC, U.S.A. said...
The key to effective positive change is in assembling an enthusiastic community of people committed to investing in that change, locally.

World Streets provides such a forum, allowing each of these local communities to share resources and inspire one another.

Neil Takemoto, CoolTown Beta Communities,
Washington DC, U.S.A.

* * *

Iker Maguregi Bilbao Spain said...

The World Street web site and its worldwide mobility, urbanism, innovation, ecological and new way of philosophers think tank virtual library is important for us, and i wonder what it would be like without having this magnificent working source to help is in our daily working tasks.

Many times is shows the value of cooperation and networking to encourage the way forward, so that, I found this initiative and its partnership culture one of the most exemplary ones and worthwhile for human progress and wellbeing.

For all that, I would like to express my good will and support for this kind of altruistic work and cheer up everybody who makes efforts to keep unselfishly working on this path.
Greetings from Basque Land,
Iker Maguregi
Bilbao Spain

* * *

Pascal J.W. van den Noort, Amsterdam said...

With World Streets, Velo Mondial is wholly devoted to advancing the sustainable transportation and sustainable cities agenda worldwide.

The support we feel from World Streets is therefore immense and should be sustained in the long term.

Passion is great, financial support makes the passion available for the long term.

I wish you all the luck you need! Velo Mondial will continue the support.

Pascal J.W. van den Noort, Amsterdam
Executive Director Velo Mondial

* * *

Jan Visser, The Netherlands said...

World Streets is a great initiative, because it’s so necessary and relevant, but also because it’s well run and uses a minimum of resources. There is much to learn from different experiences around the world to change our habits regarding transportation in the interest of sustainability.

There is also much to gain by applying the power of imagination to solving the problems we are facing. World Streets does a great job helping us to learn and imagine.

Jan Visser, The Netherlands
Learning Development Institute

* * *

Carlos Cordero, Lima Peru said...

It's a good job all you have done with World Streets. I find the blog easy to read and well supported with contributors from all around the
world. I will send some feedback from Peru and Latinamerica.

Keep on and good luck with further developments on sustainable transportation.

A hug from Lima,

Carlos Cordero, Lima Peru

* * *


Gary Gardner, Grass Valley, CA said...

To the editor:

I very much support what you're doing, especially the collaborative way in which you promote a sustainable transportation agenda. Keep it up!

One suggestion: keep the verbiage to a minimum. Online, our attention span is minimal. Unfortunate, but true!

Best wishes for continued success in your work.

Gary Gardner, Grass Valley, CA
Senior Researcher
Worldwatch Institute

* * *

Debi Goenka, Mumbai India said...

I am delighted to read about these sustainable transport initiatives from all over the world.

Keep up the great work.

Debi Goenka, Mumbai India
Executive Trustee
Conservation Action Trust

* * *

Stephen Plowden, London UK said...

World Streets is indispensable for anyone, whether a professional transport planner or simply a concerned citizen, anxious to keep up with important innovations (and sometimes retrograde steps too) in urban transport all over the world.

It deserves all our gratitude and support.

Stephen Plowden, London UK

* * *

Benoît Beroud, Paris France said...

World Streets works on the principle of a world newspaper focused specifically on sustainable mobility, fed by experts of each country. Thanks to this tool, mobility workers have information, points of view of different cultures and different sources of information. It definitely brings an open-minded in the growing attention field which is the sustainable mobility.

Benoît Beroud, Paris France

* * *

Tim Caswell, Bristol UK said...

World Streets is one of those invaluable resources that just keeps coming up with the goods. We live in a world where we are often isolated in our own sphere of daily work, but at the same time knowing we are all working towards a bigger picture.

World Streets keeps us together in knowing the latter is happening. Slowly (perhaps too slowly), but surely. Its an informational as well as social service !

We would certainly be poorer without it.

Best Regards

Tim Caswell, Bristol UK

* * *

Carlosfelipe Pardo said...

Dear World Streets,

Your work on disseminating information on sustainable transport to the general public, professionals and policymakers has helped us a lot in supporting our views in promoting these topics in developing countries.
We truly hope this endeavor not only continues but that more resources become available to increase its impact even more.

Best regards,

Carlosfelipe Pardo, Bogota Colombia
ITDP Country Director (Colombia

* * *

Sean Roche said...

An invaluable resource. Even the name World Streets captures the intensely local nature of these issues that nonetheless have an obviously global impact.

* * *

Joao Cunha. Barcelona, Spain. said...

Hello World Streets staff:

keep up your good work, and spread your ideas through places that need it, specially third-world and developing countries.

Regards,

Joao Cunha.
Barcelona, Spain.

* * *

Bernie Wagenblast, Cranford, NJ USA said...

As the editor of an electronic publication called the Transportation Communications Newsletter my interests lie in promoting communications.

World Streets is an important way information and viewpoints can be shared worldwide on the topic of sustainable transportation. Through the sharing of what may sometimes be contradictory opinions, others can sharpen their own perspectives and contribute to the ongoing dialogue. To me what's important is not so much that a particular position be promoted, but that multiple positions can be shared in a civil forum.

Bernie Wagenblast, Cranford, NJ USA

* * *

John Warren, Toronto ON Canada said...

World Streets is a very useful project. Tra
nsportation has very large environmental social and health impacts and current trends are clearly unsustainable.

Only by sharing information is there any hope of moving towards a sustainable future without a prior catastrophe. Any support for this project would be beneficial.

John Warren, Toronto ON Canada

* * *

Marko Thull, Prague, Czech Republic said...

Thanks for your work. World Street is a great source of information for all people interested by alternative transportation. The blog is easy to read and provide articles about a various range of subjects.

All the best from Prague, Czech Republic

Marko Thull, Prague, Czech Republic

* * *

Alok Jain, Hong Kong said...

Even though reacting sometimes to an issue seems like repeating what other have already said or what appears to be basic common sense (or sometimes just completely overwhelming) and hence one restrains oneself from really expressing, there should not be a reason to not commend the tremendous work that World Streets (and of course, you) is doing.

So, here's three cheers to World Streets and you. Keep up the good work and keep the mails coming...

Best wishes

Alok Jain, Hong Kong

* * *

Ashok Sreenivas, Parisar, Pune. India said...

I am admittedly an occasional visitor to the World Streets site, but whenever I do I find useful content there.

Cheers
Ashok Sreenivas
Parisar, Pune. India

* * *

Alexandra Velasco, Quito - Ecuador said...

Dear World Streets:

I am really lucky for having known Eric Britton, and World Streets. Now I can feel I am not the only black sheep in the family but there are other black (brown, red, yellow and even pinkish) one also trying to tell the white sheep that there are other colours in the world of mobility and that diversity of opinions and knowledge may reinforce the sense of our unique planet and land depend on our kind of mixture and cooperativism.

I am also sure that exchanging information from a north - south vision is important, but also south - south cooperation and integration since developing countries enhances the same problems as developed countries in terms of mobility but with different and scarce resources, points of view, different cultural and social context, and especially strategies for fighting climate change effects in our countries. Good to have you in the same ship!

Thanks a lot for considering us in the agenda

From Quito - Ecuador above 2800 above sea level

Alexandra Velasco, Quito - Ecuador
Colectivo Quito para Todos

* * *

Orlando Strambi, Sao Paulo, Brazil said...

After 35 years working with and teaching Urban Transport Planning, tapping into information from New Mobility, and now World Streets, fora during the last few years has radically changed my perspective about transport problems and possible solutions towards a sustainable future.

Orlando Strambi, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Associate Professor
Polytechnic School of the University of Sao Paulo

* * *

Daniel Sperling, Davis CA, USA said...

This is an invaluable source of information about sustainable transportation and a great forum for communication and sharing of new and successful ideas and actions.

Daniel Sperling, Davis CA, USA
Director, Institute of Transportation Studies
Saturday, 20 June, 2009


* * *

Curt Larson, Pittsburgh, PA USA said...

You are doing a great job to further an important issue.

Curt Larson, Pittsburgh, PA USA

PS. Living back in Pittsburgh, PA as of 11 months ago after 7 years in Helsinki, a bicycling heaven if one does not mind the cold

* * *

John Ashmore said...

As a professional engineer in the public transport industry I use and value 'World Streets' to keep me abreast of the alternatives that are put forward for both urban and rural movement of choice. There are many commendable ideas that can be expanded but the role of an attractive, clean, efficient modern integrated public transport system (trains, trams, buses, or ....) capable of mass movement must surely be the best core method of travel in cities. Keep up the good work and communications. It is a 'breath of fresh air', even to a traditional engineer like me!
John Ashmore, West Sussex, UK

* * *

Prof. Michael Lewyn, Jacksonville, FL USA said...

Almost encyclopedic in its discussion of a wide variety of transportation issues.

Prof. Michael Lewyn, Jacksonville, FL USA
Florida Coastal School of Law

* * *

Paul Barter, Singapore said...

World Streets is already playing an excellent role in fostering and expanding the international community around the cause of liveable streets and new mobility.

This is incredibly important. The diversity and geographic range of the sources and the readers is impressive with enormous potential for mutual learning across borders. The information shared is of high quality and well focused. It is wonderful to be reminded daily of being part of an international movement that is gathering momentum.

Paul Barter, Singapore
Assistant Professor in Public Policy
and Co-manager and founder of the sustran-discuss forum, which focuses on urban transport in developing countries, especially in Asia.

* * *

Wendy Brawer, New York NY USA said...

I showed the site this week to an English visitor who arrived by wheelchair. She is working on pedestrian and accessibility issues and was delighted to find such a thorough resource that could be mined for best practices worldwide.

Thanks for your great work!

Wendy Brawer, New York NY USA
Green Map System

* * *

Elliot Schwartz, Cambridge MA USA said...

I just discovered worldstreets.org, and immediately found myself reading several articles and following links to other sites for more information! It seems like a great resource for the car-free & sustainable transportation movements!

Cheers,

Elliot Schwartz, Cambridge MA USA
MIT

* * *

Dr Alice Maynard, Milton Keynes UK said...

World Streets is a valuable place to exchange ideas about how we can stay mobile without destroying the very things that we want to be mobile for... our surroundings, our heritage, our planet... and in exchanging ideas we can ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of existing transport systems that exclude so many people.

Dr Alice Maynard, Milton Keynes UK
Director. Future Inclusion

* * *

Sue Zielinski, Ann Arbor MI USA said...

I felt compelled to let you know that in its short existence I've found World Streets to be a refreshingly digestible and linkable resource that brings together not only key issues but also key people related to sustainable transportation around the world. It's a timely tool for change -

Kudos.

Sue Zielinski, Ann Arbor MI USA
Managing Director, SMART
University of Michigan

* * *

Luud Schimmelpennink, Amsterdam, the Netherlands said...

World Streets and the shifting role of the car:

State-of-the-art technology can be put to work hand-in-hand with the changing role of the private car in the city in order to create situations in which even car use can be integrated into the overall mobility strategy with a far softer edge. These advantages need to be carefully explored then widely broadcast so as to increase acceptance of the new pattern of urban mobility.

World Streets contributions in this great challenge after only three months are already considerable. Your positive approach to the full, necessary new mobility mix sets you apart from most of the rest.

Niet stoppen nu World Streets.

Luud Schimmelpennink, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

* * *

Adam Cooper, Vancouver Canada said...

Free access to the information provided by World Streets and its members is helping to connect concerned citizens around the world.
The World Streets network generates significant positive benefits by creating a dialogue around urban issues which might not otherwise take place. This rich dialogue allows best practices from around the globe to be shared in real time; allowing members and visitors to the site to learn from each other and export the lessons the their own cities. The content generated helps to shift the paradigm of urban planning to one that is focused not on the automobile, but on pedestrians, cyclists and others who have typically been ignored. The momentum of urban change is growing around the world, cyclists and pedestrians are taking back their streets and World Streets is there to share the critical information and help in the long fight ahead.


Adam Cooper, Vancouver Canada
UBC TREK Program Centre

* * *

Igor Abreu Garcia, Brazil said...
I'm writing to let you know that we from Brazil's Critical Mass are happy to see your work, please keep going on, and you can count on us in spreading the word of bike and sustainability around here!

Igor Abreu Garcia, Brazil
www.bicicletada.org

John Thackara, Amsterdam, the Netherlands said...
World Streets is a unique and valuable resource. It would be impossible to find this quality of news and insight anywhere else. I encourage all policy makers and city managers to put World Streets at the top of their reading list.

John Thackara, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Director, Doors of Perception

* * *

Theo Schmidt, Steffisburg, Switzerland said...

An invaluable if somewhat weighty resource.

An assembly of invaluable people.

Theo Schmidt, Steffisburg, Switzerland

* * *

Faizan Jawed, Mumbai India said...

World Streets shows the power and good feeling that sharing knowledge, being critical and discussion brings. News, Information and discussion form World Streets forms the most important part of sustainable mobility news, views and happenings for me. World Streets also showcases innovative and apposite use of information technology in today's time.

I am sure that it will play an important role in moulding professional and public opinion and strengthen the movement for equitable, sustainable cities.

Faizan Jawed, Mumbai India
Architect

* * *

Sujit Patwardhan said...

World Streets is a resource rich in content and vision. We have been working for improving Public Transport, Cycling and Walking and for introducing TDM (Traffic Demand Management) measures in Pune, India I haven't been able to contribute much to the site in terms of articles or reports but we are planning to send you a brief case study on two roads that the Municipal Corporation wants to turn into "one way streets", and where are trying to introduce several measures to improve pedestrian and cycling facilities and limit parking of automobiles.

Sujit Patwardhan,
Parisar,
Pune, India

* * *

Dr Adhiraj Joglekar, Mumbai and Pune, India said...

Worlds Streets celebrates multiple viewpoints pertaining to one vision 'sustainable cities'.
A great resource.

Dr Adhiraj Joglekar, Mumbai and Pune, India

* * *

Paul DeMaio, Washington, DC USA said...

The World City Bike Forum by World Streets is a great resource for the advancement of bike-sharing and is used by progressive transportation planners around the world.

Paul DeMaio, Washington, DC USA
Managing Member, MetroBike LLC

* * *

Ton Daggers, The Netherlands said...

I am always surprised how many things can be done in 24 hours as I read World Streets. Many valuable contributions from many different sources brought together is very useful for professionals urban planners and other interested.

The need for change which is expressed in many messages is to be spread more and again.

Ton Daggers, The Netherlands
Director IBC MOVILIZATION

* * *

Rosalie Day, Adelaide, South Australia said...

Sustainable transport is essential if we are to have a liveable world and cities in the future.

World Streets is a great source of information and a forum for sharing ideas about the many things we can do to make transport work better.

I find it useful and thought provoking and support its continuation.

Regards,

Rosalie Day
Adelaide, South Australia

* * *

Lewis Chen, Singapore said...

World Streets is a great initiative to support the development of sustainable transportation model for cities that we live in. It is a great place for sharing and to source for ideas.

The information is also useful for many policy makers and interested parties. Keep up the good work!

Lewis Chen, Singapore
General Manager, INVERS Asia Pte. Ltd.

* * *

Jeroen Langeveld, Zutphen, The Netherlands said...

We share the streets -- Now let's share the cars as well.

Jeroen Langeveld, Zutphen, The Netherlands

* * *

Gail Jennings, Capetown South Africa said...

What would I do without World Streets? It's always a great read, a source of inspiration, information, a sense of community... And gives us a sense of hope and gathering momentum for change.

Gail Jennings, Capetown South Africa
Mobility Magazine,

* * *

Antonia Roberts. Leeds UK said...

This is to express Carplus support for all that is done by World Streets and at the World Car Share Consortium, and the regular bulletins and website resources it houses and creates. It is an invaluable way of keeping in touch with others in the industry around the world.

By sharing knowledge and best practise it makes our efforts more effective and successful.

I very much hope that resources are found for it to continue.

Antonia Roberts. Leeds UK
Director, carplus - rethinking car use

* * *

Simon Baddeley, Birmingham, UK said...

Dear Eric

'World Streets' is a portal, blog and website capturing the idea of thinking globally, acting locally, sharing, via the internet, practical ways, after a century pf distortion, to restore - through research, education, lobbying and debate - a balance between access by proximity and access by mobility.


Simon Baddeley, Birmingham, UK
Inlogov, School of Government & Society
University of Birmingham

Manfred Breithaupt. Eschborn, Germany said...

Dear World Streets,

We are always eager to forward the information that is sent through the World Streets website and discussion group, as we have found it a most useful and up-to-date resource that complements our work and provides support to our advisory projects in the developing world.

Manfred Breithaupt. Eschborn, Germany
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
(German Technical Cooperation - Transport and Mobility

* * *

Ines Alveano, Morelia, Mexico said...

I read www.worldstreets.org in the city where I live (Morelia). I find it very interesting and useful. I dream that some day, we'll have better forms of transportation (I use public transport and bike) in our country (Mexico).

Ines Alveano, Morelia, Mexico

* * *

Alon Rozen, Paris, France and Tel Aviv Israel said...

From someone who has seen how much effort and resources Eric and his network of World Streets partners and collaborators have poured into this valuable endeavor, I can only hope that policy makers around the world will see this as a concrete example of going from idea to action -- and then lend an attentive ear to the incredible dialog going on right here, online, every day! Hopefully too, the enthusiasm, ideas, collective intelligence and feedback will get their attention too...

You are filling an important policy vacuum and I can only hope that decision makers will be smart enough to involve you in the discussion leading to their own policy formulations.

Alon Rozen, Paris, France and Tel Aviv Israel

* * *

Michael Alba, Boston MA USA said...

World Streets is a fantastic distillation of global information covering some of the most exciting cutting-edge advancements and/or concepts in the arena of sustainability. It is a perfect source for busy individuals bombarded with information-overload in this era of communication saturation. As with everything that you have progressed before, be sure you have our many thanks Eric.

Michael Alba, Boston MA USA
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates

* * *

Michael Yeates, Brisbane Australia said...

Communication is essential especially as both good and bad news now travel the globe in milliseconds. The threats to our "streets" are very similar but appear different so understanding the different contexts and spreading good ideas widely is essential to keep people not threatening vehicles on our "World Streets". Thanks for access to great info and expertise.

Michael Yeates
Brisbane Australia

* * *

April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden said...

What we want - slow, shared, lively streets with lots of people on them. How we get it - supporting World Streets.

* * *

Ian Downie, Lisbon, Portugal said...

As an interested citizen, World Streets is an excellent resource for keeping me informed of pertinent issues that are facing bike-sharing schemes globally and contributes to my agenda locally.

Ian Downie, Lisbon, Portugal

Estação de Bicicletas
Para Aumentar a Mobilidade Fisica e Social de Lisboa

* * *

Gianni Rondinella, Madrid, Spain said...

World Streets is one of the best interactive platforms to envisioning the change the cities around the world needed to transform the transport sector. That change is needed in order to save the most valuable asset of our city: different people living together, having the possibility to interact in a random form, creating culture, knowledge and innovation together.

World Streets daily adds new elements to the vision of that new city, to those new streets, to those public living rooms we inhabit every day.

Gianni Rondinella, Madrid, Spain
Researcher at TRANSyT (Transport Research Centre) - Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
www.transyt.upm.es

* * *

Elizabeth Press said...

What a fantastic resource! This site proves great insight to all the sustainable transport and sustainable city innovations and discussions taking place around the world.

Thanks, Eric!

Elizabeth Press
filmmaker, streetfilms.org, New York, New York

* * *

Esther Anaya –Barcelona, Spain. said...

When I look at World Streets I wonder why it wasn’t done before, because it’s so obvious that we need an international platform like this!

My congratulations and sincere thanks to Eric, who makes possible this link of us, people from around the world, working for a better future of our streets, with the information and connections we need to make this goal more possible everyday.

Esther Anaya –Barcelona, Spain.

* * *

Ken Ohrn, Vancouver, BC Canada said...

What a wonderful piece of issues-oriented writing! I admire you for the effort it takes to produce something as good, entertaining and useful as this.

Ken Ohrn, Vancouver, BC Canada

Saskia Hermans, Switzerland said...

World Streets is a source of inspiration, that shows us how much more is possible then we tend to think. It is so important to know we are not alone trying to make this world's streets, towns and cities more liveable, and be able to learn from each, other worldwide!

Saskia Hermans, Switzerland
cycling and traffic engineer
Switzerland

* * *

Dinesh Mohan, New Delhi India said...

A large number of people around the world are able to keep track of interesting moves because of World Streets. We need the solidarity and mutual backslapping even more to keep away the wolves.

Dinesh Mohan, New Delhi India
Professor and Coordinator, Transport Research and Injury Prevention Programme
WHO Collaborating Centre
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

* * *

Gil Gilmore, USA said...

WorldStreets.org is an excellent resource for anyone interested in non-fuelish transportation issues. It is useful as both a source of inspiration and useful analysis.

May this site continue to thrive in all ways. The planet needs it

Gil Gilmore, USA

* * *

Elizabeth Deakin, Berkeley CA USA said...

I am a regular reader. I also pass along articles from the website to my graduate students. The work is of high quality and it puts us in touch with other researchers and practitioners in the field of sustainable development and transport.

It provides a much-needed service and cuts through the media overload to the essentials.

Elizabeth Deakin, Berkeley CA USA
Professor, UC Berkeley

* * *

Andrew Curran, Vancouver Canada said...

At a time when the urban sustainability agenda is more important than ever, “World Streets” provides a much needed international platform for exchanging, discussing and disseminating cutting edge new mobility ideas.

Andrew Curran,
Vancouver Canada

* * *

Wayne Worden, Vancouver Canada said...

I get World Streets in Google Reader. I always scan the material and more often than not I read the entire article.

Sustainable transportation is a very important topic for me and I appreciate the information I get from World Streets.

Wayne Worden, V
ancouver Canada

* * *

Laurent Certin, Paris France said...

Thank you again Eric for all the work you are doing. I think this website is a great way to improve communication on alternatives for mobility. This is what is really needed today I think.

As a matter of fact, solutions exist and in general can be deployed without major technical issues. So I wish good luck and great success to all the ones who are participating and promoting theses initiatives.

Laurent Certin, Paris France

* * *

Zvi Leve (Montreal, QC, Canada) said...

World Streets serves as a tireless promoter of the realistic application of 'sustainable transportation' schemes. The knowledge and creativity of the group are an inspiration for transport 'reformers' world-wide.

Now we just need to "get the word out".

Zvi Leve, Montreal, Canada

* * *

Giselle Noceti Ammon Xavier, Brazil said...

World Streets is a very useful tool for updating - about cycling initiatives and references...it also helps in keeping us with the good feeling of "there are lots of us" struggling to have better cities..."we are not alone"...

Giselle Noceti Ammon Xavier, Brazil

* * *

Richard Layman said...

Too often people's experiences with transportation issues are limited to their own locality. World Streets brings together people from Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Africa, sharing perspectives, experiences, references, and ideas, to enlighten all.

* * *

Rutul said...

World Streets has give me the most important exposure about 'sustainable transport' initiatives across the world. It is good to know that there are so many people from different corners of the world who believe in a different paradigm of urban development. I believe, there should be more contributions coming from the Asian cities and from the industrializing and urbanizing world. This also calls for commitment from lot of people like me to start sharing the transport issues emerging around.

Rutul Joshi,
Lecturer at School of Planning, CEPT University,
Ahmedabad, India.

* * *

Morten Lange (Reykjavik, Iceland) said...

The Icelandic government recently published a report comparing the options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One of the top three contenders in terms of viability and economic gain (net gain, even when excluding external costs regarding global warming, pollution etc) was to increase cycling and walking.

WorldStreets contains many examples of how to achieve increases in these and other forms of healthier and greener transport in cities and towns.

Morten Lange, MSc
Chairman of Icelandic Cyclists' Federation,
extra on the National Road safety board
Reykjavik, Iceland

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Michael Lewyn said...

World Streets is an almost encyclopedic source of information about how to make the world more comfortable for pedestrians and cyclists.

Prof. Michael Lewyn
Florida Coastal School of Law
Jacksonville, FL
Wednesday, 08 July, 2009

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Edward Beimborn, Milwaukee WI, USA said...

Keep up the good work, this is a useful resource, a global community for discussion of important issues

Edward Beimborn, Milwaukee WI, USA
Director, Center for Urban Transportation Studies
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

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Robert Smith, Dorset UK said...

Without your support originally I have no doubt that the "walk to school" initiative would never have reached all corners of the globe as it clearly has. A little while ago we asked a mixed group of adults (aged 19 -99) how many of them had heard of the walk to school campaign. Everyone of them raised their hand. Not bad eh?

I just wish more people would raise their gas pedal foot a little more whilst driving.

Robert Smith, Dorset UK
Road Safety Manager (Education, Training and Publicity)
Environment Directorate
Dorset County Council

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Conrad Wagner, Switzerland said...
The World CarShare program of World Streets runs a platform to form high-tech local mobility solutions with globally recognized background.

There is always need to bring experts together with investors and operators. And cities bring in the framework to implement and develop.
So, all players in this field of mobility and the age of access have benefits of sharing via World Streets and World Carshare.

Conrad Wagner, Switzerland
Mobility consultant

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Dave Wetzel "Transforming Communities" London. UK. said...

World Streets provides valuable assistance to all those who want to keep up to date on affordable, effective, environmental and economic solutions to transport problems and should be an essential item in every transport planner's toolbox.

Thank you Eric!

Dave Wetzel
"Transforming Communities"
London. UK.

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David Stein, Vienna Austria said...

I would like to thank Eric Britton for his initiatives with World Streets and calling into action those caring citizens across the Globe who care about mobility and understand that it is a critical indicator of social progress. As with other forms of modern technology, its implications have been little understood and effects, as a result, have largely been neglected and left to spiral out of control. Specifically, one should consider the effects on our built environment. Over the last century and a half, mobility has rearranged an organically created living space established through walking and horse travel to achieve our daily needs to a mushrooming realm shaped by the use of motorized transport to achieve those same basic needs.

Much of the world's population living in developing countries have yet to experience the advances of motorization---which, is commonly accepted as a prerequisite for increasing wealth. However, when we look at various populations groups around the world, regardless of wealth or GDP, the amount of time people spend travelling has remained relatively constant. This means that while motorized transport has extended the limits of our living space, it has not reduced the need for travel but rather, increased our dependence on it. Meanwhile, its external effects are consuming a finite level of natural resources that we daily take for granted. If the majority of the Earths less wealthy inhabitants therefore wish to replicate what the majority of residents in the developed world are doing as a way to increase their welfare, the finite natural resources will become even more scarce and dwindle down drastically.

So what's for us to do??

We need therefore to grasp better how mobility could be reintroduced to its most basic form--namely through walking and cycling and shared transport-- and then rebuild our environment around these forms of transport that will reduce society's impacts on the environment. A simple recipe this is not. Our start to undo what has been done could well be a hundred year project, but the ball needs to get rolling.

The start is through a proper forum that will network the people who, through professional means or through sheer interest, could see the light through the trees and communicate to the public that there could be a better tomorrow if we act now. One way is for each of us to make gradual changes to our own way of living and get others to join. When others join, then we become an interest group striving for change; when we strive for change we could get others to follow; When others follow, then we become a movement that picks up steam; Once we do this politicians will take notice--or at least be unable to ignore us. When enough politicians and policy makers take up the challenge, then our laws will hopefully change for the better and in return influence behavior for the better. Adopted behavior could then become an accepted norm that will attract those who had refused to change. Then a new paradigm for change takes shape and a new cycle continues...

I want to thank Eric for getting this ball rolling and encourage everyone to take part. To initiate change, we need to think globally and act locally. Through forums such as New Mobility Forum, the exchange of ideas have made it easier to facilitate action at the local level.

David Stein, Vienna Austria
Institute of Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering; Technical University of Vienna


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W. Dirk van Dijl, Hastings, E. Sussex UK said...

As climate change gathers momentum and in many areas gains acceptance as an actual problem, my business activities have taken me out of the realm of sustainable transport and back into what I might term normal, everyday transport. It turns out that this ‘real world’ has not changed much.

The love for fast cars with lots of toys is still there. The knowledge of alternatives is thin, trains are always late, full and dirty, buses are for passes and running is done in an air conditioned environment you drive to.

This has led to interesting conversations, so let me share the company car discussion. I have argued against company cars for many years, as I have found that by letting people drive personal cars for business they look at low fuel usage, they drive slower and they get smaller cars. But one of the companies I work with is looking at company cars and has ordered some Japanese pickup trucks with crew cabs. For the uninitiated these are pickup trucks with four doors and five seats, so really a car with a wheel barrow on the back.

These vehicles come with leather, sat nav, big engines, automatics, big on fuel and road space usage. However, they offer one big advantage – they are considered commercial vehicles so there is no tax on them. Now how can I argue against that?

Against that same background governments are bailing out the car manufacturers whilst thousands of other businesses are failing all around us, they are incentivising people to buy new cars (which will be used more as they are comfortable and reliable) and they are giving tax benefits to driving fuel guzzlers. Governments also back the bicycle sharing clubs – give me an example of a success here – they get involved with the car sharing clubs – give me an example of a real business success here – they encourage people to use public transport – even I cannot afford to travel by train in the UK anymore in many cases and I try hard.

The challenge is to make the alternative to the flash car as exciting and enticing as the flash car was. Simply saying it is good for the environment may catch on, but probably not before the sea levels have risen several inches.

World Streets needs to catch on before my feet get wet.

W. Dirk van Dijl
Hastings, E. Sussex UK

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Would you like to add your voice to this impressive list?

You can do it simply by posting your remarks and counsel just below here using the Comment link.

Thank you.

Eric Britton,
Editor, World Streets.

--> Read on:

It's March, let's go to the movies: "Fixing the Great Mistake in New York City"

Fixing the Great Mistake: Autocentric Development in New York City opens a new Streetfilms series that examines what went wrong in the early part of the 20th Century, when our cities began catering to the automobile, and how those decisions continue to affect our lives today. The irrepressible Elizabeth Press points her camera at Paul White of New York's Transportation Alternatives who tells us the story.

Fixing the Great Mistake in New York City: Autocentric Development

- by Elizabeth Press on February 25, 2010

In this episode, Transportation Alternatives director Paul Steely White shows how planning for cars drastically altered Park Avenue. Watch and see what Park Avenue used to look like, how we ceded it to the automobile, and what we need to do to reclaim the street as a space where people take precedence over traffic.

- Click here to view the four minute video.

And don't forget: If they can do it there, we can do it anywhere. New York, New York.

--> Read on: