Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics Cities for Mobility World Congress 2011

Urban Mobility and the Social Space Challenge

On Private Space, Public Space and . . . Social Space - Vision, Strategies, Tactics
Eric Britton, Managing Director , EcoPlan International Sustainability Seminar program - http://sustain.ecoplan.org World Streets/New Mobility Agenda http://worldstreets.org

The Old Mobility Agenda

It was great while it lasted

Stuttgart, July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

In brief
1. 2.

3.
4. 5. 6. 7.

Sustainable transport in cities: 2011 status report Why Social Spaces in 2011 Space in cities Strategies Tactics Psychopathology Our information deficit

Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

The Old Mobility Agenda

It was great while it lasted

Stuttgart, July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

Sustainable transport: 2011 status report

1. 2. 3. 4.

Increasing successes (examples) Increasing failures Bottom line Conclusion: New visions/new strategies needed

Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

The Old Mobility Agenda

It was great while it lasted

Stuttgart, July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

Space in cities: Whats going on?

1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Seven billion people on one small planet > 50 % in cities (and more every day) Going on 1 billion cars (and more every day) > 25 % of infrastructure > 80 % of public expenditures in sector 1 parked car = ca. 12 Sq. M. of valuable city space 1 car speeding in cites = >100 hurrying people on foot Elephant in the bedroom And never mind the other externalities (For now)
Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress
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Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

The Old Mobility Agenda

It was great while it lasted

Stuttgart, July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

Elephant in the bedroom syndrome?

Elephant? Bedroom? Its simple matter of geometry. All you have to do is stand back and look. You see, cars just dont fit in modern cities. We have to make a choice. One or the other. But most definitely not both.

PS. Until very recently the elephant was giving no signs of leaving. Hmm.

The Old Mobility Agenda

It was great while it lasted

Stuttgart, July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

10

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

Why Social Space in Stuttgart in 2011

1. 2. 3. 4.

Stuttgart in December Kaohsiung in September (2011) Social Format on World Streets Because we have a rich concept lets work with it

Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

11

World Streets
The world turns slowly to social space

Italy: Can your children walk safely to school this morning?

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

Vision: The three kinds of space in cities

The space between buildings
1. 2. 3.

4.
5.

Private space Public space And social space What makes social space great Slippage

Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

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World Streets
The world turns slowly to social space

UK: Pedestrians on what was until recently a street for cars.

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

Strategies
1. 2. 3. 4.

Make space-inefficient modes/uses (cars) pay full social price Reduce their space take (proportionately) Slow them down Improve enforcement

Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

15

World Streets
The world turns slowly to social space

Denmark: Still biking. (Ave. inc/cap $ 58 ,930 7th in the world )

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

Implementation strategies
1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Have a consistent strategy that defies challenge Understand that those benefitting from the present arrangements are very strong and will fight But that their points need to be taken into consideration Listen to everybody Get the timing right Be resilient/Hold course Win!
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Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

World Streets
The world turns slowly to social space

China: A street for all in Urumqi

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

Tactics (A first sample)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Full-cost parking: Polluter pay principle for parking Slow traffic zone program 15 / 30/ 50 kph Create a Street Code - culpability/proof Encourage carsharing free up street space x 10 100 % walk/bike to school program for city Wrong-way biking programs Involve! Use social networking and citizen reporting to spot and remedy anomalies
Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress 19

Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

World Streets
The world turns slowly to social space

Picking up a public bike in Paris.

Social Space: Vision, Strategies, Tactics

The psychopathology of social space

1.

2.
3. 4. 5.

6.

The nexus of contact is between people, --and not vehicles Social space is implicitly democratic, a social leveler. It is free, near-by, open and accessible to all It works on eye contact, which carries many behavioral implications In social spaces we learn to slow down - The hard edge of urgency and the need for immediate gratification is palliated, disappears And with it the potential, implicit violence, danger level is reduced.
Conundrum: ; How to convince someone whose life, without reflection, revolves around his car that this is a superior way to organize our lives.? Not easy, eh? But that is what we have to do.

Stuttgart, 4 July 2011

Cities for Mobility: 2011 World Congress

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World Streets
The world turns slowly to social space

Brazil: Social-space procession in Sao Paulo.

World Streets
The world turns slowly to social space

Eric Britton, Managing Director , EcoPlan International 8/10, rue Jospeh Bara 75006 Paris France +331 7550 3788. Skype newmobility World Streets/New Mobility Agenda http://worldstreets.org 2011/2012 Sustainability Seminar program - http://sustain.ecoplan.org