Motivation for urbanists!

Here’s some encouragement (I hope) in your relentless pursuit of walkable streets.

Humans are built for walking, which is why in spite of their budget priorities so many agencies define walking as the fundamental mode of transportation. It’s hard work to persuade the decision makers to plan and design walkable street networks, but please keep it up. 

You’ll never run out of opportunities to improve the public transportation network for walking:

• Traffic impact studies for new development

• Comprehensive plans for local government

• Small area land use plans

• Economic development studies

• Drafting and/or purging zoning ordinances 

• Environmental impact studies

• Transit operations analysis

• Every single attempt to widen a street

Urbanists, your goal is bigger than your boss.

It doesn’t matter who deposits money into your bank account: consulting firm, public agency, or non-profit. Bosses and clients will always have a smaller goal than you, even if they sound demanding in your voicemail or email inbox. It’s absolutely possible to respect your boss while remembering walkable streets transcends your boss. Be clear that your goal is to plan street networks that are safe for people of all ages.

The 21st century planner is selling transportation networks that accommodate everyone, and your audience needs to be convinced to buy whatever you’re selling. When you feel like you’re treated as a lunatic by experts, remember the cigarette manufacturers. Their propaganda campaigns were so effective that it took decades for most people to see through the smoke of experts. “Follow the science” leads to walkability, and you know it.

You don’t have to love marketing and you don’t have to be an extrovert. You can use the power of stories to convince the general public to restore freedom, peace, and safety to American streets.

Most people wouldn’t include transportation planning in a list of “career pursuits for creatives”. But you can absolutely provoke critical thought and inspire others to action through your work. I’m sure you have loads of opportunities to be a mobility storyteller:

• Planning commission meetings

• Public hearings

• Neighborhood association meetings

• Family holiday party

• Newspaper interview

• Webinar

• High school career fair

Don’t underestimate the importance of persuasion. Facts and figures aren’t enough.

Americans have been told for decades about the dangers of modern street design, but we’re still suffering through 100+ traffic deaths every single day. Study marketing, study psychology, study World War II propaganda. I wish every planning and engineering curriculum featured that stuff as basic coursework. To be most effective, learn how to catch people’s fleeting attention and make them want to follow you wherever you lead. 

Nobody ever said “I’d follow her anywhere because of her dedication to mediocrity.” Anyone interested in planning streets for people will meet harsh resistance from the status quo. You have to stand out from the crowd to help topple an industry that has wrought social, economic, and physical destruction.

By nature, most professional planners are cautious and conscientious people. Radicalizing sounds unreasonable. Take comfort knowing that you can be a radical leader—someone who inspires others to act—without changing your personality. 

Figure out how you can provoke change while remaining you. You will have a plethora of opportunities to engage, influence, and lead. 

• Social media (say Twitter and my heart will pitter patter)

• Professional organizations 

• Online training 

• Conferences 

• Community events

• Project meetings 

You don’t need to be at the top of an organization chart. You don’t even need to have staff reporting to you. That said, people who don’t even work with you will jump up and follow your lead. It’s human nature to love a bold freedom fighter.