[sustran] Global South Mobility - Currently hanging out at http://www.globalsouthmobility.org/

[Eric Britton]

Global South Mobility – A relay station in the up hill struggle for sustainable
mobility in cities in the developing world

 

Dear Sustran Friends,

 

Not quite sure about this – at least as it stands thus far – but for some months
now this has been itching and it seemed to me that there just had to be room for
something at  least decent along these lines. So I have sat down and spent some
time with this to see what we might have if I gave it a good first whack.  Which
is my best effort for now that you can see at this address,
http://www.globalsouthmobility.org/ 

 

It brings up a couple of questions concerning which I would be most grateful to
have your counsel, either in private of if you think it appropriate via the
group

 

1.	Is this necessary? Does it fill a gap, or is it just one more of many
and really not necessary?
2.	Does this have at least the promise of the quality needed to do the job?
3.	And why should this come from us and the New Mobility Agenda?  Perhaps
there is someone better placed to do this? Or maybe they already are – though I
could not run it down in my own research for something along these line. (I for
one don’t mind sitting down and shutting up when someone is already doing a good
job of it.)

 

And finally and about the most important once we have worked our way through the
above:

 

o              What needs to be done next to make it more useful, prior to
striding out on to the world stage and seeing if we can find our place.  

 

Over the last couple of days I find myself talking to the media about urban
rail, BRTs, cycles, motorcycles in cities, Bogotá, Dar, a bunch of cities in
South Africa – and the long list goes on.  The little video library and Paul
Barter’s excellent commentary on them. Calls for and radio interviews in
Slovenia and of all places New York City (capital of the underdeveloped world,
at least as far as transportation is concerned). Something important is going
on, and we need to be there and take our place.  Otherwise you know hat will
happen.

 

Thanks for telling me what you think. And while I may be a bit pigheaded in my
efforts to make this work and useful, please do believe that I am wide open to
counsel and your ideas.  I hope that you have noticed that I am able to listen,
learn and not at all timid about ripping things apart if I understand how to do
better.

 

best/eric

 

PS. And oh yes, this is either an emergency or not. If not, let’s get off the
computer and go to the beach. And don’t forget the beer. 

 

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