[sustran] Re: 'elephant in the bedroom' computer game?'utsg@jiscmail.ac.uk

[Martin Cassini]

Eric
 
Nice idea. In our day and age it would need to be a video game, wouldn't
it? I have asked Imperial College about modelling my proposals for
scrapping controls and letting traffic sort itself out. It's still very
much on my agenda - as soon as any funding materialises, that'll be one
of the elements I will explore/commission. 
 
I wonder if a video game company would speculate with us? where we
provide the elements that would go into the mix, and profitshare. But is
it a commercial proposition?
 
It could be of great value and interest to transport authorities. Maybe
we could pursue a grant to help put a team together to devise something
where the elements can all be tailored for different cities and
circumstances ... an educational tool ...
 
Martin
www.goodfun.tv
 
-----Original Message-----
From:
sustran-discuss-bounces+martincassini=blueyonder.co.uk at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+martincassini=blueyonder.co.uk at list.jca.
apc.org] On Behalf Of Eric Britton
Sent: 25 September 2006 13:57
To: Sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org; utsg at jiscmail.ac.uk
Subject: [sustran] 'elephant in the bedroom' computer
game?'utsg at jiscmail.ac.uk



Is this true or not? The 'elephant
<http://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Bedroom-Automobile-Dependence-Environmen
t/dp/0932727654/ref=reader_req_dp/002-3342033-9727231?ie=UTF8> in the
bedroom' thesis of cars and cities?

 

A key tenet of the New Mobility Agenda and the core of all that concerns
us here is that there is a rather simple but ineluctable geometric
conflict between cars and cities. Namely that most cities can
accommodate a certain quantum of private cars in traffic and within
their existing urban form and infrastructure up to a certain point -
beyond which something has to give. 

 

Either (a) you adapt the city to the exigencies of an expanding
population of cars - by adding capacity, expanding infrastructure,
increasing vehicle speeds and throughput, etc.  (the 'old
<http://www.ecoplan.org/briefs/general/old-mobility.htm#quick> mobility'
approach to transport in cities.) Or alternatively you search for  ways
to advance and adapt the mobility system to keep within the dimensions
and social and economic dynamics of the historic city.  The sine quo non
in both cases is that the mobility arrangements whatever they are not
undermine the local economy and the overall sustainability of the city
(otherwise after a bit you will have no city left, or at least one with
a very different economic and life quality profile).

 

Against this background, my question today is to ask your counsel in the
following?

1.      Do you know of the existence of a game which demonstrate
visually the 'carrying capacity' of a city for car-based transport - and
can also help us to understand what happens when you reach some kind of
critical threshold and decision point?

2.      It might be a board game -- or probably far better something
along the lines of Sim City which can handle the variables that need to
be factored in and inspected in terms of their cumulative results.

3.      The ideal game to my mind  would be a somewhat interactive game
that would permit the player to set a certain number of parameters which
reflect the situation in their city, and then so start to play with the
numbers.  And when we reach a decision point and decide, as has all too
often happened in the past, to increase capacity, speeds etc. for the
car component, it would be good to see the results of the 'space take';
of this policy. 

4.      And while I dream, I would also like to have some kind of
ballpark estimates of performance under these various views of the city:
fuel requirements, CO2 production, even accidents, something about
under- or un-served groups, and a few other things. Should not be
impossible, don't you think?

 

And if such a game does not exist, might you be interested 

 

a.       To participate in a project which would have as its objective
first to research and define that main guidelines and parameters of such
a game?

b.      And to look for some agency or other to help finance such an
effort?

 

It would be lovely if you would be able to share with us information on
such a game and how we all can access and use it. And failing that to
have your comments and ideas for this proposal (which I have to think is
not original, so if we can link to something already underway along
these lines, that would be just splendid.

 

I leave you with a link to a shot of a well working old
<http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/wt_home-houston.htm> mobility system.

 

Eric Britton

 

 

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