[sustran] UN Ambassador for Transport in Cities

[Eric Britton]

Here are my best thoughts on this Lew.

1. Program title: I would say "Transport in Cities". On the grounds that
everyone knows immediately what that means, so you don't have to explain as
is inevitably the case with sustainable transport (which is clear to those
(few) who already know about it, but that's not our there in the real world
such a big number.)

2. "Job description": And yes to you all, I think that EP would be terrific
for this, but rather than prematurely narrow on one person no matter how
qualified for the job (who knows for sure what he is going to think about
this and what his schedule is?) I would like to share a few words with you
all as to what I think is needed to do this job, and what not. For example:

a. Deep experience and real world track record:

b. Strong, striking individual personality:  (hardly needs more here.)

c. Pattern breaker.

d. Talk the talk: I don't see this as something for which any media person
would have anything nearly like the background or credibility to achieve
anything really important. (Not only that each time I run into one of these
deals I can always visualize the guy's agent licking their lips, all gussied
up with a heavy dose of hypocrisy).

e. Walk the walk: And yes, they should also walk the walk in their daily
lives - without which we really have an empty vessel. And this in a too
empty world of ephemeral and essentially meaningless images.

f. Capture the attention and imagination of the public:  And then hold it!
And hold it and hold it!  Otherwise the job will not get done. They must be
able to do this, otherwise it is just one more brain-dead media flutter.

3. Rolling ambassadorship?

a. What about a fixed term in "office". Say one year (or two?), but with all
the support needed to make this work. (I would suggest that unless the Sec
Gen buys into this with enthusiasm, it will simply not get the backing it
needs to make it work.

b. After which our guy stays on board but in some kind of emeritus position:
We really would not like to lose the momentum once we have it, and the best
way to do that is to forget an otherwise familiar face.  Our guys should be
signing on for life.

c. Great mayors: Luckily for us we have some great mayors out there
including people who really can fill this bill.  (And probably more of them
than you might know unless you really get around a lot.)  And while not all
of them are 6"5" tall cyclists and have that great Latin accent, we have a
number of very appealing candidates for this job. Just to pick out one who
comes immediately to mind, when Ken Livingstone, a non-driving
straight-talking public transport user for life. Looking for more. Well,
just look around and fine mayors who bike to work every day, etc.

To sum it up. I think this is a great idea . Now what can we do, what can I
do, to make it happen?

Eric Britton