[sustran] Re: UN Ambassador for Transport in Cities

[Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory]

Hi,

Just got this excellent suggestion from someone in San Francisco about 
someone in New York City:

"Moby has a tea shop/bookstore in Little Italy called Teany (Tea NY, get 
it), & I know he bike-commutes there, because I've seen him.  He might 
be someone you could contact, too."

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby>

So maybe a transport in cities ambassador, or  more specifically a 
cycling for urban transport ambassador?

- T



Eric Britton wrote:
> 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
>
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-- 
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Director
Green Idea Factory

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