[sustran] [World Streets] Subscribe, support, get involved

[Eric Britton]

[From World Streets today. Click here for article: http://tinyurl.com/ws-subscribe ]

 

 

World Streets: Subscribe, support, get involved



Passion is great; financial support makes the passion available for the long term. 


 <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbTo-M_pSuw/SiZZfEBmLUI/AAAAAAAAA00/olzG6PVFsTI/s1600-h/eb-23mar09-2.jpg> After four months of proving its worth day after day, bringing carefully selected news, expert views, comments and leads to more than forty-five thousand visitors from more than forty countries on all continents, World Streets is reaching out to get active subscriber support. The tough reality is that we will be unable to continue publication unless we have your support. So it's time for you to subscribe, support, get involved



* Context: But first, if you have not yet got to this, click here  <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/06/tell-us-what-you-think-about-world.html> to read the letters of support coming in from one hundred Principal Voices of sustainable transportation worldwide.


1. Subscribe to World Streets

Annual subscription is 29 Euros ($39.00 if you prefer) -- the same price by the way as for a subscription to Vélib's great and otherwise free share bike service. This strikes us as a good model, since like Vélib once you have signed up the rest is free. First class sustainable mobility for all. Help yourself. And help the world.

Subscribers have full access to all sections of the site, and as well receive the monthly summary report. You also for your money get a guided tour to Vélib, Mobilien (BRT), "breathing streets", our "political tramway" and the other remarkable highlights of the ongoing process of sustainable transport innovation in Paris when your travels bring you here. Also, we are here to answer your questions and review eventual problems or projects with you by email or Skype. It is very much an active subscription.

How to subscribe:  

* So please, if you can possibly afford it, get out your virtual check book and click here <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-transfer-funds.html>  for step by step help for payment by credit card, PayPal, bank transfer or check. * 


2. But what happens if you cannot afford to subscribe? 

We are well aware that a number of our readers, particularly those in the poorer developing countries and unfunded local environment and transport groups, cannot afford even such a small amount. To you we have three messages of solidarity.

First, please do continue to come into World Streets and make use of the hard work of all those who are pitching in here. We need you to carry on with your work and contributions, and if we can help you in this way, so much the better.

Second, we invite you to keep an eye on what is going on in your city and country, and when appropriate let us know of projects, problems, accomplishments, which will help us all to better understand the full complexity of our shared task. One excellent way to do this, is to sign in to the <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/03/world-streets-correspondents.html>  World Eyes on the Street network, for which full details are available if you click here <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/03/world-streets-correspondents.html> .

Finally, send us a simple email message telling us that you appreciate and are making use of our work. And perhaps a few suggestions and reactions for us to consider as we strike to do better. Also, if we have a large number of these messages of support, this will help in our search for longer term funding to support this work. After all, we have to be sustainable too. (Click here <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/06/tell-us-what-you-think-about-world.html>  to add your message <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/06/tell-us-what-you-think-about-world.html>  of support.)

3. Supporting World Streets/Sponsorship

We are going to need significant financial support if World Streets is to continue. This is clear without a doubt. Despite the many volunteers pitching in with ideas, articles and encouragement, our programs are still costly to run and require an annual budget on the order of EUR 100,000 to get the job done. (There is a lot going on here, the iceberg under the tip, which is needed for the journal and which you never see, including management and oversight of all that goes into maintaining the New Mobility Agenda focus programs and sites – see www.program.newmobility.org to get an idea on that.) 

This level of funding normally can come only from foundations, public agencies, or well-to-do individuals. But there is scope for smaller, more strategic donations as well, and here is maybe where you will have some ideas. Your counsel and initiative will be helpful in several ways.

*	By making a contribution - large or small - you are sending us a strong signal that what we are doing has value.

*	Your contributions will help us to fund the diversity of our existing programs at the quality level and frequency you are used to.

*	An active contributor base helps us equally to turn to the foundations, agencies, and individuals that can make more sizable contributions to help us make-up a budget shortfall.

But there is possibly an even more important reason for you to make your voice heard in this way. World Streets and the New Mobility Agenda are voices of the sustainable cities movement that have an international role and high visibility, including in your country and city. If you can help register strong votes of support for these new approaches in this way (and we are talking about the smallest symbolic contribution that technology permits), this message is going to have even stronger international impact.

Some of you have asked how much to give. The possible range, a range that is useful for us, is in fact enormous. If you are a student or struggling to make ends meet in a poor city or country, even one dollar would be loaded with significance. Please don't be embarrassed or shy. It is a wonderful way to join in. Your small contribution carries a very big message.

The annual subscription cost of course is € 29/US$ 39 – that's a module to consider. And if your circumstances permit you to easily double or more that, then this is really starting to help.

Looking at it from the other end, our daily costs run on the order of $500.00 Which quickly adds up to a couple of thousand dollars a week, four times that for the month, and for the year . . . well you already have that figure. Those are modules that some of you at least may wish to consider if your resources permit. 

4. What about viral fund raising?

If Obama could do this so successfully, what should keep a worthy collaborate project like World Streets, and smart people like us, from stealing a page from his book? Now, I have no idea how that works, but the idea of having someone who deeply shares our concerns and values step forward to take the lead and then go out on their own to develop contributions from friends, family, colleagues and neighbors for the good cause, well that sounds like a do-able idea to me. So if you have thoughts on this, please do get in touch. I am sure there has to be something there.

Curious to know more about your company on Streets? * Click here <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/06/tell-us-what-you-think-about-world.html>  to read what more than 80 of your international colleagues have to say about World Streets.


5. Other forms of support: If you are able to offer technical help or tools, editorial or reporting services, media or communications support, or wish to get involved in the outreach projects, please get in touch. There is a lot of work involved in making this a world level contribution to sustainable development and social justice. Also you may wish to check here <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/01/problemssuggestions.html>  to have an idea of work in progress and areas in which help is needed.

Fees: Several friends have asked why we do not simply charge for the information and services our various New Mobility programs render. Our answer to that is simple. Since we started these collaborative networking projects, starting in 1988, we decided that everything that comes out of this collaborative work should be entirely free. Sustainable development is a huge challenge which requires that many people get involved with as few barriers as possible. We wish to remain faithful to this principle of open access.

Advertising: Others have made the good suggestion that we should develop additional revenues in support of the sites by bringing in advertising. In a world of ubiquitous, unrelenting advertising for stuff, we wish to keep these programs not just free, but free from commercial messages. (Not only that they distract and take up valuable screen real estate which we need too badly to stay on message; so we can't give it away.) With your help and support, and that of like-minded individuals, we will remain faithful to these principles and continue to offer quality programs that will help ensure the sustainability of our cities and lives.

Eyes on the Street: : But there is more to this than money. What about pitching in and join our World Eyes on the Street Observatory?. No obligation, no time required (and no pay), but we do want you to at least be looking and thinking about it. More on Eyes at http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/03/world-streets-correspondents.html (And not only that, the company is terrific.)
 
6. And finally our many thanks to the first group of you who have already pitched in and helped us get this far. (Is your name there?)

As per 7 July: Over these first four months we have received paid in subscriptions and other support from a first group of thirty eight of our international colleagues. Is your name on this list: Albert Hahn, Igor Abreu, Michael Alba, France B, Boris Berenfeld, Benoit Beroud, Dirk Bogaert, Anzir Boodoo, Mark Braund, Tim Caswell, Roy Chase, Philippe Crist, Allen Damon, Peter Ekenger, Mariella Giannetti, David Greenstein, Per-Homann Jespersen, Joao Lacerda, Nicolas le-Douarec, Zvi Leve, Jerry McIntire, Mikel Murga, Carlos Felipe Pardo, Sujit Patwardhan, Richard Peace, Stephen Plowden, Karl-Heinz Posch, Alon Rozen, Roy Russel, Lee Schipper, J-Baptiste Schmider, Ruediger Six, April Streeter, Christopher Sumpton, Matthew Thyer, Dirk van Dijl, Lewis Wolman, Susan Zielinski, Wolfgang Zuckermann

This is very heartwarming and while it covers only a small part of what we need to be able to continue publication, is extremely encouraging. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for showing your support and solidarity.

For the rest, thank you in advance for your contributions, counsel and support. Believe me, we couldn't do this without you!

Eric Britton
Editor, World Streets

On the morning of 6 July 2009, who dropped into World Streets to pick up a free copy of our beleaguered planet's only sustainable transportation daily? Check it out.

 <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kbTo-M_pSuw/SlGumpxNnNI/AAAAAAAABEs/59zv78UrM1c/s1600-h/ws-map-6jul09.jpg> 


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Posted By Eric Britton to World <http://newmobilityagenda.blogspot.com/2009/07/subscribe-support-get-invovled.html>  Streets at 7/07/2009 07:54:00 PM

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