<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Exec Sum:  This is a wide open public brainstorm on what I believe could be a very creative sustainability exercise with real impact. I’ll try to get the ball rolling with this first draft, and then see what you may all do with it. With your kind permission, I propose that we discuss this and post whatever projects, etc that might come out of it via the Lots Less Cars (<a href="http://www.lotslesscars.org/">http://www.lotslesscars.org</a>) Idea Factory, for which the group mail address is <a href="mailto:LotsLessCars@yahoogroups.com">LotsLessCars@yahoogroups.com</a>, Okay, let’s go.   The idea that we should like to put before you this morning for the next wave of Car Free Days at any time and anywhere in the world would be for a public announcement of a high profile coordinated Low-Car Diet Challenge Program.  Here are a couple of the possible working parts if you will bear with me.   <ol start=1 type=1> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>What is an LCD Challenge Program? A laid back invitation, support and award program which invite people to “give up their car for one month”. (IF you click <a href="http://news.google.com/news?&num=100&hl=en&newwindow=1&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-25,GGLG:en&btnG=Google+Search&lr=&as_ft=i&as_qdr=all&as_dt=i&as_rights=&safe=images&sa=N&tab=wn&q=%20%22Low%20car%20diet%22%20-carb">here </a>you will be taken to the latest Google listing which at this point offers in addition to latest news on the subject more than 67,000 LCD entries. That’s at least a start … and an indication of the media worthiness of this approach)</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Minimum qualifications: You have to have a car, and you have to agree to keep the little log (honestly?) for the full month (or at least that part of it during which you are trying to stick to the diet . . . and yes it is allowed to cheat if you must, but you have to do it in public. )</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>One idea could be to do a “public launch” of the program on the occasion of your next Car Free Day.</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Ideally, the LCD Challenge would be jointly sponsored by a number of local organizations, companies and groups. Any car share operators who might be present, the public transport operators, taxi companies, bike clubs, environmental groups, hospitals, public health, local lung and clean air groups, maybe some of the merchants who understand that this can work for them too, etc. And a foundation or two or just local people and families who care. Quite a list if you think about it. (And why not, the local AA, drug treatment, and anti-smoking groups who after all have long experience in this. Turns out that we have more than one monkey on our collectives backs)</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>It could be good to have a visible public booth in some central area with people to talk to who can help explain the program, a few useful and perhaps a bit funny tracts explaining how the whole things works,</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>We would want people to come into the booth to talk and learn about it – and that already would be a first small victory. (After all, how many people in your city have actually heard of a “Low-Car Diets?)</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>It would be important that all this be media savvy and bring in local media – maybe even as one of the partners?  (The local media could even offer prizes themselves, why not?)</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>One idea might be to invite the local papers, radio and TV (great possible friends and hungry for local stuff) to come to the booth on say an hourly basis. There they would see not only the exhibit and the “LCD Thermometer” which shows hoe many people (a) have come to talk about it and (b) actually signed up for the LCD. And them maybe some interviews with either the organizers of some of these people who have decided to give it a whirl.</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>The pre-launch media build-up would also be critical of course. </li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>What about the idea of having some way to show a number of short videos which support this idea? We already have quite a collection of videos and clips and in addition to the five minute trailer for <a href="http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/general/sneakpreview.htm">Contested Streets</a> and the wonderful ninety second <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6479435200757745813">Man in the Street </a>interview in Groningen, you will surely be able to find one or two handfuls for people to gander at which help to explain what at the heart of it all this is all about.  (Again to get there you go to http://www.newmobility.org and click them on the to menu. IF you want to talk about others, I will be pleased either to talk to you about this or via private email.)</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Prizes and for what? Let’s start with the prizes. It seems to me if this whole thing is to swing, the prizes should be many, varied, interesting and directly related to what this whole thing is all about. (I guess that leaves out your Hummer). Since the whole thing is to have a high profile, it should be a no-brainer to bring in companies and others who wish to be identified with doing this wonderful ting for heir city.</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>For what? Well, it would seem to me that anyone who tries and sticks to it for the full month this should somehow be feted and reworded. Of course the most important reward is what they are going for themselves and their families, and for the community by being neighbors. And as leaders and roll models (at an age where these are in rather short supply).</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>It might be a good idea if they were invited to keep a very simple log book which they could fill out in three or four minutes each day just to trace their progress. The actual log book might have one page per day, and plenty of room for comments and observations.</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>One idea might be to invite them to put their logbook ‘real time’ in the web so as to publicly trace their problems, fears, accomplishments, occasional disagreements perhaps, attitudes for the whole thing. People should also be encouraged form the beginning to understand that this is not an easy thing, and that even if they start and later decide to throw in the towel that this is no disgrace. Not everyone who desires to stop smoking or snacking in front of the boob tube makes it the first time around. The important thing is to try. And, if they shoes to, to try in public.</li> <li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>The idea of a short essay is a good one, but I wonder if as Chris Bradshaw has just pointed out that the real victory will be to have one more person or family (hey, maybe two?) move over to a car-lite life style. Perhaps that could be the last two pages of the LCD logbook.</li> <li class=MsoNormal>Then, exactly one month after the Big Launch, the wonderful public report, award ceremony, and maybe a round table and debate. Invite the mayor. Invite the editor of the local paper. Invite the head of the local Chamber of COmmerce or downtown business association.  Make it into a bit deal.  And oh yes, have fun and make your children proud of you.</li> </ol>   As hapless ‘author’ of the World Car Free Days movement back in 1994 in Toledo Spain with the public CFD call, <a href="http://ecoplan.org/carfreeday/general/thursday-full.htm">Thursday - A Breakthrough Strategy for Reducing Car Dependence in Cities</a>, I have all too often been disappointed in the level of, let’s call it, ‘social entrepreneurships’ behind most of the Days -- all too many of which have turned out to be rather drab affairs, quickly done, little loved, and even more quickly forgotten. In a phrase, sorry to say, real losers. Oh dear. Fortunately there are out there in the world a lot of bright and hard working people with ideas of their own, and as a result there have been some really wonderful Car Free Days, -- and the proof has often been that they were not quickly forgotten but actually have helped starting the transformation of the community toward a more sustainable New Mobility environment.  Which of course was the whole idea in the first place.   So here we are more than a decade later and I really do think that if we push this year for LCD challenge programs in as many places as might be ready to pick up this challenge, well that would be a wonderful step ahead.   Your turn.   Eric Britton   PS1. Get this news out. Hit your lists and already try the local media.   PS2. If you plan to do this or even if only to consider it, would you be so kind to keep the list informed. Your example will be important for us all.   PS3. And why not? Maybe some of you will turn this into an article or a media release. If so, terrific and make sure you share it with us all.  Team work – our only chance. Our Convenient Truth </div> </body> </html>