The change curve is something that we all experience in everyday life, and we can easily relate the stages of the curve to almost any new development proposal.
As shown diagrammatically below, the curve could almost read as a microcosm of any consultation on new development scheme or transport proposal.
1) What do you mean they want to build here? No, it won’t happen. The high street is fine, and the idea of a Park and Ride here is ridiculous.
2) I can’t believe they’re doing this! This is all the fault of our ‘useless’ Council and the greedy developers. This will be the death of the high street!
3) We should have noticed what they were up to sooner. We need to fight and get the community engaged into action.
4) There’s so much information. Many things worry me but other things aren’t as bad as they seemed at first.
5) Ok, if is going to happen, shouldn’t we explore how this can benefit our community?
6) If they build this in this way, that could help solve some of our existing problems, couldn’t it?
7) The development now exists, and the worst didn’t happen. It’s actually quite good and I like our new high street.
It is clear that the change curve is a very personal experience and is based on what we consider to be our own status quo.
Pontevedra in Spain first began its urban transformation over 20 years ago, going from car-dominated to almost car-free. It has been quite a turnaround. Before the current Mayor came to be in office, the city was in severe decline and was excessively polluted. Within one month, the mayor managed to pedestrianise large areas of the city centre. The planners also realised that people searching for parking spaces was actually a big factor in causing congestion and on-street car parking was removed on a large scale.
The measures implemented in Pontevedra have helped not only to significantly enhance the public realm but have also encouraged a change to the status quo. This in turn has has led to a shift in people’s perception as they have come to realise that cars are guests on the streets and do not have any intrinsic right to use them or park on them. The changes have rejuvenated the entire city centre and reclaimed the street for pedestrians to enjoy.
The proposals for Pontevedra were originally met with significant public objection (the disruption phase). Talking about dealing with public backlash, the Mayor told one Spanish news channel that “before tackling any pedestrianisation, we organised an assembly with the neighbours (exploration). When you see headlines in the newspaper that ‘the local people are opposed to new measures’, you often find it is actually only 2 out of 200 neighbours who are critical.” The ones that are the loudest very often just make up for a small percentage of the overall community – The Mayor’s advice is not to listen to just the few complaining, but to persevere with new measures for the greater good. (rebuilding)
Much of the angst experienced with new development or transport initiatives is ultimately down to our perception of how it will affect us personally. We all know that sustainable transport is good and will make for a fitter and healthier society. We know that our high streets would be more attractive places to dwell if they were not a sea of car parking; yet we don’t want to give up our right to park outside the chip shop because it is what we have always done; our own status quo.
In Singapore, for example, road user charging is not seen as a revenue-generating exercise. Instead, it is understood by the public that the benefits are reduced congestion and better air quality.
In Japan, it is not your right to own a car, rather, Japanese city laws require motorists to prove they have access to a local off-street parking space and on street night time parking is generally banned to enforce this.
Often the resistance to any new development or transport initiative that will make our lives and communities healthier is led by the few with the loudest voice or the most clout. We therefore often need to challenge headlines and political statements that we are invited to read without questioning and that are generally there to incite the disruption phase.
This is very much evident in the recent consultation on reforms to national planning policy that will lead councils to plan for fewer homes. It is dominated by measures to appease rural “Blue Wall” constituencies, designed to allow councils in these areas to plan for fewer homes where existing (and often more affluent) residents want to maintain their own status quo by shouting the loudest. This in turn will reduce the potential to provide new infrastructure across the country, be that enhancements to our transport networks or sports, education or health facilities; in other words, all the things that will change our communities positively for future generations.
We all realise the need for a healthier and happier community and to do this we must plan coherently for the future. We must recognise that rebuilding can be a positive influence along our change curve, as it is often only about our perception.
As the mayor of Pontevedra was once jovially quoted as saying:
“It's not my duty as Mayor to make sure you have a parking spot. For me, it's the same as if you bought a cow, or a refrigerator, and then asked me where you're going to put them”.
Imagine having a parking spot for your fridge…is that concept mad or just your perception…?
Now imagine the car-free town centre with no parking outside the chip shop...is that mad or just your perception of the status quo?
By Damian Tungatt
