From Unlock15
Welcome to the UNLOCK15-Toolbox - we are collecting tools to empower „agents of change“ from civil society as well as city officials to unlock existing lock-ins. We hope you will find some relevant tools to drive change towards mobility transition in your context!
From experience, three types of tools are need for real change: tools to create and communicate evidence, tools to envision possible futures and scenarios and participatory tools for on-site action.
Evidence
This type of tools help you to collect evidence, which supports the change you are aiming for. Some tools also allow crowd-based approaches to involve citizens in a broad manner. Evidence helps to convince decision makers to back-up change.
Observing and visualising human behaviour in public space
Collecting data on how people use space can give you a solid foundation to discuss how it should be designed. The free public live app helps you to collect the data you need when observing people. The second link leads you to a website where you can download an analog version with excel sheets. The picture is an example how you could visualise the collected data, done by urban design studio prostorož.
15min-City online Maps
The map shows how close services are if one lives in different areas of the city: in red areas the time needed to access the closest services is on average higher than 15 minutes, while the blue are 15-minute areas. We consider the average time of accessibility to the closest 20 POIs.
Joint Survey between initiatives and district politics
A joint survey between district politics and initiatives has potential to drive change. A survey means to ask inhabitants of an area what they like or don't like about status quo and what they want to change. The initiative has local knowledge of the area and knows what is important to ask. The survey results give politicans guidance what kind of change is backed up by the inhabitants. From our experience a joint survey is possible when
- all involved people are amicable towards each other
- there is a third neutral party (for example science project or neighbourhood management) that coordinates the process
Vision
In this category you find tools that help you to create a vision of what you are aiming for. A strong vision is key for driving change because it helps you to grow as a movement and to shift public opinions. This category also includes tools that help you envision how you want to work together as a group.
Getting to the core of human behaviour
The Five Whys is a simple yet powerful research method from human-centered design. Starting with a broad question about a person's habits or behaviours, you ask "why" five times in a row — not horizontally ("why else?") but vertically, going deeper with each answer until you uncover the emotional and human roots of a problem. The method takes only about 15 minutes, requires nothing more than pens and paper, and is designed to get to the core of a person's beliefs and motivations.
Efficient decision making in low hierarchy settings
Sociocracy is a governance and decision-making method designed to enable self-organization in groups and organizations without traditional top-down authority. Rather than relying on majority votes or hierarchical decisions, sociocracy is based on the consent principle: a decision is valid as soon as no member of the circle has a serious, well-founded objection — meaning arguments count, not the number of votes.
Action
Small steps towards the realisation of local change can help to make the vision tangible and also easier to be discussed. Tools for action help to make the impact of change tangible and involve local communities.
Art Spin bike tour
The aim of the tour is to challenge traditional contexts of exhibiting art by producing new creative content in unconventional locations, while at the same time promoting urban cycling and sustainable communities. See also RAD performance in Vienna as an example.
Placemobil - Tactical Urbanism
The Place Mobil is a cargo bike that takes up two parking spaces when unfolded. However, as it is officially classified as a bicycle, it can be parked anywhere in public spaces (including parking lots) free of charge and legally.
Tree Budget Graz
Tree budget Graz is an innovative financing model introduced by the City of Graz to systematically fund the planting and maintenance of urban trees. It draws from three sources: compensation fees collected under the city's tree protection ordinance (which requires replanting or financial compensation when trees are removed), voluntary tree sponsorships open to individuals and companies, and project-specific budget approvals by the city council. Together, these streams create a dedicated financial pool that ensures greening efforts are not dependent on a single, uncertain budget line.