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.
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.
"We can’t reduce the speed limit on this road because the busses would loose time!“ This or similar arguments may come up in discussions about street transformations. In those situations, it can help to bring evidence into the discussion. For example by measuring the speed of busses. Think in advance how to make your data collection as valid as possible within your ressources. To produce solid evidence about the speed of public transport we suggest the following steps:
- Make a plan how you will collect your data: What do you want to measure (one busline in both directions between bus stop X and Y), when (on peak/off peak, which days) and how often (how many times per day)
- Install an App that collects GPX-Tracks (data that links speed with location)
- Ride the busses according to your data collection plan
- Find someone who knows how to use QGIS (open source program for making maps) and install the plug-in for GPX Segment importer (https://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/GpxSegmentImporter/#plugin-about)
- If everything works out the result should be maps like the ones you see here.
- Think about how you want to communicate the data: In a confidential setting or rather to a bigger audience?
Excel sheets come to your mind when thinking of evidence? Think twice! The initiative "Wir machen Wien" showed powerfully how to not only collect valuable evidence, but also how to stage it in a dramatic way. They counted bikes, pedestrians and cars in a street in front of a school. The data showed a vast majority of the users (422) use the street by foot or bike. Nevertheless, the street is designed for cars, that represent a minority of the users (47). They designed wooden signs that clearly showed this discrepancy to passers-by, which sparked conversations. They also staged a photo, that you can see attached. They used the photo in a press release, which made local newspapers cover the story.
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.
more tools for Evidence…
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.
This tool is a quick, easy tool that is effective at helping groups understand the different roles in making groups work: different leadership skills.
There are several digital to do lists out there, that can help you as a group to organise projects, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress collaboratively. Trello is free until ten collaborators, wekan and kanboard are completely open source.
The Onboarding Framework is a structured yet flexible tool designed to help grassroots civil society initiatives welcome and integrate new volunteers with as little friction as possible.
The framework helps initiatives answer three core questions: What does a new volunteer need to know, feel, and do to get started? Where do their skills and interests fit best? And how can the organization make that first step feel easy, welcoming, and worthwhile?
By providing a clear path from curiosity to commitment, the Onboarding Framework reduces dropout at the earliest stage, builds a sense of belonging from day one, and ensures that volunteer energy is channeled effectively — strengthening the initiative's capacity from the bottom up.
more tools for Vision…
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.
Crowdfunding — and specifically civic crowdfunding — is an approach where communities, individuals, and organizations collectively finance local public projects through online platforms, often in combination with contributions from municipalities, foundations, or companies.
During their campaign for a safer city, the initiative "Platz für Wien" temporarily rolled out crosswalks. Places were chosen where crosswalks would make a big difference for the safness of pedestrians.
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.
more tools for Action…