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.
Collecting data about parking occupancy
Opponents of street transformation often claim, that there are to little parking possibilities. But is that true? Evidence in Ljubljana showed that the city has rather a problem with how parking space is unevenly occupied.
Collaborative heat maps
This tool allows you to create collaboratively maps! Drawing from the knowledge of many people, maps can become a powerful communication tool.
Collect signatures to back up your local vision!
You have a very clear picture of the local change you want to achieve? You want to show decision makers how much support your vision locally has? Then a petition might be your cup of tea to drive change.
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.
Local coordination circle
A local coordination circle is made out of local people e.g. shop owners, residents as well as people from the administration. The various perspectives provided by the project advisory board are intended to help identify planning requirements at an early stage and to take them into account more effectively as the project progresses. They act, so to speak, as seismographs for the mood and needs within the neighbourhood.
Developing a convincing story for your campaign
The framework of "Story-Based Strategy" helps you figure out your campaign’s narrative strategy. It’s composed of tools or worksheets that you can use to analyze the opposition’s story, the current popular narrative about your issue, and develop a way of pitching or talking about your issue that will win over the folks you need to win!
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.
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.
Window Banner
Initiatives use window banners to communicate their demands to the public. This creates visibility and helps the initiative grow, encouraging more and more people to join the cause and the banner campaign.
Crowd Funding
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.
Gamification of climate friendly behaviour
Gamification is the application of game-design mechanics — such as points, rewards, competitions, challenges, and progress tracking — to non-game contexts in order to motivate behaviour change. In the context of urban sustainability and mobility, it turns everyday choices like taking public transport, cycling, or saving energy into visible, rewarding actions that feel meaningful and fun rather than obligatory.