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.
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
The picture stems from Ljubljana, where the urban design studio prostorož set up benches in public space. They attached a QR-Code, where people could vote if they wanted this bench to stay. In a short period of time about 400 people voted, that they would like the bench to stay because they frequently use it. On this basis prostorož talked to the people in charge of that area. The survey was enough evidence for them to let the benches stay! What a success!
In case this inspires you to take action: Make sure that the QR-code is made out of solid material, that endures the time you want the survey to last. The tool material link will lead you to a website where different survey tools are offered, a lot of them without additional costs.
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.
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.
A campaign is a planned, time-limited series of targeted measures. This campaign structure helps you to break down your vision into achievable steps.
Mapping of relevant workflows within the public administration to identify critical points / steps.
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.
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.
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.
Presswork helps you to spread your vision of change. With a little preperation and a good idea, your work could be covered in the local news by tomorrow. Attached you will find a guide in english and german for successful presswork.
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.
more tools for Action…