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.
Mapping and analysing facades
"We need parking space otherwise our shops will die!" This is an argument often brought forward by opponents of street transformation. The urban design studio prostorož confronted this claim with evidence. Read more about how they did it!
Community mapping
Collaboratively mapping maps about a neighbourhood can shed light on factors that influence everyday transport-related decisions.
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.
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.
Forecasting change
Some forecasting can't be done by looking into an weather app. This tool helps you to capture possible scenarios of what could happen in your neighbourhood.
"Local Mobility Concept" game
Designed to give residents a tangible voice in mobility planning, this tool enables citizens to actively co-create future street and mobility concepts. Through hands-on interaction with wooden figures and modular street components, participants can develop and communicate their own ideas, priorities, and mobility measures for their neighborhood.
Align on Your Impact Goals
Get crystal clear on the change you want to achieve, in the near-term and long-term. Impact is a very loosely used term universally, and can be used to describe an influence or effect on virtually anything. Taking time to explore and align on your impact goals will ensure that your team and stakeholders are all working towards the same vision of success.
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.
Crosswalk action
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.
Streetdesign table
By setting up a table in the street, a big print of the layout of your street and pens you can provide a fun way to develop ideas for greening, traffic calming and street furniture. You could discuss with passers-by what uses they would like to see, what space is needed for them, and what ideas they can come up with. From a simple cycle path to a vibrant street park! If you live in Vienna, the platform WirMachenWien can assist and do the workshop with you.
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.