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.
Joint Survey between initiatives and district politics
In Vienna they managed something extraordinary: They did a survey collaboratively between district politics, administration and civil society. This has a lot of potential for different reasons:
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.
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!
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.
Newspaper of Tomorrow
When different stakeholders come together, they bring different perspectives. This is of great value for participatory and collaborative work. However, there is a risk that objectives and goals are different and difficult to combine. Creating a shared vision in the group becomes then an essential part of a project. This tool can be very helpful to reach this objective in a creative way.
Tools to help communicate within a group
Communication platforms like slack or discourse have dedicated channels for different projects and teams, keeping discussions focused and easily searchable. On the scale of a small initiative they don't cost anything.
Efficient decision making in low hierarchy settings
A tool that helps you make collective decisions that everyone genuinely support, distribute responsibility across the group, and build a culture of equal participation.
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.
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.
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.
New local collaborations to boost change!
Lack of funding or stuck in slow processes? Maybe a local collaboration can boost your vision to the next level! That happened to the Galileigasse in Vienna. Learn more about it: