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.
Low effort survey in public space
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. The outcome will suprise you!
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:
Community mapping
Collaboratively mapping maps about a neighbourhood can shed light on factors that influence everyday transport-related decisions.
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.
Understanding your target groups
Card Sort is a simple yet powerful method for uncovering what matters most to your target audience. Participants rank a set of word or image cards by preference, quickly revealing key priorities and opening the door to deeper conversations about personal values and motivations.
Making processes in public administration more transparent
Mapping of relevant workflows within the public administration to identify critical points / steps.
Creating a team culture
Capture the shared purpose, values and behaviours of a team with this template from mobilisation Lab. This helps to build an environment in which everybody feels safe and motivated.
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.
Making specific demands that are backed up by evidence
The "Platz für Wien" Initiative had a lasting impact on Vienna because they specified their demands and backed them up with scientific findings (e.g., demand for 50 km of bicycle lanes by 2030). They even has scientists speaking up for them, which made their demands even more valid.
Human pop up bike lane
Using simple tools such as ropes and a group of volunteers, pop-up bike lanes can be registered as a demonstration yet still allow for traffic flow to continue - but with a new division of space.
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.