Good day my good friend.
It has been a very busy week. Very, very busy. With much more travel than I am used to. The net result being that while my step count is through the roof, the working of my brain is through the floor. Still, despite that, lets see how far we get shall we?
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😑 Thoughts on stubborn mules
Most of you know by know that I am a Town Councillor with my local town council, and that I head up the Council’s planning group. The idea behind the planning group is a simple one. In addition to the bread and butter of responding to planning applications, we would engage with developers in a positive manner to see what benefits to the town we could secure through planning.
The reality has been somewhat different to the intention. To date, I have written 5 responses to major applications on behalf of the group, all recommending objecting to the applications. To be fair, a couple of them were absolute stinkers, and all but one of the others could (in my view) be justified objections on policy grounds. But that is not what has frustrated me. What has been frustrating is the sheer stubbornness involved.
Many in the group are what you could call planning skeptics. When an application comes in or ideas for new development come forward, their natural inclination is to try and find reasons to resist it. Which I entirely understand. Planning is a seriously complex system, there is a historical perception of housing being thrust upon communities, and people are resistant to change.
Even when you teach them how the planning system works – and we have been on a planning training course – that attitude still prevails. People strongly resist change and approach planning as a problem to be stopped, as opposed to seeing what benefits can be got out of the system as it is.
Much of my time, therefore, has been spent in attempting to change hearts and minds as opposed to the actual nuts and bolts of good planning. And in doing so, I have learned a lot of lessons along the way in how to try and change the minds of some very stubborn people.
Firstly, for some people there will be no changing their mind, whatever you do. The sooner you accept that the better. Either they don’t want their mind changed, or you are not the one to change it for them. Accept that, and focus on others who may be more receptive.
Secondly, you constantly have to repeat the same message over, and over, and over again. For me, it was focusing on doing “positive planning.” Get it in their minds through simple language, and repeat it. For people who are not experts, it gives them a reference point by which to explore a complicated area. For example, when I talk of positive planning I speak of expanding the doctors surgery or creating green space, not “stopping bad development.”
Third is being a positive support to them. They are trying to understand something that, on the face of it, should be simple (e.g. this development will mean more cars on the road, which is bad), but is in fact really complicated and full of jargon. That is daunting. So its important to create a supportive atmosphere where simple questions are encouraged, and learning rewarded to some degree. Though not with a gold star. That’s patronising.
Fourth, is to show the impact of what they are doing. And make the link really explicit. In my instance, I keep mentioning how none of the applications to which we have lodged an objection have been approved (yet). It helps to build confidence in them and you, so that when you move onto something more challenging they are confident about it.
Finally, you have to realise that making such change in people is a marathon. The average person is really, really stubborn and does not change their ways easily. It takes time and perseverance to get people to think differently about things, especially something as complicated and controversial as planning.
In the meantime, my local council is undertaking a review of its Local Plan this year, and we are just starting our preparation for it by collecting evidence on the use of local services and facilities. Time will only tell if the lessons of positive planning will bear fruit anytime soon.
👩🎓 From academia
The clever clogs at our universities have published the following excellent research. Where you are unable to access the research, email the author – they may give you a copy of the research paper for free.
Critical analysis of Marxist ideas in modern urban planning
TL:DR – Capitalist pigs in urban planning are meeting their downfall, comrade.
TL:DR – People think less of buses and trains when there are protests on.
Inducing driving anger with multi-stage road events in simulator environment
TL:DR – An experiment where you are trying to get people to swear? Sounds fun to me.
TL:DR – Making public transport cheaper for people on low incomes makes people on low incomes happy. Shocker.
✊ Awesome people doing awesome things
I have to give a big shout out to Daisy Narayanan and her team at the City of Edinburgh Council for producing a stonker of a transport strategy (or should I say series of action plans?). You should read it, as its really rather good, and was created in very hostile circumstances. Now, to delivery…
📷 Out and About
In my travels over the last, I paid a flying visit to Newcastle to see Gavin Snowball and other project schemers. While there, I took a picture of some excellent integration between public transport and local sports teams (with suitable attire worn 😂). I also paid Alan a visit.
📺 On the (You)Tube
Geoff Marshall is going Superloopy (nuts are we). With this new video on the only part of London’s Superloop operated by single decker buses.
📚 Random things
These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.
- ‘Enshittification’ is coming for absolutely everything (Financial Times)
- Air pollution is changing the scent of flowers and confusing insects (New Scientist)
- Connecting the Cost of Living to the Minimum Wage (Econlife)
- Changes in Child Tax Credit Would Have Outsized Impact on Rural Children (The Daily Yonder)
- Security Theater on Metros (Pedestrian Observations)
📰 The bottom of the news
A Spanish airline is rolling out the red carpet for canine travellers. Now, dogs can choose from an in-flight menu including chicken bars and beef bites if their owner flies with them on Vueling. Ryanair is reportedly thinking of stealing the idea of feeding dog food to cut down on catering costs for regular passengers.
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