Read on Twitter
They post and point at a photo of a street in another country - most often a European country & most often one country in particula but not always - and say 'look, that works so great, we need that here!' And a bunch of them flock about & say 'oh yes! we need to do exactly that'
And every time my brain melts listening to them.
Me: What do you see? Who do you see? Who do you not see? Why is this good? Does it work? What makes it work? What is different about that country's history, culture, geography, climate?....
Me: What do you see? Who do you see? Who do you not see? Why is this good? Does it work? What makes it work? What is different about that country's history, culture, geography, climate?....
I need to know the opinions of the people in that place - and not just the powerful, the professionals, the ableds. Not just the wealthy disabled people either. Who is excluded?
Before you tell me 'this street design works great for everyone'
I need to know who you are including in 'everyone' and that you have credibly sourced 'everyone'
I need to know who you are including in 'everyone' and that you have credibly sourced 'everyone'
Before you assert it can be copied & pasted here can we first establish it works & you have causal link? And then you need to convince me that here - which has totally different set of variables and potentially different members of 'everyone' - it will have same outcome.
I mean I feel like I'm watching 'professionals' and 'intellectuals' point at Sears Wishbook and say 'I want that and that and that and that...'
Like wtf are we doing here folks?
Sorry brain is melting as I think about their tweets.
Like wtf are we doing here folks?
Sorry brain is melting as I think about their tweets.
If you asked my city politicians or planners if Vancouver bike lanes work you'd hear nothing but 'YES! They are perfect and great!'
You wouldn't hear they have no mid-block crossings, no way to get from drop-off zones on road to sidewalk without stepping onto curb...
You wouldn't hear they have no mid-block crossings, no way to get from drop-off zones on road to sidewalk without stepping onto curb...
As a small example. You'd also hear that Vancouver is super accessible and you might even hear this from a rich disabled person. It's not and they don't know because they drive, park and get out at expensive clubs.
So all you won't learn what you really *should* learn from.
So all you won't learn what you really *should* learn from.
A year or two ago the former mayor and current BC Liberal MLA who is a wheelchair user was on CBC radio with Mr. Supercrip talking about how perfect and great Vancouver's accessibility is.
And I'll never forget Sullivan (the former mayor) said: I bet there aren't 6 restaurants in all of Vancouver that aren't wheelchair accessible.
I wash shouting in my apt. My non-disabled friend who was listening called me also shouting. There are 6 just within 3 blocks of my apt
I wash shouting in my apt. My non-disabled friend who was listening called me also shouting. There are 6 just within 3 blocks of my apt
I don't know what they teach in these planning schools but some of you need to demand your money back because this is first year, literally 101 level social science stuff. And it's serious because you replicate and/or create new forms of harm this way.
It also feels very colonizer to me for some reason - look, I saw a thing in a city in a country i don't live, understand or have studied and I want it!
There's such a lack of respect for context and way something may reflect values and traditions and the PEOPLE living there and how something fits into a bigger picture of the place. ANd there's an implicit disrespect for people right here where you live. For our knowledge.
Urbanism will travel thousands of miles and makes multiple trips around the globe to avoid talking to the disabled, poor, racialized people living right where they are.
Disabled person here; Hey I have thoughts...
Urbanist: No time. Catching flight.
Disabled person here; Hey I have thoughts...
Urbanist: No time. Catching flight.
Anyway we live in same place but don't have same experiences of that place and understanding those differences is vital to understanding why something happens - or why something works or doesn't. This is what this blog post is about. https://mssinenomineblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/12/the-bystander-effect-failing-to-intervene-in-the-lies-prejudice-cowardice-and-ambitions-of-men/
I think the people who something doesn’t work for are the people with vital information & if I really want to learn about a thing they are who I’d speak to. But no one ever does. They seek out the proponents and cheerleaders which suggests to me they have no interest in learning
