Better ideas do not by themselves change the world.

If the developing world has to resolve the paradox of extreme poverty amidst high economic growth, they will have to adopt an alternative framework to promote inclusive   development where principles of universal access to basic needs and social wage are given prominence.

“Better ideas do not by themselves change the world. The suffocation of a certain balance of social forces precludes alternative ideas from being taken seriously. There are hundreds of designs in engineering labs for smoke-less chimneys and water-less toilets, but their existence has not meant that they have been adopted for mass usage. It will require a shift in social power to allow new ideas and new technologies to become acceptable in our times. In absence of such a change, an “alternative” will simply mean a solution of a practical nature that is not capable of being fully embraced.”

From Penang: Let’s build another big tunnel. That should do it.

Hardly a day that passes that someone somewhere on this gasping planet does not come up with the next bright idea for a project for constructing high cost new infrastructure the main achievement of which ultimately will be to increase the number of vehicles in whatever the given space is.  This is so well known at the leading edge of transportation thinking and practice that it would be  hardly worthy of discussion in 2013, were it not for the fact that these  bright ideas appear all too often and in all too  many places. They need to be dealt with in a positive sense and with as much diplomacy as we can muster.

Enjoying the bridge in Penang

Here is a perfect  example from Penang which is particularly refreshing given the way in which the author takes on the challenge of making a positive proposal instead of just lambasting the tunnel option. One might prefer not to specify the technology that will be used to improve throughput on the existing road/bridge system in this increasingly congested part of the world (in this case LRT or monorail).  However the bottom line is that the main fundamentals are in place in this excellent newspaper article and worthy of the attention of all of those of us who care about sustainable transport, and above all the people and voters of Penang who are in a position to make this choice themselves — and not have the final decision foisted on them by people with approaches and agendas that do not necessarily match up with sustainable transport policy and practice in the 21st-century.  After all, it is their city.

Saudi women call new day of defiance against driving ban

RIYADH (AFP) –  Saudi women activists have called for a new day of defiance next month of the long-standing ban on women driving in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

233-Years of History of the Bicycle

* Click image to enlarge)

Sustainable Penang: Calendar of Main Events

Penang Focus Group 10. Women, Gender Balance and Leadership

Penang Focus Group 8. Non-Motorised Transport

Penang Focus Group 1. Media Partners for a Sustainable Penang

 

Sustainable Penang: Toward a New Mobility Agenda Program Announcement of 3 Sept. 2013

Penang Focus Group 6. Civil Society