What are the actual costs off building bigger, wider, fast and more roads for Penang: Let’s start by hearing two conflicting and in many ways typical opinions:
Category Archives: Governance
Governance, in our read of the evidence, refers to the fine art of directing public policy to specific ends, Governance can be bad as all too often can be the case, and indeed it is important to be aware of the conditions and pitfalls which lead to bad governance. Good governance, really creative and positive action in the public interest over time, is rare but absolutely essential for the transition to sustainable cities and sustainable lives. Good governance is the firm backbone of government, referring to the actions and processes by which stable practices and organizations arise and persist. Equity, resilience and continuity are key elements of good governance.
In World Streets we give continuous attention day after day to bringing to our readers’ attention examples of good governance — and we look for and at them at the three main levels of government: international, national and local. Because the great majority of all decisions concerning transportation and public space are led (or at least should be) by local government, as the principal of subsidiarity wisely suggests, that is where we direct the greater part of our efforts and attention.
World Streets International Advisory Council
With one eye to laying the base for our work and collaborative programs , we are currently in the process of updating and extending this list of distinguished international colleagues, each of whom is hard at work day after day on challenges, projects and programs, alone and with others, all in support of the principles of sustainable development and equity, in cities and countries around the world. It is our intention to have the revised and expanded version of this panel listing online in the early autumn of 2016.
The final version will include some explanatory materials to clarify the process by which this “New Mobility Majority” is in the process of overtaking the old attitudes, approaches and policies which have been largely responsible for our gross under-performance in the sector, all the more important as the 21st century noose tightens in terms of climate, local environment, energy supply, scarce resources, the economy, congestion, poor service quality for the majority, and the long list goes on. (In the meantime we want to hear from you with your ideas and outstanding nominations for the panel. And if you spot errors or omissions on the following, please get in touch and let us know.)
Op-Ed: A Properly Financed Transport Plan for the Long Haul
Project from SRS TMP at http://pgmasterplan.penang.gov.my/. “MOVING PEOPLE NOT CARS”
This official interview with state executive councillor for Local Government,Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Chow Kon Yeow has appeared at a good time as public discussions are gathering momentum with a growing range of no-political civil society organizations and NGOs asking that the state government reconsider the “Big Bang” project which they have developed by their consultants SRS consortium for an admitted total of RM46bil for a wildly ambitious construction program projected to handle the transportation requirements of the state for the next 50 years. (Other informed estimates set the taxpayer burden at close to 50% higher.)
It is our intention to comment on a number of points advanced by Mr. Chow in a follow-up article in the coming week. For your convenience, you will notice that the items to be discussed are identified by two asterisks and a number for your later reading convenience. We now invite you to enjoy Mr. Chow’s presentation.
Continue reading
Question to members of Penang Transport Council reviewing and evaluating SRS master plan documents
ON CYCLING:
CYCLING: We have been exchanging in our several group fora in support of the Sustainable Penang project thoughts about plans and actions in favor of more, better and safer cycling for all in Penang. And of course by this we mean specifically cycling for day to day transport, cycling for men, women and children getting from their particular A to B in all parts of Penang. (though it will be interesting as well to know of their coverage of leisure and touring cycling, etc.)
So, against this background we respectfully ask the following . . .
A Mayor’s-Eye View of Sustainable Transportation: Politics as the art of the possible
The letter that follows is, as you will quickly surmise, not an actual communication from one elected official in one case, but rather a composite, a distillation of experience that I have had over these last years of trying to push the sustainable transportation agenda in many parts of the world, almost always in conjunction and in dialogue with mayors and other city leaders.
As you will see, it is not that they are uniformly adverse to or not interested in the concepts behind sustainable transportation and sustainable cities. It is just that they have a great many other things on their mind, including staying on top day after day of the considerable challenges of managing their city — and, in not very long, running once again for reelection. This is the political reality of which those of us who would be agents of change must be aware, that politics is the art of the possible. Now let’s turn the stage over to our mayor: Continue reading
Other useful Sustainable Penang references
- MISSION: Sustainable Penang: Toward a New Mobility Agenda homepage – https://sustainablepenang.wordpress.com/the-mission/
- PUBLIC ENQUIRY/Brainstorming report of Nov. 2013 – https://goo.gl/0BgurW
- FACEBOOK-http://www.facebook.com/SustainablePenang
- TWITTER – https://twitter.com/SustainPenang
- LINKEDIN – https://www.linkedin.com/groups/5084715
- #BETTER PENANG at http://www.betterpg.com/
- S/P PUBLIC LIBRARY at https://goo.gl/gJTJZD
- CIVIL SOCIETY IN Penang (Draft for review) – http://wp.me/p3GVVk-om
- ONLINE 24/7 Open Town Hall Meeting (Vol. 1, 2) – https://goo.gl/DdWumT
- COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: penang@ecoplan.org. Skype – newmobility
