Propaganda

In all of our discussions, we have been pushed to consider "problem framing" because it shapes the solution set and to remember that "words matter." For example, consider Prof Coughlin's last post with the quote

I'm not an activist, an alarmist, a Democrat, environmentalist or anything like that.

Not an activist??! What is wrong with being an activist! Ms Gant is deliberately invoking contemporary propaganda in order to distance herself from popular caricatures that she fears some may use against her to discredit her claim. BoingBoing linked to this site: http://propagandacritic.com/, which provides a fascinating history and summary of propaganda, and, perhaps most importantly, tips to help citizens think critically about issues rather than fall victim to the propaganda.

Growth, Sprawl, and Urban Form

Following our Friday discussion on cities vs. suburbs (good vs. evil), the new urbanism, greenbelts and models of urban growth, some may find this article interesting. It looks at 'linear planning' as a strategy proposed over the last 100+ years as an optimal way to organize urban space and accommodate the "inevitable" growth of urban populations. Those interested in the topic might just want to browse over pictures and plans.

[Article from 11.330 lecture on Theory of City Form]

Public Health, NIMBY & Powering the Dreams of the Electric Car

"I'm not an activist, an alarmist, a Democrat, environmentalist or anything like that. I'm just a person who isn't able to manage the health of my family because of all this drilling."

Kelly Gant, whose says her children have had severe asthma attacks and headaches since a gas well was set up near her house in Bartonville, Tex.

This is not  directly a transportation example of conflict between infrastructure placement and environmental values. However, it is the most passionate and reasoned comment that can be understood by everyone, from the media, policymakers to business leaders. Gas rig drilling is one strategy that will power the dreams and engines of the electric car. Often in public policy seeming 'solutions' to one problem only displace costs and create new problems. This is worth the read.

Read the rest of the story in the original New York Times article here.

BMW Documentaries Presents: "How We'll Learn To Stop Worrying and Love the Future"

BMW Documentaries Presents: "How We'll Learn To Stop Worrying and Love the Future
Visions (albeit vague, being strong on principle yet weak on practice) of the future of transport according to prominent individuals in the transport sector, including Robin Chase of ZipCar and George Whitesides of Virgin Galactic

Featured in The Infrastructurist 24 February
The Morning Dig: BMW Takes On the Future of Transportation

James Howard Kunstler; Barry Schwartz

Not one, but two TED lectures relevant to topics in today's lecture:

The themes from the Fast Company video on transit-oriented development receive a more acerbic but very funny treatment by James Howard Kunstler. It starts, "The immersive ugliness of our everyday environments in America is entropy made visible," and only gets better.

Individual choice is one of the values or objectives central to traditional transportation interests. Barry Schwartz points to the fact that increased choice may actually decrease quality of life.

Will Car Companies Become Mobility Service Providers?

BMW's New Market Strategy Suggests Auto Industry Moving to Mobility Services. Imagine a car company giving information on transit services. Here is a direct quote from the article:

"In a departure from the traditional auto-focused advertising of its parent, the BMW i venture will advertise with lifestyle images that will "gradually be complemented with more and more content related to the products," per a company statement.

There is also a new Web site, www.BMW-i.com, showing several films about the generation of the forthcoming BMW i3 and BMW i8 cars from design sketches to engineering principles. The Web site will also have a social media element, mining online debates around developments in urbanization, sustainability and mobility, with links to BMW i's Facebook, YouTube and Twitter fan sites, according to the company.

The company says its new "BMW i Ventures" is set to invest in "highly innovative service providers," The first of these is My City Way, which develops apps for information on public transportation, parking availability, and local entertainment for over 40 cities in the U.S. Another 40 cities will be part of the global rollout, including Munich, of course, according to the automaker".

Read entire article on BMW's new electric vehicle strategy and entry into services 

EPA to Ease Cost of Reducing Air Pollution

EPA to Ease Cost of Reducing Air Pollution