Comments on: 10 First Steps for a Transition Town Initiative #8. Build a Bridge to Local Government http://transitionculture.org/2007/01/22/10-first-steps-for-a-transition-town-initiative-8-build-a-bridge-to-local-government/ An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent Wed, 23 May 2012 01:53:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ahavah http://transitionculture.org/2007/01/22/10-first-steps-for-a-transition-town-initiative-8-build-a-bridge-to-local-government/comment-page-1/#comment-17657 Ahavah Mon, 05 Feb 2007 02:39:18 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2007/01/22/10-first-steps-for-a-transition-town-initiative-8-build-a-bridge-to-local-government/#comment-17657 <p>I gave a ten minute presentation to our local planning commission listing concrete steps that the city could take that, spanning over a 20 year timetable, would help a great deal with peak oil problems. Now, our current land use and transportation planning consists basically of zoning, and then letting the developers do whatever they want, more or less within the appointed zoning allowances. They have taken no thought of mass transportation, energy conservation, and how all the far-flung suburban subdivisions could be retro-fitted to include small neighborhood walking-distance access to groceries, pharmacies, and small business service and retail shops. I pointed out our county had also pretty much allowed rail freight shipping to be dismantled and that needed to be rebuilt. I spoke frankly about our lack of preparedness for a natural or man-made disaster of any kind, including gasoline rationing or unavailability, etc. They sat in silence. They have basically driven all real manufacturing out of our county over the last 30 years and housing construction is the only real income generator (not sustainable housing, just single family detached, basically, with some ultra-luxury high end non-family-friendly loft condos thrown in for fun and amusement). This is a city of over 300,000 people that has no intention whatsoever of changing the way they have always done things since they started "planning." One person who worked in the division of planning actually said, "I will never give up my car," even when given the scenario that gas was so expensive it was a choice between that and food. This is what we have to deal with out here in the real world. They will do nothing until it is basically too late. I am sure there are far more of my type of town out there than there are of your type - and we all can't just move to your town. So what can we do?</p> I gave a ten minute presentation to our local planning commission listing concrete steps that the city could take that, spanning over a 20 year timetable, would help a great deal with peak oil problems. Now, our current land use and transportation planning consists basically of zoning, and then letting the developers do whatever they want, more or less within the appointed zoning allowances. They have taken no thought of mass transportation, energy conservation, and how all the far-flung suburban subdivisions could be retro-fitted to include small neighborhood walking-distance access to groceries, pharmacies, and small business service and retail shops. I pointed out our county had also pretty much allowed rail freight shipping to be dismantled and that needed to be rebuilt. I spoke frankly about our lack of preparedness for a natural or man-made disaster of any kind, including gasoline rationing or unavailability, etc. They sat in silence. They have basically driven all real manufacturing out of our county over the last 30 years and housing construction is the only real income generator (not sustainable housing, just single family detached, basically, with some ultra-luxury high end non-family-friendly loft condos thrown in for fun and amusement). This is a city of over 300,000 people that has no intention whatsoever of changing the way they have always done things since they started “planning.” One person who worked in the division of planning actually said, “I will never give up my car,” even when given the scenario that gas was so expensive it was a choice between that and food. This is what we have to deal with out here in the real world. They will do nothing until it is basically too late. I am sure there are far more of my type of town out there than there are of your type – and we all can’t just move to your town. So what can we do?

]]> By: Robert http://transitionculture.org/2007/01/22/10-first-steps-for-a-transition-town-initiative-8-build-a-bridge-to-local-government/comment-page-1/#comment-14750 Robert Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:17:37 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2007/01/22/10-first-steps-for-a-transition-town-initiative-8-build-a-bridge-to-local-government/#comment-14750 <p>Well, up to a point. The reality in many places (perhaps most), however, may be that local government are all too happy to get the sustainability brownie points of being associated with initiatives like this, but stop short of any action that would actually upset the powerful interests aligned with the unsustainable status quo.</p> <p>That, certainly, has been our experience here in Bilbao with the Forum for a Sustainable Zorrozaurre. The local government has all the sustainability vocabulary down to a T, but every single action they take in this respect is purely cosmetic, along the lines of a "car-free day". When they even bother with that, of course - a couple of years ago they organised a high-performance car rally in the middle of the city.</p> <p>I am becoming an anarchist...</p> Well, up to a point.
The reality in many places (perhaps most), however, may be that local government are all too happy to get the sustainability brownie points of being associated with initiatives like this, but stop short of any action that would actually upset the powerful interests aligned with the unsustainable status quo.

That, certainly, has been our experience here in Bilbao with the Forum for a Sustainable Zorrozaurre. The local government has all the sustainability vocabulary down to a T, but every single action they take in this respect is purely cosmetic, along the lines of a “car-free day”. When they even bother with that, of course – a couple of years ago they organised a high-performance car rally in the middle of the city.

I am becoming an anarchist…

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