Virtually all of the necessary preconditions are now in place for far-reaching, rapid, low cost improvements in the ways that people get around in our cites. The needs are there, they are increasingly understood -- and we now know what to do and how to get the job done. The challenge is to find the vision, political will, and leadership to get the job done, step by deliberate step:

1. Vision and leadership: Open your eyes, break with the past, take on the real problems of mobility, well-being and economic health in your city.

2. Broaden ownership: Make your New Mobility program a broad-based collaborative enterprise that listens to and engages the whole city.

3. Tighten time frame for action: Set firm targets for all to see and judge -- gearing all actions to achieve visible results within 2-5 year time frame.

4. Coherent integrated policy frame: that explicitly drives and aligns all measures and actions so they move together in interactive synergy

5. Frugal economics: You are not going to need another round of high cost, low impact investments to make it work. Work with what you have.

6. Focus Projects : Select FIVE new mobility innovations to lead your transformation, and then package and integrate them for success.

7. Pick winners: New approaches demand success. Chose policies and services with track records of success and build on their experience.

Why the 2008-2012 time horizon?

This is the central key to the whole effort. Because we now know that a waiting game will have deadly consequences. Hence we need to concentrate our minds and efforts on actions that are going to have early pay-offs.

And while the ideal is certainly anything that will lead to big visible paybacks in less than two years - a target that is in fact be obtainable by at least some of the measures that are getting attention here - the fact is that a couple of years of operational experience is often needed to fine tune, debug and start to get the most out of your new mobility measure. So let's give it enough time to get the job done.

In addition, within this frame you are going to have time to . . .

• At the very least to replace your present vehicle with something more appropriate for responsible 21st century city travel.
• Alternavitely and better yet If possible where you live and work) shed your car altogether as new affordable alternatives start to come on line in your community (affordable carsharing among them of course)
• To seek a better, more environmentally coherent place to live and work
• And if you are an industrial or service group, enough time to design and bring on line a new range of products adn services.

And finally if you are a mayor or elected official, this gives you time to achieve your announced objectives within your electoral term. Four years: Put up or shut up. Seems fair. That's why we have elections.

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2008 Work Program and Outlook

Our annual State of the Commons annual report makes useful background reading for anyone who knows what is behind this project, offering a quick recap of 2007, a look ahead to 2008, and an introspection about the nature of problem-solving in our main areas of competence.

The keys to the year ahead are two: First, to face the music and recognize the full dimensions and urgency of the crushing problems before our cities and our planet. And in parallel with this, to find more effective ways to solve these challenges, through more seamless international networking and collaborative problem solving. There is a great deal of knowledge and good accumulated experience out there, but it needs to be better harnessed and put to work for your city. Many of these wheels have already been invented; so here is no reason to start from zero every time. But how to spot, chose and adapt the best for your unique case? That is the challenge before each city and project team.

All of which is by way of saying that our 2008 work program keys on collaborative problem solving, making effective use of the alliances, materials and knowledge bases that have been built up within the New Mobility Agenda over the last two decades. But there is more to the Agenda than its pieces.

We see the individual measures and the projects they set out as specific steps in a process of a much broader rethinking of transport in cities, in your city. And now click here for the recap and outlook for our on-going programs. Though not without in closing inviting you to share with us your plans, projects and work interests for 2008. Cooperation is a two way street. Let's make it a busy one.

* Click here for more on the 2008 focus projects > > > .

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