How might we begin to think about measuring the progress of Dublin using metrics that everyone understands, and that are the types of measurements that we will tend to think about ourselves?
This piece is incomplete, could certainly do with some restructuring, and is very much a work in progress - it's being posted here, so that it can live somewhere public rather than being hidden away in a file on a phone!
Is there a term for human-centred types of metrics?
— Dublin City Council BETA (@DCCbeta) April 3, 2019
Eg “pavement wide enough for two couples holding hands, to walk past one another“ rather than “3.0m wide pavement”.
Cc @BrentToderian
Walking
- How far can walk holding hands
- Can parent(s) + child(ren) walk side by side
- Can two buggies / wheelchairs pass one another
- Pavement widths - How far can walk as a couple holding hands.
- How often people step off the pavement onto the roadway.
- Two people with golf umbrellas able to pass each other easily.
- Is it easy or a hassle to try to overtake two old friends ambling slowly and chatting.
- Able to easily overtake someone walking a dog on lead.
- Feeling stressed/changing route home as walking along with something fragile in a bag, afraid of people banging into you.
- Do you feel the need to move aside to let people who are behind you past? (Eg you can ‘feel’ them right behind you.)
- Number of people standing in the middle of the road.
- Ease of walking whilst pushing something...kid in a buggy, a punctured bicycle etc.
- People walking on the edge granite stone / traffic side of bins, lampposts, etc...pavement width too narrow.
- Two parents with pram, able to pass another two parents with pram.
- The number of people jogging across the street to avoid getting hit by cars.
- Numbers of Bollards
Bollards are a proxy measure of policing failure to detect/prosecute for fly-parking. @TISPOLorg https://t.co/l6PY02Nd3u
— Cyclist.ie (@Cyclistie) April 16, 2017
Hearing
- Can you hear your child talk to you whilst you walk behind them in their buggy-stroller.
- Can you hear birds when they’re singing?
- Volume level you need to use on your headphones on a particular street.
- Can you talk to your forward-facing baby in a pram.
- Being able to have a telephone conversation on the street and be able to hear the other person.
Children
- Do you feel comfortable letting go of a child’s hand?
- For how long would you feel comfortable letting go of a child’s hand?
- Pushing a pram one-handed (Eg if holding an umbrella)...eg having to cross side streets with a raised kerb.
- Children independently playing
- Halloween kids out
"Children are an indicator species for great neighbourhoods" If you don't see them around, and independent, you should question why https://t.co/iVi0hfoXBY
— Bristol Cycling (@BristolCycling) September 28, 2017
Kids as #indicator #species of the livability of a neighborhood, love it! The #HalloweenTest: is it quick, easy and safe to get around? https://t.co/J3p67EzqMn
— Emilie Doran (@emilie_events) October 22, 2016
Kids are often said to be an indicator species for great neighborhoods; Kids in costumes on #Halloween are too. https://t.co/z4HfPZiILM pic.twitter.com/jFAYcFHfuf
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) October 26, 2016
Cycling
- Dutch cycling indicators seen in Dublin - eg cycling with an umbrella up
- cargo bikes
- Parents with kids
- Kids out on their own
- Elderly cycling
- Cycling side-by-side chatting
- Can a 6-year old cycle it?
- Number of groups cycling side-by-side.
- How far you can cycle side-by-side.
- Cycling with a coffee
- The number of people cycling who have lamps on their heads and cameras etc.
- A move from non-mandatory safety equipment to mandatory safe equipment...e.g. Moving from reduction in hi-viz etc to an increase instead in the use of proper lighting and reflective markings on the bike etc. (I.e. Like Holland.)
- Average 'Stylish' rating of cyclists as a cohort.
- Number of kilometres of real cycling infrastructure - for example Dutch quality.
- % of people cycling upright-type bicycles
- Average cycling speed for commuters
A Criterion - if 2 people can't hold a conversation while cycling (as a driver & passenger might), the infra is, frankly my dear, shit.
— Jitensha Oni ������������ (@jitensha_oni) July 10, 2017
I think we need a definition of cycle route first. Most are just painted on giving cyclist no protection. If a 6 year old can't cycle it, then it's not a cycle lane
— Conor Hourigan (@conor_hourigan) May 12, 2018
Love this! It's such a simple measure but completely relatable for anyone to understand and demand https://t.co/mhDxOAgRmg
— Dermot Hanney (@HanneyDP) August 25, 2016
This woman was casually carrying a latte as she cycled CS3. Taking sips at the traffic lights. This is cycling culture we want in London. pic.twitter.com/NwMglP8XEm
— Two Wheels Good blog (@TwoWheelsGoodUK) November 5, 2016
In Amsterdam, no one wears high viz vests except construction workers. Ditto for helmets. pic.twitter.com/KYMUEA52Rc
— Janet Lafleur ⚜️ (@ladyfleur) September 13, 2016
You can surmise a lot about the comfort and safety of your city's streets based on the wardrobe of its cyclists. #Copenhagen vs. #Portland. pic.twitter.com/sTpQO8vU8y
— Modacity (@modacitylife) March 4, 2017
On my ride home tonight I saw:
— Mitchell Reardon (@MitchellReardon) June 20, 2018
�� A small boy + dad
�� An elderly couple
�� Young women
�� A guy in a shirt & tie
�� People of an array of backgrounds
�� A cargo bike
�� 2 trailers w small kids
All on bikes. They are the indicator species of a healthy bike city.
Fight or die instinct that many cyclists have adopted in survive British urban roads will take generations of infrastructure to calm down
— Big Dai ���������������������� (@Bigdai100) June 13, 2018
Notice the massive change in imagery between London's 2014 cycle action plan (lycra commutes) and 2018's plan (just people getting about on bikes in everyday clothes) pic.twitter.com/aVxXr7NhBW
— citymobility (@citycyclists) December 17, 2018
Others
- Diversity of biodiversity in your neighbourhood. (Rather than at city level.)
- Can you see the stars?
- How nice it is to have a city centre wedding. (Cleanliness, walkability, no street hassles, noise)
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WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Get involved in the conversation below.
Ruth McGetrick, posted on 2019.10.04
OMG I love this “everyday metrics”. This is what matters! And I don’t think we do a good job of enabling any of it in Dublin, in fact a lot of it is completely impossible
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