As our cities are redesigned there is inevitably false information spread, for example about car park removal and business earnings. Here's what we can do about it
Opinion: I am an avid supporter of cities that help us care for our environment. Cities that can ensure our kids can travel independently. Cities in which we actively include people of all abilities. Great cities, for people, for the planet.
Getting more walking (and buses, cycle lanes, space for disabled people) and more green parks is not going to be a walk in the said green park. We are getting a taste of how hard it will be as serious work gets underway in Wellington and Auckland to create these cities. One predictable response to such change is that people crank up the old false information machine into action.
No change happens, no change that makes a big difference, without misinformation and disinformation being used to try to influence people in public and people doing the change.
Disinformation is false information created and spread on purpose by people with powerful interests to protect. Misinformation is false information spread without malicious intent by people, including those who are easily made fearful by such information, and people in the media. It has been with us for a long time. However, false information’s spread and amplification is now at pandemic levels because of the Wild West nature of social media. However, there are things we can do and the first is seeing it for what it is - false.
Opening streets and business earnings
We live in cities designed to work best for cars, but with more people, a car driving culture that is ruining our ecosystem, and injuries to people caused by cars, they no longer really work for anyone, so a redesign is underway.
As our cities are made into places for all people, and streets are opened for those riding bikes, walking and using wheelchairs, the street space we have is being rebalanced. The amount apportioned to cars is reduced while the space apportioned to other modes of transport is increased. In practice, that means removing car parks for cycle ways, and wider pavements, and places to sit and for people to walk.
However, for a small group of people this rebalance means they will lose something - status, money, power. For another group this change is just scary - and it does involve change. And here is where false information proponents seize their chance. In this case, the false information is about car park removal and business earnings.
Evidence is very clear that opening streets to other modes of transport improves our lives. It helps us to be more connected to each other and the environment. A large body of research shows putting in bike lanes and widening footpaths and the associated car park removal “generally has positive or non-significant economic impacts on retail and food service businesses abutting or within short distances of the facilities, though bicycle facilities might have negative effects on auto-centric businesses”. That doesn't stop people with self interest spreading false information that it will tank businesses, and it doesn't stop fearful shop owners believing this false information. To be very clear, opening streets is good for everyone except those people making money from the car industry.
So, what to do about this false information about rebalancing our street space and business? There are lessons to be learned from the climate change and vaccination space that can help.
People in the media need to recognise when they are being used to spread false information
False balance happens when equal weight and information space are given to people with a vested interest or lack of credentials as to people who are experts. For example, when climate change denialists were given equal copy space as climate change scientists, or vaccination scientists were “balanced” with vaccine sceptics. Mostly, people in the media don't do this any more. They know the power they hold, the way false balance can influence people to believe that a false idea is more widely held than it is, and that their responsibility is to report accurate information. They need to apply this same strategy to transport mode shifts. It's the right thing to do.
Inoculate against it
Those engaged in transformative change need to get in front of the false information that will inevitably happen. We are in a global pandemic, in which there has been a tsunami of false information about vaccination. We are still living with (and some people are dying from) the effects. We can get in front of false information and inoculate people against it. Let people know before they get exposed to it that people with self interest will start and spread false information, that people who are scared will believe it, and without amplifying the specific piece of false information by repeating it, we can give people the good information before they are exposed.
Predicting, identifying false information early and having inoculation strategies in place are just good practice. There are a number of other things we can do when false information gets loose, from exciting sounding things such as poison parasite strategies to truth sandwiches.
Support people through change - change is hard but doable
It's important that we don't dismiss or belittle those who become subject to false information because of genuine fear, lack of power, or the manipulations of those with power. It is as true for opening our streets as Covid vaccination. Where those who believe and spread false information are harming people, there is accountability that needs to happen. However, before that, hesitations need to be heard, and where practical, people making the change put in place supports - alternative car parks, loading zones, etc. It remains important that the fears of the few based on false information can never be put ahead of the work of people in government to ensure we have cities and streets that work for everyone. Public good comes first. That is how we will get cities that really are working for all of us.
