To stay with the theme of my previous column, published earlier this week, I would like to share a few TED “talks” for citizens of urban communities.
The TED (Technology, Engineering, Design) conference series was started in 1984 as a forum for the hard sciences, but quickly became a forum for all innovative ideas in areas like health care, public-policy and finance. Like I have said before, the presentations, called “talks,” offer individuals the opportunity to be exposed to new ideas which they can then explore further and possibly incorporate into their own lives.
In my previous column, I shared four different TED talks which were directed at locally elected officials. Today I would like to share some talks involving citizens, particularly those from the city of Ypsilanti, which can be watched in total in about an hour. The city has crafted its Master Plan and citizens need to be informed of not only the ideas presented in the plan, but other ideas for urban development that they can advocate for.
First is Michael Sandel’s “The lost art of democratic debate,” which is 20 minutes and was delivered in 2010. What better way to start off this odyssey into civic idealism and public-policy than to discuss the proper way to debate topics important to the community? In this talk, Sandel, a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University, offers a quick course on how to debate. The talk is humorous, and Sandel offers many questions to be pondered.
Second is Beth Noveck’s “Demand a more open source government,” which is 17 minutes and was delivered in 2012. Formerly a member of the Obama administration, Noveck was deputy chief technology officer. Her job was to share data for public consumption. She says that governments have troves of data, some of which may seem innocuous, but if released to the public can lead to the creation of new businesses. For example, when former President Bill Clinton released Global Positioning System data to the public for personal and commercial use. Now almost every smartphone can tell you exactly where you are in the world and how to find your way home.
Third is Jeff Speck’s “The walkable city,” which is 17 minutes and was delivered in 2013. Jeff Speck is a city planner and architect. He makes a clear and concise case for why walkability should be integral to the design of a city. Aside from its ameliorative effects, walkability increases health, wellness, and the finances of members of the community. There is research to show that storefronts in walkable areas see a boost in customers, passersby who in cars otherwise would have simply driven by, but as pedestrians are enticed to shop and support often locally-owned establishments.
Walkability is thankfully emphasized in the city of Ypsilanti’s Master Plan, and was certainly on the mind of Paul Schreiber, the mayor, during our interview earlier this month.
Fourth is Alex Steffen’s “The shareable future of cities,” which is 10 minutes and was delivered in 2011. The talk really elaborates on the word sustainability and what it actually means for a modern city. What does sustainability mean for infrastructure? What does sustainability mean in terms of policy? The answers are provided in this brief but informative talk.
Watch these TED talks and you’ll be a more informed citizen for it.
