Abstract

How do you tell a 17 year old boy to be less youthful behind the wheel? How can you persuade a parent that half a mile is not too far for an 11 year old to walk? These are the kind of wicked problems faced by urban planners. In the absence of easily accessible knowledge the path followed is likely to be the familiar one: show gruesome road accident pictures, or give them information about how walking is healthy. Geoff Gardner, an engineer by training, set about to address these issues. Gaining a (late) A-level in psychology. Didn’t answer the question why Hull has six time more cycling than nearby Middlesbrough, however. Then with an expert Sociology group learnt more about the problem (but less about potential solutions). Finally in the Social Marketing field there appeared some light that might both illuminate and guide actions. This workshop will use practical examples to show how an engineer goes about finding practical solutions based on the best of available theory.