Change management, politics, and civic engagement

It's taken me 25 years to come to terms with the reality that just because change, improved theoretical models (like the ones I create), corrected and improved systems and processes, and corrections for economic/market distortions in pricing to improve optimal behavior makes sense and "would improve things*" if enacted, people aren't jumping up and down clamoring for change.

(* Hopefully. Without using the design methodology, prototyping, and getting and responding to feedback and improving systems before launch, traditionally planned interventions produced through a very static development and planning processes are likely to fail, or at least, not accomplish what was intended.)

Last year, my experience as a commercial district revitailzation manager in a DC neighborhood commercial district disabused me of typical notions about improving society--that experts can expound, that people will listen and adopt right off the bat.

You have to build the base of understanding, and that can take years. Especially when the proposed change significantly challenges the way things are done. Especially when approval is required by higher bodies before the change can be introduced.

In short, one year was way too short a period to make the case, to build the coalition of support, to bring about approval for a test of congestion pricing in NYC. Hence, failure.

See "Congestion Pricing Plan Dies in Albany" from the New York Times and check out the coverage in Streetsblog.