It’s gotten easier as I’ve gotten into the process to determine what the end game is for each of these vehicles (yes, you need one). It’s all part of that whole idea of actually engaging with folks instead of being a blip on a timeline for a few seconds a day. Here’s how I’m thinking of using them:

The Terminal – If the site’s running on all cylinders, people will miss posts made throughout the week. The idea is to make it easy for them to catch up and give them ideas on how they may want to spend the weekend or the week ahead (still deciding on a day of the week). As a result, the express is becoming the 12:08 - so named for when The Crescent’s supposed to arrive in Birmingham on its way to New Orleans.

Dre’s Ramblings – I supposedly have all of these friends, but I feel as though I don’t really get a chance to connect with them. The email update will probably go out once a month – though it may end up only going out once every other month – but this way it’s a prompt for both sides to think about staying in touch more often. I’m thinking of it as a way to get back to letter writing…

Urban Conversations – It’s looking as though it’ll be a hybrid of the other two strategies. It will most likely not go out weekly as it’s more about opinion based pieces and profiles focused on journalism & urban revitalization, but it’s also a way to stay connected to those in both fields. BTW – subscribe here.

The hope for all of these is seeing some increased level of communication – whether it’s via an email thread in my inbox or a comment thread on the various sites. I’m no fool though;  a by-product of all of this will be increased traffic to the sites (and other things I decided to reference) in order to get a better understanding of what I’m talking about.

I’m more concerned about the conversations though. This would be in addition to following through on the whole information diet idea. I gladly blame Denise Cheng for getting me to start thinking this way. Her monthly updates are a great way to not feel out of the loop when I do get a chance to talk to her (especially when I don’t always get a chance to check out her blog).

Doesn’t it make sense to find new ways to prime the pump for conversation and not just worry about the traffic if we’re supposed to be encouraging more social interaction? Good content that talks to people (and not at or down to them) still wins out at the end of the day. It also gets folks talking…

You probably won’t see insanely high click-through rates at the beginning. Be patient (though it’s not a virtue people seem to hold in high regard anymore). Don’t just assume it’s about getting eyeballs to read content. That’s when you’ll be stuck with a nice list but little interaction – unless you’ve convinced them to somehow subscribe you your RSS feed instead.

What say all of you?

Photo: CVF WF 1. Ross Catrow/Flickr.

Besides the general inquiries about what a hashtag is and how are they helpful, one thing that folks were concerned about was how to get the word out about one’s existence.

Luckily, I stumbled across this card on the counter at SOVA in DC later on that week.

Granted, it’s a lot easier to share the hashtag #HstEaster and get folks wondering about it when it’s painted on a 7′ tall egg, but I think some of you will get the point. People sometimes think that the only way to get the word out about what’s going on with you online is by talking to folks online. That works, but I’d be willing to bet there are many who still stumble across those postcards or business cards laid out at restaurants and office waiting rooms, gleaning important data off of them. When you generate enough buzz, it may even lead to some television coverage.

If you’re going to be a person, city or business that embraces a social approach to connecting, you’ve got to be willing to connect regardless of platform. You’ve also got to be willing to let go of some (if not most) of the control of the hashtag. It’s probably the biggest problem most big brands seem to be facing right now – they tie hashtags to television shows, movies and the like but get upset when the conversation goes in directions they didn’t consider. A community will let you know if they embrace a hashtag or not; they’ll also police it for you if someone tries to come in a co-opt it.

Publicize offline. Considering I was a visitor to the city, I wouldn’t have known to look for the hashtag without being prompted by the card. I still ended up not fully comprehending what it was until after the fact; while folks were singing karaoke on H Street, I was watching The Muppets at my friend’s house. There were still folks who were compelled to share videos of the singing as well as dancing while publicizing it outside of the usual suspects. They probably figured out who they wanted to target up front and then determined the best way to engage those not already aware of their existence.

Involve supporters. It was amazing to see how many businesses actually had the cards publicizing the egg and the associated activities along H Street. Considering the gateway status the street enjoys thanks to being adjacent to Union Station and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, it would no doubt be able to attract outsiders (or at least have a greater chance to be able to do so).

Have fun. We are talking about this because it involved a 7′ tall egg that was decorated by area children and accompanied by karaoke after all. There was probably some infrastructure supporting this effort, but it allowed the conversation to happen without trying to control it too much. Sometimes you can schedule your way into obscurity; make sure there’s some flexibility in that plan you’ve developed to achieve the goal of the strategy.

Capital City Church in DC took what some would consider an unconventional approach towards engaging the larger community. It can just as easily be applied to things like street festivals (as executed flawlessly here in Birmingham by efforts like Paint The Town Red – #pttrbham) and social movements (including #hb56 and #crisisAL).

What did I forget? What else would you offer as advice when using hashtags as part of your digital media plan?

I wasn’t rocking the smartphone back then – only my SMS service. It was a good way to keep up with what was going on. In other words, I had a reason to use it.

Thanks to my Facebook account I’ve recently reconnected with a friend from college & hope to be in the audience as she receives her second graduate degree in a couple of weeks. I’ve also been able to provide what I hope is valuable information to friends as they make a very important decision about their future. Folks knew they could find me there, therefore it was of benefit.

The dilemma

I’ve also spent a lot of time since I’ve been back in town trying to play catch-up with my Twitter stream and various other social network platforms because I feel I have to know everything that’s happened. This exercise led me to realize I wasn’t practicing what I was preaching. As a result, I’ve slowly been making a significant change in how I approach being online in recent weeks – one that puts what I do more in line with what I say at conferences and to potential clients.

I’ve consistently talk about using things like social media as part of a toolbox and said that folks shouldn’t think about the platforms as the be-all and end-all. I’ve suggested in the past that it can be a window to the world and an digital extension that allows you to dip in, take a pulse or crowdsource how to tackle a project. Despite the fact that I’ve got to engage in order for this to be helpful, I’ve not been engaging in a healthy way – at least not for me.

I’ve got friends shutting down their online accounts as a way to focus. More people are talking about focus than ever before – even if you’re not realizing that’s what their words and actions suggest. Many choose to overindulge in what was once seen as luxuries as we attempt to keep up with the rest of civilized society. We have all of this access to everything under the sun, but we don’t really know any more than we did before. I don’t think I can truly disconnect from the digital world because of how I’ve chosen to make a living, but I can be much more deliberate about how I implement the tools at my disposal.

The remedy

Doing this crazy online world “right” is most likely in the eyes of the beholder. What a consultant can bring to your situation is a way to align what you want with what’s available to you. Sometimes it’s realizing exactly how what you may want doesn’t necessarily work with how much time you want to dedicate. Sometimes it’s realizing while your strategy suggests you should be listening more while the plan allows you to do so without sacrificing whatever the reason is for your being online. The good ones tend to model ideal behavior… hopefully.

What do I want now? I want an experience that lets me use the lessons I learned while in college and so far in life to help folks understand the built environment around them and how they could be contributing to it (a much simpler version of what it means to be an urban conversationalist, I guess). I also want excuses to meet up with folks over good food, a pint of beer or a cup of coffee to talk about baseball, urban revitalization or other stuff – people and things I’ve discovered as a result of finding new online bubbles to explore.

There will be some of you who stumble across this post that will say it’s what everyone in the bubble says. The goal of this post though isn’t to talk to the bubble, but maybe with those folks I want to connect with outside of it. That’s what got me blogging in the first place.

This is the part where I ask what you think about this – though you may not necessarily realize what it really means for a few more weeks… Well?

Images: Web 2.0 icons. zipckr/Flickr; Social Media Cartoon Comic – Social Media Overload. seanrnicholson/Flickr.

Why am I writing about an end of the year report today? It’s better to be thinking about it at the beginning of the year than sometime in October when you realize you can’t properly quantify and report on what you’ve accomplished.

Even in the digital age, people want to see tangible proof of your activities. All of the tweets, blog posts and status updates you post are important, but sometimes you’re a drop of water blasting from an ever more powerful fire hose. It’s a lot easier to condense all of that information into something that’s a little more manageable.

The video above makes for part of a very compelling deliverable to donors and sponsors of the museum if they so choose.

An SD card (or DVD if you so choose) containing a piece similar to the one above showing the faces of the folks that went to your events throughout the year – in addition to short video pieces from folks like the museum’s director and curators talking in slightly more depth about certain issues. It could lead to a much cheaper way to deliver the annual report to your board and their interested parties. It’s also content for a single page (or section) on your site that contains links to the content produced for the deliverable:

• All videos/interviews
• PDFs containing budgets and more detailed information about projects

You could also link back to older pieces on the blog already written about the various projects, potentially encouraging more folks to poke around and become more familiar with your digital presence.

You may still decide to hold an annual meeting event and give it to attendees but you can also make sure more folks with access to your website have more information about exactly how you succeeded in the previous twelve months. Your fans on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, et. al., may also be willing to help share the page link with their friends – some of whom will probably not be as familiar with your efforts as you’d like them to be (at least until after they’d looked over all that stuff).

It also helps give you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside you need every once in a while to know you’re accomplishing something and other are aware of it. It does help… and it’s not like it hasn’t already been considered by some larger organizations out there.

I’m sure there have to already be some pretty cool examples of this actually being carried out – whether it be for a local arts organization or a commercial district revitalization program – by smallers orgs. If you know of any that have a “year in review” type page, please share the links in the comments section below. I’ll see if I can’t find any out there and link to them on a page here as well.

There’s already a great sampling courtesy of the Chronicle of Philanthropy (and I’m personally a big fan of what the New York Public Library’s done in recent years).

Facebook announced it expanded the number of characters allowed in status updates to 63,206 from 5,000. Those who did talk about it online pointed out how it most likely resulted from Google’s new social network Google+‘s no character limit (though there is said to actually be one – close to 100,000). Some have asked – and I guess I’m joining their ranks – if there’s really a need for that much space when giving your friends an update about what’s going on in your life…

Slow down there for a sec and take a broader look at what’s going on. Do you remember why you set up your account in the first place? (You do have a strategy, right?) If it was to help make people aware of what’s going on, this change may help. If it was to help drive traffic to your website where you have additional ways to track where folks are coming from and what’s of interest to them whether they “like” or “+1″ your status update, then this could be bad.

Another way to look at it is like this – would you expect anyone who follows your updates on those sites to read all of this there (possibly resulting in rants like this one), or would you expect them to visit your website and flip through a couple of virtual pages instead?

The change really means more than just a “battle” with Google+. The ability to share blog-length posts as status updates means they’re keeping an eye on sites like Tumblr, Posterous and WordPress.com. Facebook and Google+ want you to consider them first and think of your built in audiences for posts and news. It doesn’t hurt that you’re able to subscribe to people’s walls now even if they don’t follow you back.

The battle is about truly becoming an online hub for their users – the first and only place they really need to go for information. Facebook’s recent acquisition of Gowalla and Twitter’s exclusion of Foursquare in their redesign suggests that the fun is just beginning.

Use the extra space with a great deal of caution. Just because you’re able to write the equivalent of 1/9 of a novel doesn’t mean you should. I’ve personally got a problem with sharing that much information on a platform that you don’t completely control. Don’t worry, I’ve got the same problem with Google+’s 100,000 character limit too.

Think of it this way – if you happen to inadvertently violate the terms of use, all of that stuff you’ve handed over to them (photos, videos, blog posts, etc.) are presumably lost forever with one keystroke from one of their administrators. The work you put into connecting with all of those folks online, all of the unique content and perspectives shared – all gone in one second.

Yes, you can download archives of your data from most services nowadays – and even if you run your own site you should be constantly backing up your stuff anyway. There’s just something about knowing that your site’s down because of something you did instead of someone’s potentially arbitrary decision that worries me just enough…

What do you think?

Photo: Race #2. tedkerwin/Flickr

There are two memories replaying in my head quite often right now. The first one takes me back to Huey’s on River Street in Savannah at one of our regular after-work gatherings. Ben Murkison was still relegated to a stroller but found a way to reach behind my chair and nearly pull off picking my wallet out of my pocket. Yes, it’s something worth laughing at (especially now).

The other time was at the house Betsy and I were renting on East Bolton Street when Ben and Boomer (my cat) met for the first time. The stare down on the stairs between the two of them is still something of legend.

Ben, now 10, and his brother Brian (7) were in a car accident shortly after Thanksgiving. I found out about it after Betsy saw it on Facebook. Yes, Facebook. It’s been our connection to their father David’s updates and the prayer requests.

It’s also the basis of yet another compelling chapter in this young man’s life.

I’d try to tell most of the story myself, but instead I’ll share the words used by the folks at Land’s End on their Facebook fan page:

We just learned of a touching story through one of our customers. His friend was in a serious car accident with his wife and two sons over the weekend in Georgia. When the oldest asked what was being done for his younger brother, who is in critical condition, his dad told him that people all over the world were sending their thoughts and prayers. When he asked “Even from Fiji?” his parents said yes, and he started a map with pushpins to keep track of all of the kind thoughts people were sending. Since Santa is a good friend of ours, we’re sending him to the hospital with a pushpin from the North Pole and a bag of goodies for the boys. And, here’s one giant virtual pushpin from Dodgeville, WI. If you’d like to contribute a virtual pushpin to his map, type your location in the comments below. We’ll share it with the family.

It’s hard not to realize the true connective power of the Web (and humanity) when you take a look at Ben’s map. It’s even tougher to do when you take a look at the video of his visit from Santa shortly before being released.

I’ve never really stopped thinking about what it means to be a friend online nowadays. People tend to be quick to dismiss the digital sphere as one that serves no purpose. If it doesn’t provide some sort of instant gratification or joy, then why use it?

Similarly, some brands wonder why they don’t see any real impact from their online presence. In both cases they also seem to be quick to connect only with those they feel comfortable with – those they already know – instead of reaching out to those unfamiliar with them. They stick to messages that only broadcast their latest deal or product without showing they can be human as well. It makes me wonder if they ever truly thought out why they wanted to be online in the first place.

I’ve long wanted to be able to share a story that meant something to me to demonstrate the power of social networks – a way to cut through the drama of Klout scores and whether or not you need to be plugged in. The ability to also highlight something to remind us that the Christmas spirit isn’t just regulated to the twelve days we sing about or decorations adding to the cluttered world we already find trouble maneuvering through is an added bonus. It’s nice to see folks leverage their platforms for the benefit of others instead of making it more about a popularity contest.

There’s a young boy and his family spending another Christmas in southeast Georgia who can now share first hand just how connective this digital world really can be – and what it can mean for those who need support.

Maybe it’s supposed to be about doing what’s right and leveraging the network you have to bring more people together?

By the way, consider this one very large pushpin from Birmingham, AL.

-#-

The “Prayers for the Murkison Family” group on Facebook currently has 500+ members. There’s also an account set up at Wells Fargo to help cover medical expenses and beyond for Ben and Brian (the Murkison Family Fund). Donations can be made at any location across the country.

-#-

UPDATE: David has shared via Facebook on Sunday with some sad news.

…Tests Friday did not go well.

The doctors all agree that the injuries Brian has can not be over come. They are all surprised that he has made it as long as he has. We told only a few and stopped posting updates. We expected his time on this earth to end yesterday. Once again—Brian has exceeded expectations. He is remaining pretty stable. It is only a matter of time.

Ellen and I have come to terms and are at peace with this…

Our requests for this Sunday is for peace for Brian. We know he Is going to a better place. Our other request is for our family in the healing process. I have been most touched by the many tributes from other kids. Many that knew Brian— and Many that did not. Please say a prayer for them as this news gets to them.

We continue to read the updates and tributes to him. They are still motivational to us.

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers at this time.

Part of the plan for 2012 is being more involved in conversations about the profession most influencing what I do right now. Taking part in #jcarn helps me do that. This month’s prompt is more than adequate to stir the imagination and  it’s helping me think about how to tackle a project I’ve been wanting to do for some time:

If you are a journalist, what would be the best present from programmers and developers that Santa Claus could leave under your Christmas tree?

Parts of my wish are being tackled already courtesy of projects ranging from Chattarati in Chattanooga, TN, to EveryBlock and SeeClickFix. The ability to explore exactly how we can provide as much information as possible to a site visitor without having them look at a jumbled mess is becoming the centerpiece of discussions about the evolution of  journalism on the web.

So… what about this idea that’s been bouncing around in my head since getting back from a two-week long  road trip where I got to talk to both journalists and developers?

I’d like to see more developers working on a tool that makes it easier for journalists to show visitors relevance. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

The concept bouncing around in my head is based on having a map dominating the front page of the site, with 3-5 of the most recent/relevant points added referenced. What if you visited a site’s front page and you could immediately see layers available associated with the events calendar showing where they were taking place in addition to the top news stories for the site? Perhaps Google is already heading in that direction with their continuing addition of layers and services to their Maps project but it’s probably not wise to give one company that much control in terms of sharing information.

A side conversation during the December 7 edition of #wjchat brought up one significant issue – whether or not it exposes news deserts already viewed as not being adequately served by legacy media due to cutbacks and layoffs. It’s something site operators and contributors would have to comfortable with – and something that may push them to be more willing to dig for those stories that may actually be happening but not being broadcast.

Most site visitors don’t really care how we get there; they simply want a site that gives them as much information as possible as effortlessly as possible. The challenge comes in providing context and relevance for those stumbling onto the site and those who are looking to learn a little more about a section of town they normally don’t visit.

I just keep wondering what would happen if you had a site that could provide text, video, wiki-like entries for those who truly love knowing everything in addition to context and relevance if it would help engage more people than we do now. It may not, but it would be an insanely powerful tool in the world of civic engagement and serving the greater good of the community in your reporting.

I’m not completely sure we need to be relying on web browsers to help us in that effort – though Google’s recent acquisition of Apture seems to put that solution front and center). Assuming everyone’s on the same level playing field in terms of understanding all options available to end users can be a very dangerous thing.

So much of what we cover on our sites is local and we get it as the creators of the piece, but some of your readers may not realize exactly how what’s happening in one section affects what’s happening on your block. There are projects that started to show how those stories could relate in terms of beats, most notably the old (and unfortunately defunct) Chicago BlogMap and DC Metromap aggregators built on the premise of associating sites with stops on the “L” or the Metro.

Maybe some recently announced initiatives like the Public Media Accelerator may help us come up with a more sophisticated (but easy to use) solution. Or maybe y’all already know of a few folks that have dug a little deeper into this than I have? Maybe?

Photo: The Ramblings mantle. acnatta/Flickr.

We somehow got on the topic of how much I’d wanted to go check out the BMW Guggenheim Lab while I was in town but I wasn’t sure if I would. Twenty minutes later we were on the “B” train heading towards Houston St.

As we arrived, the folks from Third Root in Brooklyn were staffing a table and leading an introductory yoga session as part of a free community health care day.

There were folks gathered around taking stock of the first of what will be three distinct structures used for the lab over the next six years in all of its carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer glory (designed by Atelier Bow-Wow, a Tokyo-based architecture firm).

A chalkboard invited visitors to share hashtags for Twitter conversations they considered important to pay attention to in the coming days, including one that had gained a great deal of steam just the night before – #occupywallstreet. Risers were set up for a performance taking place later in the afternoon, allowing people to watch what was going on in the Lab while resting up to explore the East Village (or perhaps another round of food at the last day of the the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy).

Two large display screens engaged passersby. One shared information about upcoming lab events. The other was being used for an interactive game about cities. The game was one of the most intriguing things about the lab for me – and something that had me thinking about a larger issue long after heading uptown for a Yankees/Red Sox game.

There were five pieces that had been specifically built for the game. They were placed horizontally across a board that went both + and – 5 spots. It appeared that number of people gathered around the board determined whether there would be teams or individuals. Ten questions were asked (we joined in on the last three questions of a round during our visit). After all of the questions were answered and the points tallied, participants were told what your “future city” would look like – comparing your answers to actual decisions made by cities around the globe. Incidentally, if you’re interested in seeing what your future city is, an online version of Urbanology is available on the Lab’s website.

One look at the offerings Guggenheim Lab made me ask a question I forgot I posed about until after seeing Amanda’s Foursquare check-in via Twitter later that evening:

Good questions from @acnatta...why didn't a newsroom do this first? (@ BMW Guggenheim Lab w/ 5 others) [pic]: http://t.co/41sSSv5V

September 25, 2011 2:25 pm via foursquareReplyRetweetFavorite

@amandabee

amandabee

I’ve got this weird notion of the modern-day newsroom being more interactive than purely a place where we tell you what’s happening. This may stem from a long ago realization that The Terminal is not quite ready for an “office” in the traditional sense. I enjoy sitting on the front porch of the house too much to justify the additional expense when I can pass that potential revenue on to contributors.

I have often wondered what an office for the site would look like if and when we needed one. I see the resulting space as more of a listening post than anything else – a place where people can share their knowledge with each other while we get to educate and inform. A chalkboard would cover an entire wall, perhaps with a space dedicated to sharing suggestions directly from Twitter and Facebook. Maybe the space would allow for yoga classes as well as town hall meetings, even a cup of coffee?

Spaces like this already exist – they just aren’t necessarily dedicated to the news gathering process. The first space that seemed to fit the physical interpretation of what I envision is the original location for Busboys and Poets in Washington, DC’s U Street corridor. The ability to host a night of poetry, film screenings and round table discussions – even simultaneously – is intriguing. There’s also what The Register Citizen is doing in Torrington, CT.

Maybe games like Urbanology would allow news organizations to inform members of our community while also learning more about them. What if the conversations that followed participating in those games were captured for all to see and to respond to – either by typing a comment or recording a video? The opportunity to see who you’re engaging with on the website when you’re leaving your comments is extremely powerful.

Having a place like this doesn’t take away from getting out there and engaging with the community where they are normally (maybe even invading neighborhood coffeehouses like The Washington Post did last summer). It would be nice though to provide a space where they don’t think twice about coming to visit you from time to time.

If news organizations are to be serving the community, perhaps adopting some of the objectives of the Guggenheim Lab isn’t that bad of an idea. It’d be a good basis for future newsroom transformations. It helped me realize the idea for the bus that served as the crux of my brief talk at ONA in Boston isn’t as out of reach as I felt it was as I gave it the day before.

It may even be a way to help developers think of a way to build a content management system specifically for this kind of engagement-driven journalism that’s not relying on too many moving parts. If you think of how to do that, consider sharing it as a comment over on Amanda’s recent piece for PBS MediaShift.

I’m interested in what I’m missing or if I’m being overly ambitious about something that can’t or won’t ever really change. If you’ve got any comments or suggestions, feel free to share them down below.

By the way, folks traveling overseas to Germany or India will have an opportunity to see what I’m talking about in 2012; it’ll be in Berlin this spring and in Mumbai after that. The results derived from the lab’s first round of activities will be shared via an exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 2013.

It’s one I’m looking forward to heading home for when it’s finally announced.

Photos: acnatta/Flickr.

Close to 250 people gathered at the Birmingham CrossPlex to add their voice to what organizers hope will be a collective vision for Alabama’s largest city. Goody Clancy is serving as lead consultant for the city as they attempt to craft its first comprehensive plan since 1961. Among those in attendance were a group of young people who lucked into finding some adults wanting to hear their thoughts about the future of their city.

Some gathered for the half-day session may have found some of their suggestions a little over the top (their wanting more kid-friendly malls, more arcades immediately come to mind), but their voices also carried hope for things adults may find more helpful in making the city all that it can be…

They asked if they could get more libraries and better schools. Those unsure of whether or not the construction of the CrossPlex and its swimming pools were really wanted by area youth needed to only hear their first recommendation – they want more.

They hoped for another Railroad Park – perhaps a pre-cursor to the idea that the city’s existing green space (and the ability to find out what is currently available easily) may need a refreshing.

More importantly than any suggestion that was voiced or drawn by that group – the fact their words were listened to by those in attendance – seriously.

It’s important to make sure that your established leaders get their say. Listening to the young professionals in the crowd is also important as it’s becoming glaringly obvious that they are becoming an important part in the renaissance of many global cities. All of that said, we need to do a better job of engaging those we normally want to see play but not hear from as it is their city we’re borrowing for but a moment.

They also seem to not have the baggage of boundaries or disappointment that the adults bring to the table at times. They aren’t afraid to dream & to do what’s necessary to make sure it happens.

This was the first opportunity for public input into the plan, but definitely not the last. As the process continues, I’m hoping other children attend and that their suggestions are recorded and considered as seriously as those being made “for their own good.”

Anyone have any good ideas for how to get the voices of children involved (and how to best collect their suggestions)?

NOTE: I’m one of the members of the 38-person steering committee for the comp plan.

Photo: Children amaze me. acnatta/Flickr.

The one pictured off to your left was one I took great delight in capturing on film. It’s a fully functioning piece of rolling stock representative of what was once part of the world’s second largest streetcar system – in Birmingham, AL.

You’d find it hard to believe that Alabama’s Magic City could once claim that title nowadays. One part of the problem is evident as you realize that even some of the simplest errands in the world contain the words “get in the car” and “once you get off the Interstate…” The number of tweets and status updates possible because of bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour also wouldn’t help those who’d say it wasn’t true.

It’s probably safe to say that “white flight” was a major cause of the exodus of neighborhood stores – it’s a little tough to serve a neighborhood when the inhabitants keep on leaving. The exodus also led to the slow disassembly of the network. The turbulent and violent episodes related to transit during the 1960s (and before) in the city rightly left many uncomfortable riding the bus system that was left behind after the streetcars were retired – and all of the subsequent systems that have attempted to fill a gap.

I’d argue that the future of transit in Birmingham, AL – and everywhere else that views effective, sustainable transportation options as a major issue as we continue through the first half of the 21^st century – is tied to the issue of walkability.

###

The second time Betsy and I visited New York City, it was around Thanksgiving 2006. We’d spent a lot of time in the car so we looked forward to some time off the road.

We took the A train to Cathedral Parkway (110^th Street) and walked over to the station’s namesake, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Apparently by the time we’d finished walking, we were down by Madison Square (for those not familiar with the city, that’s around 23^rd Street – though Bets swears we got down to 14^th Street).

We didn’t necessarily walk straight through – we did stop for lunch (and did way too much window shopping and staring up at buildings). The one thing we did know though was if we got too tired to keep going at any point during the day, we could hop on a bus or train and get back uptown.

###

There will be some in Birmingham that’ll suggest I can’t compare what’s available in New York to what’s possible there. This is where I would remind them the city used to host one of the world’s largest systems…

People I talk to about the issue in general (regardless of city) seem to focus on long-distance transit – something that I think would do more to help remove obstacles in seeing additional acceptance of digital media consumption due to the potential length of the trip more than anything else – instead of the short trips that make up a significant amount of travel on most systems.

Walkable communities tend to give people a reason to be far enough from their car to consider hopping on the bus/streetcar/rail to get back into town. I’d also suggest it would encourage more businesses to consider setting up shop and building new homes within the city limits. You might even see some of those not so good rankings for the city insofar as health issues go drop – significantly.

This isn’t to suggest that a reworking of a system must happen before or after such a movement would be undertaken; it most likely has to happen at the same time. Developers will want to see evidence their investment into the future of the metro area’s core is worth it. Transit advocates would have to remind critics that the problems that currently exist didn’t suddenly manifest and it’ll take time to see long-term results. It’s not like local-based developers haven’t already seen the benefits elsewhere.

My favorite example of a system that works (or one that I remember working) is located in Ottawa, Ontario. Built primarily as a bus system, OC Transpo was able to tie large transit hubs into shopping center parking lots. There are also sidewalks located along most of the system and most of the streets feeding to where the stops are located. The system covers a lot of ground - including most of the metro area (similar in size to Birmingham’s).

I don’t know if we’d be able to truly enjoy a case of building it and then people coming. The pieces have to be moving in tandem to show folks that the focus is genuine and sincere – and one that will take government and the private sector to happen. Maybe then we’d also be able to get more jobs located closer to where the workforce lives, thereby reducing that distance to travel).

It would be great to see the streets of Birmingham, AL enjoy a scene similar to the one enjoyed by visitors to the West Coast currently – someday.

NOTE: This post was a result of one written for my personal blog, Dre’s Ramblings, on July 12, 2011.

Photos: An old friend of the Magic City. acnatta/Flickr; Double Decker Stops at Westboro Station! m.gifford/Flickr.