Got an Urban Infrastructure Issue? Make the Bureaucrat Work!
The problem of inadequate infrastructure is not unique to the United States. Nor is the scourge of political dysfunction that leaves commuters stranded waiting for the next bus, pedestrians sprinting across eight lanes of traffic, and motorists stuck in gridlock.
It may not be the first place you'd look for guerrilla-style protest, but in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth largest city, the people are assigning responsibility by attaching human faces -- specifically, those of government officials -- to such urban problems. And they're seeing results.
Network blog This Big City reports:
“Make the bureaucrat work!” is the slogan of a local campaign [ru] run by the regional Internet news agency, Ura.ru. Their solution to the road problem is as simple as it is elegant: They simply spray-paint the portraits of local dignitaries around potholes, with quotes of their promises to fix the problem, and guess what -- problem solved!
What has taken local politicians years not to do is now done overnight. The embarrassment of having their portraits so concretely fixed to the potholes of their power has seemingly made authorities run about like mad to pave over their portraits of impotence, filling the holes in streets and roads.
How might this play out for car-free road users? Portraits of police commissioners at dangerous street crossings? Etchings of electeds at decrepit bus stops? Possibilities abound.
Elsewhere on the Network today: The City Fix files an update on road rationing in China; A/N Blog profiles a new one-mile pedestrian bridge that will span the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky; and WashCycle and BikePortland react to the latest brouhaha over the ethics of cycling.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Kiss Wednesday’s Headlines on the Bus
Bus-only lanes result in faster service that saves transit agencies money and helps riders get to work faster.
Freeway Drivers Keep Slamming into Bridge Railing in L.A.’s Griffith Park
Drivers keep smashing the Riverside Drive Bridge railing - plus a few other Griffith Park bike/walk updates.
Four Things to Know About the Historic Automatic Emergency Braking Rule
The new automatic emergency braking rule is an important step forward for road safety — but don't expect it to save many lives on its own.
Who’s to Blame for Tuesday’s Headlines?
Are the people in this photo inherently "vulnerable", or is this car just dangerous?
