Source: Brent Toderian
Already for a third year in a row Climathon – the twenty-four-hour hackathon – is taking place on the 26-27 October. Climathon is a global movement dedicated to solving climate challenges in cities that takes place simultaneously in more than 100 cities around the world.
Within the framework of the annual hackathon, experts, students, start-ups, think tanks, innovators and developers will come together in Tallinn and other major cities around the world to find solutions for environmental problems in their cities. The participants contribute a full day to reach innovative solutions for the climate challenges they face in their city. In Tallinn that is mobility, where we focus on promoting walking, cycling and public transport, and reducing the amount of cars. We will look answers to questions such as how and with which solutions it is possible to reach different target groups, to form attitudes and habits, and to crush myths about car-oriented mindset and the urban environment.
Current research shows that the issue in Tallinn is not the comfort of driving with a car and the speed of connections, but that both public and private investments are mainly focused on improving the comfort of the car users. Building more roads and offering larger free parking spaces have not resolved traffic congestion issues nor environmental problems in any city. This is no task well solved by just offering free public transportation. It is necessary to gain further understand of the reasons for the rapid motorization of the Tallinn region and what needs to be done in order to make public transportation, walking and cycling more attractive than habit of driving from door-to-door.
Source: Kashif Aziz
Every person living in Tallinn or its surroundings knows that moving around Tallinn by any form of transport is difficult, inefficient, stressful and time-consuming. Can all these forms be developed equally? How much does a car-oriented city cost to the public sector, businesses and families? Will Tallinn evolve towards becoming a car-dependent city? Is the car a sacred cow in Estonia? Do we need bolder decisions to become a city that is not car-oriented? How to make proposals more attractive for decision-makers and how to communicate the need for a change?
There is always a group of people who only need a small boost to accept a change. It is important to identify them, to direct their positive decisions by creating a feeling that they do not have to give up anything. Instead they will understand that their choice is best for themselves, for the city and the environment. How to reach that?
In the countless development plans, strategies and analysis of Estonia and Tallinn over 20 years, the development of public transport and the development of light traffic has been declared a priority but the increasing number of cars has only been reduced by the financial crisis. The development of public transport and cycling paths has not had a significant impact on car use. We have the knowledge, goals and examples from other cities, but these have not been implemented to change the city environment.
Source: Urban-Hub
Climathon gives the people of Tallinn and Tallinn region the opportunity to be involved in shaping the city and to participate collectively in creating innovations. Innovative solutions can have positively surprising outcome if people from different areas are intensively engaged in lengthy brainstorming.
Climathon is organized by Cleantech ForEst collaboration with Climate-KIC, Tallinn City Government and Tallinn Energy Agency.
Register yourself as an individual or a team here https://climathon.climate-kic.org/en/tallinn
More information about Climathon write triin@cleantechforest.ee or check Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/1856560334434052/
WHAT? Climathon Tallinn - Mobility problems in Tallinn - Will you accept the challenge?
WHERE? SpringHub Tallinn Pärnu mnt 148
WHEN? on 26-27. October at 15.00 – 15.00