Friday, February 26, 2010

What Would You Do?

Today a press release pinged into my Inbox and instead of reading through it quickly then deleting it as I usually do, I immediately headed over to the link it provided. Here's a quick synopsis:

Co-Create London is a new social initiative giving everyone who has ever been to London the chance to change the city.

The project is designed to capture the everyday problems and ideas of the general public by asking the simple question ‘What Would You Do To Make London a Better Place?’

The best ideas from the co-creation workshop phase of the project will then be taken to Town Hall and presented to London Mayor Boris Johnson.



Now, I realise this is very likely a direct initiative from our beloved mayor himself (Update: a recent comment below by Fran shows I may have been overly cynical - or paranoid...). But hey, why not have a think about how you could improve your city? I suggested a book-swap-style kiosk in every Tube station so you could pick up new books to read and recycle those you've already read.

What would you do to make your stomping ground a better place?

7 comments:

Nancy J. Parra said...

Book swaps would be cool. I see them at the metra stations here.

Cheers~

LL aka Lisa-Lin said...

I reside in a Dallas, TX suburb. To have a book/magazine swap at train stations and/or bus routes would be great. And also at work. Ya never know--a book club could spring from it. And, in my town, I would like town square done up--where everyone could come and get to know all the jewels that make the crown, which is my town, sparkle.

Anita Davison said...

Now the major stations are being refurbished and made to look like airport concourses with Starbucks and gourmet food outlets galore, could they make areas where passengers could sit down??? All that shiny floor and not a seat in sight!

Ann said...

I love your book swap idea. No stations here, but when travelling I often need a new book. To expand your idea a book swap in airports would be great too.

abc3d said...

Hi Marsha,

thanks for not trashing our email :)

actually this initiative is not coming from his augustness boris but we are going to make sure that some of the ideas get pitched to him!

btw loved your book/magazine stalls idea

thanks again for your support

Fran

Eeleen Lee said...

book swaps are great
how about magazine swaps? I hate seeing magazines and glossies end up in waiting rooms and recycling bins

Marsha said...

Thanks, everyone, for the great ideas! I like the thought of including magazines, too.

Fran - thanks for the clarification. I admit I am always a little cynical about the origin of such initiatives and I'm happy to be proven wrong!