THE SWEDISH VERSION OF VISIONZERO

TEXT 1 : HOW STOCKHOLM BECAME THE ULTIMATE WALKABLE CITY

By: Sarah Goodyear

Published: May 24, 2015; The Atlantic City Lab; http://www.citylab.com/commute/2015/03/how-stockholm-became-the-ultimate-walkable-city/388433/ 

Level of Difficulty: **

BEFORE YOU READ

·         Watch the following video on walkability and make a few notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xL2Jl8ysoY

·         Watch the following video and make a few notes: “Talk explains how to make walkable cities” http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/Talk-Explains-How-and-Why-to-Make-Walkable-Cities-274056821.html

QUESTIONS

1. The original purpose of vision zero was to ………………………………………………………………………………
2. Watch the video that comes with the text. Now circle the words that best describe the streets of Stockholm:

Social, impersonal, laid back, family friendly, noisy, lack of amenities, too few public facilities, good shopping centers, too much night life, drugs and alcohol, good for pedestrians, preserves history and culture, not really livable

3. How is the focus of Vision Zero going to be changing in the coming years?
4. The change in opinion concerning congestion pricing is dramatic / minimal / considerable
5. We understand from the economic argument discussed in the text that apartments with facilities and amenities which are ……………………. are far more popular.
6. ……………………….has made Stockholm’s street family friendly.
7. The new vision for Stockholm is planning a city which is …………………………………………………
8. Vision zero is now not only about making the city safer but also more ………………………….

TEXT 2: THE SWEDISH APPROACH TO ROAD SAFETY: ‘THE ACCIDENT IS NOT THE MAJOR PROBLEM’

By: Sarah Goodyear

Published: November 20, 2014; The Atlantic City Lab, http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014/11/the-swedish-approach-to-road-safety-the-accident-is-not-the-major-problem/382995/

Level of difficulty: ** 

QUESTIONS

1. What unique goal has the Swedish government undertaken?
2. The system has proved successful because …………………………………………………………..
3. What rather harsh view entertained by political economists is Sweden trying to counter?
4. Transport safety needs to be seen ……………………………….which requires a radical shift in mind set
5. The new system Sweden envisions puts …………………….front and center
6. What criticism was leveled at Sweden by an American author? He felt that…………………..
7. The fact that a basic safety net is part of life in Sweden means that people are more prepared to………………………………………………
8. Read the answer to the question “And how does that play out in the transportation realm?” Where, in this section, would you put the saying “After all, if you can’t beat them, join them”?
9. The speed limit of 30mph allowed in urban settings in Sweden represents ……………………………
10. Read the story of Allison Liao. Where would you put the phrase “This is asking for trouble”?
11. Read from “So that’s a good example of a problem” to the end of this section. Where would you put the sentence “Traffic cameras are well and good but they won’t solve the problem”?
12. Sweden is very different from other countries in that the purpose of traffic cameras is not to ……………………………………….or to ………………………………………………………………………………………..
13. Where in the last paragraph would you put the phrase “ It is a real urban jungle unlike Stockholm”

WRITING TASK

Use the information in the two texts you have studied plus the videos you have watched to discuss the advantages of the Swedish approach to providing road safety and city planning.

TEXT 1: HOW STOCKHOLM BECAME THE ULTIMATE WALKABLE CITY KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This is the first of two texts on how Sweden, progressive welfare state, has tackled the problem of road safety. Being Sweden, they have a radically different and people friendly system where the pedestrian is front and center. And naturally, being Sweden, it works like a dream. Traffic is a popular topic in language classes this might be a breath of fresh air. It needs to be covered in conjunction with the text titled “THE SWEDISH APPROACH TO ROAD SAFETY: ‘THE ACCIDENT IS NOT THE MAJOR PROBLEM” to be meaningful.

1. To reduce traffic deaths and serious fatalities to zero through a combination of engineering, education and enforcement.
2. Social, laid back, family friendly, good shopping centers, good for pedestrians, preserves history and culture
3. They want to involve the health benefits of more people using their bikes and more people walking.
4. Dramatic.
5. Walking distance
6. Eliminating cars
7. Rich in human interaction, that provides a healthier environment that puts people above cars in a variety of ways
8. Livable

TEXT 2: THE SWEDISH APPROACH TO ROAD SAFETY: ‘THE ACCIDENT IS NOT THE MAJOR PROBLEM’ KEY ANDTEACHER’S NOTES

This the second of two texts addressing the issue of road safety, and how Sweden has tackled the problem. It needs to be done in conjunction with the text titled “HOW STOCKHOLM BECAME THE ULTIMATE WALKABLE CITY” to be meaningful.

1. Managing the nation’s streets and roads with the ultimate goal of preventing fatalities and serious injuries.
2. Sweden recorded seven traffic fatalities per 100.000 people; despite a significant increase in traffic volume, the number is fewer than three.
3. Fatalities are a price you have to pay for transport
4. As a civil rights thing
5. Humans
6. If you take care too much about people in your society they will be a little bit spoiled
7. Take risks
8. At the end of the first paragraph in the section
9. The threshold where we can tolerate external violence, kinetic energy
10. After “or risk reduction on these two people”.
11. After the sentence beginning “Because these mistakes…”
12. Catch people or earn money/ raise revenue
13. After  “insecure”