What I took the most out of our conversation with Janette Sadik Khan was her insistence on pushing through things that were unpopular at first. People are very resistant to change, and it is especially difficult to come between people and their cars and their parking. To circumvent this, she worked fast, bypassing people’s initial fears. When the residents found out they liked the spaces she created, they were happy with the change. I think there is an important lesson to learn here. If you are confident in yourself, then don’t let yourself be held back by others. If Janette Sadik Khan had not done what she did, I would not be biking around the city everywhere, and I would be taking the train to school everyday.

It is also a lesson on how you need to use what you have. With just paint and beach chairs, she completely transformed the space. There is something to be said about how a little bit of paint completely changes the psychology of how we view things, and how roads become fun plazas where people can enjoy themselves. 

The emphasis on pilot programs, which has been mentioned before by previous speakers, also comes back. It’s important to test things out, and to be OK with making mistakes. It is also very important to have data, and to measure the success or failures that you have.