Incentive for Safer Streets: Fun!

A Volkswagon-funded project asked the public to create proposals to make "dull" practices like going the speed limit, taking the stairs, and recycling, into fun practices. Here is the winner:



I can envision civic leaders worrying about losing out on some revenues from forgone fine monies, but seriously, this is awesome. Something that Kevin Richardson said in the NYTimes reminded me in a big way of best practices for motivating students:

Mr. Richardson, a producer for Nickelodeon’s games division, says that traffic law enforcement’s emphasis on punishment, not reward, is outmoded. “Thinking of all the interesting ways we can penalize a few bad or distracted apples is a mis-distribution of energy and attention,” he said in an e-mail message.

If creating positive incentives > policing in a classroom, why not in society at large? More, please.

Here are the other finalists: