Pam Jiner: Citizen Scientist and Street Fighter
“I say data is leverage. Get those pictures and use data as leverage - fight with it!”
Pam Jiner is a Citizen Scientist and self-proclaimed “Street Fighter,” who has used the power of data to advocate for infrastructure improvements in her Denver, Colorado community. Through her work as a Program Director for Montebello Walks and as a prominent member of GirlTrek, Pam has engaged an army of over a hundred community members to take action. She recently sat down with Our Voice to talk a bit more about the Discovery Tool and the importance of data in driving change.
Q: How did you become a "Street Fighter"?
A: I wanted to make sure that my community has all the amenities, the niceties, and the safety precautions that every other community has. I joined an organization called GirlTrek, [which] got me out walking in my community. When I got out, that's when I noticed that my community had changed, but yet there were so many things that were not changed - no upgrades, no crosswalks, and no safety precautions around our schools. It's like… things have got to change, we’ve got to change that.
Q: How did the Discovery Tool help shape your work?
A: For our official walk audit, it was great that a number of people could take pictures of what they saw, what they noted was inadequate, what needed to be improved, or even what they really liked about a corner, intersection, or driveway off of a heavily-used street. Using the tool is great because you get different perspectives on what you see. Residents have one perspective but yet city planners have another perspective on the same corner. It was good to get all of that feedback collected together - the city was able to see how we felt about the pieces that we sent in. We brought things to their attention that they didn't realize were not functioning.
Q: What advice would you give others around becoming an agent of community change?
A: Things do not have to stay the same. I mean what was my normal as a kid out here does not have to be third generation, fourth generation “normal.” For my foster kids and grandchildren, this does not have to be their normal. We can make it better for them and just make it easier on people to get from point A to B when traveling through their community.
This experience has changed my life. I see inadequacies everywhere I go as it relates to pedestrian access and safety. I even stop [at] construction sites to remind them to be considerate of the handicapped in our community.
I say data is leverage. Get those pictures and use data as leverage - fight with it!
Want to learn more? Find out about Montbello Walks and our colloboration with GirlTrek here.