Stuart’s 1000 #29 Billboards over Buildings
29: Billboards over Buildings What if there were no billboards on beautiful buildings?
This is one of these aspects of city life that on one hand is covered by regulation and compliance monitoring and on the other seems to require just a bit more common sense and decency, with an interesting aspect of financial return for building owners thrown in.…
12 Comments Waterview Connection July Time Lapse
The latest time lapse from the Waterview Connection project The TBM is getting very close to the end of the first tunnel with it less than 300m to go.…
Transport Election Policy Roundup
In politics, transport sits in a weird space. It’s a key topic in local body elections – which is understandable as people’s interactions the transport system are experienced at a local level – however it’s at a national level where most of the key decisions around funding and overall transport policy are made.…
Stuart’s 100 #28 Walking to the Supermarket
28: Walking to the supermarket What if supermarkets cared as much for their walk-up customers?
The extent to which the main supermarkets place emphasis on accessing their stores by car is, in a number of locations throughout Auckland and other towns and cities in NZ, quite out of proportion to the choices and habits of their customers.…
The Pullman Hotel – Pulled into line?
Greetings from Barcelona, where I’m currently winding up a 3 week European holiday that has also taken me to Amsterdam, Paris, and Porto. But my thoughts on those cities will have to wait for another day, because right now I want to engage in some bloated, tapas-filled celebration of a more local achievement.…
Population-weighted densities in New Zealand and Australia
Urban population density is a hot topic – some people complain that it’s getting too high in Auckland, while others worry that it’s too low to get the urban outcomes we want. Either way, density matters – it can have a big impact on: The efficiency of infrastructure provision and public transport services
Urban productivity and levels of competition in industries like retail
Amenity for residents – higher density can support cultural institutions and local vibrancy, but some people may prefer more open space
Preservation of open space and agricultural land on the urban fringes
Cities’ energy efficiency and use of resources.…
Stuart’s 100 #27 Civic Uses for a Civic Asset
27: Civic Uses for a Civic Asset What if we found better uses for the old Beach Road Rail Station?
Continuing the series on forgotten and under-utilised spaces in the city, some of them, like the former Beach Road Railway Station, are not so small!…
The difference between Traffic Engineers and Planners
We often deride traffic engineers for the road dominant nature of Auckland. Sometimes this can be a bit unfair as we know not all engineers are bad and the term is often be a bit of a catch all phrase for those involved in the road design process.…
The costs and trade-offs of free public transport in Auckland
One perennial discussion in transport circles is whether we shouldn’t just do away with public transport fares completely and make the whole network free of charge. Why not fully subsidise the network as a public service using public monies as we do with most education, healthcare and other social benefits?…
Photo of the Day: Wellington Waterfront
A fantastic Harbour in a vigourous climate and out of reach for people for many years, but now a really great series of different toned places. Urban and wild; industrial and recreational; gastronomic and cultural; contemporary and faithful to its past.…
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