Weekly Roundup 29-August-2025
Welcome to the last Friday of August, and our regular roundup of insights from the world of urbanism. As always, feel free to share your links to stories on transport, cities, and what makes them great. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Matt took a look at the announcement about the start to level crossing removals in the south.…
37 Comments Improving Local Government Representation in New Zealand
This is a guest post by Malcolm McCracken. It previously appeared on his blog Better Things Are Possible and is shared by kind permission. Local government elections in New Zealand face persistent challenges with low voter turnout and a shortage of candidates. …
Level Crossing Removal Starts
The government have seemed a bit more desperate to be seen to be doing things lately, and yesterday they got an opportunity with a sod-turning event to mark the start of removing the last seven level crossings on the southern and eastern lines north of Papakura.…
Weekly Roundup 22-August-2025
Another Friday closer to actual spring, and here’s another roundup of insights from the world of urbanism. As always, feel free to share your links to stories on transport, cities, and what makes them great. Our header image this week shows the cycleway ramp for Sydney Harbour Bridge, currently under construction.…
Is Auckland Council planning to raze the inner suburbs?
Almost exactly three years ago, Auckland Council notified “Plan Change 78” (PC78) in response to government direction to allow apartments near major centres/transit stations and to allow townhouses throughout the suburbs.
Since then, Council has fought that government direction tooth and nail, while also facing extreme weather events like the infamous Auckland Anniversary floods in 2023.…
Just asking questions about bike helmets
The media’s tendency to seize on anything bike-related and turn it into a scandal took a new turn this week, after it was revealed David Seymour, in his role as Minister for Regulation, had asked for advice about removing the mandatory helmet requirements for people on bicycles.…
The City Rail Link is a bargain…
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the City Centre Advisory Panel and is running for council in the Waitematā & Gulf ward in this years local elections.
As the City Rail Link (CRL) nears completion amid talk of city deals and rates caps, I thought it worth looking at what that project can tell us about the nation-city relationship.…
Weekly Roundup 15-August-2025
Whaddya know, it’s Friday again! And here’s our regular roundup of recent news about cities, transport and making Auckland a little bit greater. This week’s header image shows an idea for High St, featuring bollards at the Shortland St entrance. See related item below.…
How rapid is our Rapid Transit
Last week Auckland Transport released their new rapid transit map for after the City Rail Link opens sometime next year. The implication that the rapid transit network (RTN) should be fast is right there in the name, but for the avoidance of doubt, the Auckland Rapid Transit Pathway has a high-level description of the RTN of:
Rapid transit is fast, frequent, and reliable public transport.…
Te Huia to Tauranga?
This is a guest post by Darren Davis. It originally appeared on his excellent blog, Adventures in Transitland, which we encourage you to check out. It is shared by kind permission. Tauranga – the weakest leg of the Golden Triangle
Aotearoa is a top-heavy country.…
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