Here is a special event that has been opened up to ATB readers. In addition to the student-based Get Connected event featuring Joshua Arbury, Patrick Reynolds and Anthony Cross, Jarrett Walker will be speaking at an IPENZ Transportation Group function on Wednesday 20 March 5PM at the Beca House Auditorium.
Jarrett Walker probably needs no introduction to most readers. If not, it’s safe to say that he is one of the most influential thinkers on public transportation’s role in the modern city. Besides his widely-read blog HumanTransit, he is the author of the recently published Human Transit- How Clearer Thinking Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives. Jarrett works all over the world including Auckland where he has assisted Auckland Transport with the recent network re-design to be rolled out over the next several years. This event will reach capacity. To ensure that you have a seat we ask that you please RSVP to [email protected] .
More details on the event can be found below. Jarrett’s book will be available for purchase (cash). Hope to see you all there.
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call me an eternal naieve optimist if you will, but I think Jarrett’s visit comes during a very exciting and important period in Auckland’s development. It feels like the time is right for the city to capitalize on the ground swell of public and professional support for more livable cities supported by better public transport (and walking and cycling – don’t forget walking and cycling)/
Hopefully people like Jarrett and this blog can meld this support into a more cohesive and informed movement for change that extends beyond just talking about rail versus highways and focuses our minds on improving all aspects of the PT network, from ferries, to buses, to pedestrian accessibility – and dare I say it parking policy (e.g. getting rid of minimum parking requirements).
I’m not thinking we need a revolution as such, more steady incremental improvements that progressively gain in both their size and the pace they are implemented.
True, Stu- would be great if someone on this blog could arrange some media time for Jarrett, maybe an interview with the Herald or Campbell, etc? Would be one way to maintain the momentum on the “ground swell of public and professional support”
Hi harminder – we (being MRCagney, the company Jarrett and I work for) are currently working with our clients on a number of potential media interviews, including radio and print. If someone had TV contacts then please link them to this page – Jarrett would love to reach a wider audience and he’s extremely good at communicating transport issues to lay audiences.
I think it would be fun to see public transport force it’s way on the current affairs agenda, because it’s very much a “daily affair” for many people who live in NZ’s cities!
Will he also give equal time to praising motorways? He seems pretty biased otherwise.
Great to have him over this way, I hope you all get a lot from his visit, and that the right people hear his ideas. Make sure you invite them!
He is biased – in favour of cities instead of motorways.
^whoops again. I tried to leave a fake tag there, but WordPress ate it.
Good to see, especially with the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand spear heading the meeting. I would attend but unfortunately in Christchurch and up the following week. Will have to try and catch it online.
Yes, IPENZ does a lot of good work, much of which goes unnoticed by those who are not engineers.
I know that sounds surprising given all the flack that engineers get on this blog …
I’d be very interested to hear his thoughts on Greater Wellington’s revision of the bus network he proposed for the Wellington City Bus Review.
That’s a very good question – I’d encourage you to ask that on the day. I think I know what his answer would be, but it would be improper for me to speak on his behalf.
I won’t be able to be there, so I hope someone else asks it!
Yes would be an interesting question… somewhere between Jarret and Greater Wellington there was a fundamental misreading of the situation in Wellington. A large base of affluent, vocal and mobilised middle class bus users who don’t perceive the current Wellington bus network as being especially broken or needing any major change. Greater Wellington were severely burned by the biggest community backlash they have probably ever encountered in recent decades. Wellington is not Auckland or Christchurch where arguably the benefits of the new bus network model are far more immediately self evident.
I RSVP’d on Friday, no reply yet but hope I get a seat 🙂
Also hoping work doesn’t keep me in… really keen to hear Jarrett…
Saw him at the student event last night and he was epic…would like to go to this talk too. Any word on whether it’s too late to RSVP??
Liam, just be me, I rsvped before I realised I have to teach now.
Excellent I’ll just have to get myself a sweet hat then. If I’m quick with my assignments today then I’ll hop along methinks…
Fantastic seminar, thanks very much to Kent and the other organisers!
Didn’t get the chance to talk to any of the ATB crew… next time:) Did get some homework in the form of Jarrett’s book… and more reasons to love buses. Thanks again everyone for organising it!
Was there going to be a video/transcript of this event posted?