2025 – A Year in Review
Here we are at the end of 2025, so it’s time for quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened this year for urbanism and transport in our city.
A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog, shared our work, and supported us in our mission to make a greater Tāmaki Makaurau.…
2 Comments What’s in the RoNS files?
Earlier this week, Te Waihanga, The Infrastructure Commission, called for more transparency for infrastructure investment.
I thoroughly agree. A lack of transparency, especially in mega projects, has been a hallmark of the transport sector in New Zealand – and not only is it detrimental to the public interest, it also prevents improvements to how we do infrastructure as a country.…
It’s time to stand up for a better Queen Street, again!
Here we are again. For the umpteenth time, more changes are being proposed for Queen Street (and Midtown).
Unfortunately, these are not good changes, and they include pouring traffic back into the short section of Queen Street that’s currently car-free, between Wakefield St.…
Local control of transport: huge room for change?
The governance reforms of transport in Auckland are set to become law early next year. A great deal is changing, but to most people it likely feels all very abstract and distant. So, in this post I want to take a look at a tangible, practical example of the positive potential this law change could unleash.…
Wayne Brown vs Wayne Brown
Recently, under its new Mayor Andrew Little, Wellington City Council voted to delay the Golden Mile street project for yet another review.
This is despite the Golden Mile being well supported in (repeated) consultations, with a benefit cost ratio of 5.8, and with millions of dollars of central government funding sitting there ready to use – plus the obvious fact that this part of Wellington really really needs the spruce-up.…
This government’s legacy for transport in Auckland
The following is an op-ed I wrote which ran in the NZ Herald on November 3. It’s turning out to be even more topical than ever – read to the end for an update with recent events… In July 2016, dignitaries geared up to ride along a brand new cycleway on Quay Street in Auckland.…
Wayne Brown wants Auckland to be an efficient, green city
Stopping sprawl and turning Auckland into an efficient, green city? Sign us up, Mayor Wayne Brown!
On Friday 31 October, the Mayor and councillors were officially sworn in, and the Mayor made a speech outlining his priorities for the coming term.…
Manchester: an urban renewal case study
I lived in the UK in the 1980s, so whenever anyone describes the Auckland city centre as “dilapidated” (as the Herald did in an recent editorial), I can’t help chuckling. While we do have very real problems, we have nothing like the complete physical ruin of whole areas and communities on the scale that was so widespread in post-industrial Thatcher’s Britain, especially in the north where the Industrial revolution began, like Manchester below.…
At a crossroads: How a new Auckland Council will traverse transport policy
Connor stood on the City Vision ticket in the latest local elections, in a personal capacity.
This ran in The Post on October 21 2025. Despite the lowest ever local election turnout, this was perhaps Auckland’s most consequential election so far.…
Reality bites: RoNS will bankrupt the nation
The government’s mega-roads programme is now looking to cost an astonishing $40-50 billion, based on new documents released yesterday by the NZTA.
On Monday, Transport Minister Chris Bishop touted the fact that $1.2 billion would be spent towards funding for design, consenting and property acquisition for six of the projects.…
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