Govt to double number of toll roads

On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make any kind of material impact on how much infrastructure gets built as tolling revenues will be a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of the projects it’s used on.…
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Weekly Roundup 25-October-2024

Happy Friday, even more so as we’re head to a long weekend, so welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans.…
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Talk Wellington takes a pause

A couple of weeks ago we reported in our Weekly Roundup that sister site Talk Wellington/ Kōrero Shaping Wellington – the hub of urbanist discussion and action for our capital – was going into hiatus after seven years. With kind permission, we’re reposting in full the farewell post by TalkWelly founder Isabella Cawthorn.…
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Could we “Ghentify” Auckland? A report from Velo-city 2024

As the Belgian city of Ghent shows, becoming a bike-friendly city is about so much more than enabling more cycling – it’s actually about reallocating valuable public space, and making connections that improve quality of life. In today’s guest post, former Auckland Councillor Pippa Coom reports from Ghent, where she’s just attended this year’s Velo-city, the annual world cycling summit.…
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In Defence of Kāinga Ora

Given the headlines around the recent findings of the ‘independent’ review of Kāinga Ora by Bill English, you might assume this post will be about social housing, Kāinga Ora’s most prominent role. While that is indeed something that requires defending, I want to talk about the other core purpose of Kāinga Ora – its role as an Urban Development Authority (UDA).…
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