Amidst all this talk of Hubbard, Buzzard, Toil and Gloom, it’s nice to hear something positive once in a while. Word has it that at a NZIA Urban Design forum this week, the audience was mighty impressed by the new Aussie boss of the Urban Design Group in Wellington, Jan McCredie. She’s made a few public talks in her time here in Wellington this year, and it’s clear that she’s got some great ideas buzzing in the team. Wellington 2040 is the aim of the WCC’s vision – to try and see 30 years into the future, and what measures…

With a resounding snap of latex rubber catsuit on naked flesh, we take a slightly different direction today. There’s been enough talk of streets and roads and local body politics for now – time to look at another urban phenomenon.

It is one of the more difficult (and eye-opening) subjects for us to find images for that are even mildly relevant and yet still safe for work (we’ve noted that your usage of the EoTF website seems to spike around lunchtime). From me simply titling this post “Fish Fetish” and then googling for images on that led…

Johnsonville Neglected by Council.

“Wellington City Council has failed and neglected Johnsonville for a long time – that’s obvious. Projects proposed to be started, finished and funded have not been.

Last night Council (by a majority of one) made that worse in an election panic ad hoc move by two councillors which sees no real commitment to comprehensive integrated urban design or to expenditure or programming of needed infrastructure and services. In the case of the new library their move acknowledged no step forward to progress it. Johnsonville has been plagued by ad hoc infill and development and…

“There’s been a lot of angst from some people in Johnsonville about Plan Changes 72 and 73.

Let’s look at the big picture first. Wellington City’s population is growing, relatively fast in historical terms. The Council is not, repeat not, promoting population growth. I personally believe that all countries should have a population strategy (ie have half a clue where it’s going) because population affects everything, but that’s another matter for now. Anyway Statistics NZ’s medium projection for Wellington City has population rising from 187,000 in 2006 (last census) to 231,000 in 2031. Of those extra 44,000…

There’s some big news from the Council this week, as they debate whether or not to adopt District Plan Change 72 and 73. Councillors will vote on this on Wednesday, in what is probably going to be a massive meeting. More on DPC 72 and 73 later – but first: Johnsonville.

Scoop Wellington (aka Lindsay Shelton) has been hosting a discussion about Johnsonville which seems to take the whole DPC 72 / 73 thing very personally. Have a look at the article “Johnsonville “doomed” by withheld report, claim residents” which has got me a bit staggered as to what…

Following on from previous discussions on all things transport and urban, I’ve had a play round and tried to depict some of the issues that are striking the city planners and traffic engineers – as well as causing wrangles between Mayor Kerry and Sir Bob Jones. No doubt the Council has much more sophisticated diagrams in their possession, but they’ve not shared those with the public yet. So the Fish is going to step into the Void and try to contribute.

This first image here has a combined Golden Mile pedestrian route (shown in a yellowy gold,…

A complete change of tack, and just because it amuses me so much: today, a picture. Thanks to Murder Burger (time you guys opened a branch in Wellington please!), and a tip o’ the hat to m-d, for alerting me to yet another way of wasting away my life… But, I just love this one, and it is, ever so slightly, an urban commentary. Enjoy your weekend!

A quick post today to briefly introduce the subject that seems to have got some people excited: that the WCC has hired Space Syntax to map out conditions in Wellington’s CBD. I’m a bit rusty on all that, so I have to go and do some research into the subject: of which, more soon. But it does seem to have had some startling results already: namely that Sir Bob Jones and the Vibrant Wellington organisation has pulled out from putting forward a candidate for the Mayoralty.

That seems to be a real pity – Bob has been…