Wellington City Council has launched a survey to find out who is living in the inner city, asking questions such as how long inhabitants have been there, how big their apartments are, and if / where they park their car. About 6500 surveys have been mailed out (which perhaps gives us a clue as to how many apartments are there already) according to this council link, but if you haven’t been sent one, you can still complete one online. The survey runs until 31 May, so we’re not going to see any results for a while yet, but there is a prize of a $200 voucher for a meal at Logan Brown for one lucky punter. Yum. Just take your wallet anyway, because that’s not going to go that far!
One good thing on the survey is that there is a space for suggestions of amenities needed for inner city dwellers – let’s fill their inbox to overflowing. While my personal suggestion list may include such items as the assassination of the 5.00 am rubbish collector, and the requirement for mobile phones to be made illegal to use while walking (I don’t know how people can drive a car when using one, judging by the vagaries of wandering evident from your average Nokia-wielding pedestrian), you may also want to suggest items such as more facilities in the form of inner city parks, pedestrian friendly road crossings (Taranaki and Wakefield: how bad does a corner have to be before it gets some action?!), tiki bars (there has been a strong push from certain quarters on that before), and the revoking of the smoking laws (enabling us to walk the streets once more without being fumigated by ‘open air’ smokers). I’m sure you’ll have some more: suggestions please!
Pray tell, what exactly is wrong with the Wakefield/Taranaki pedestrian crossing?
Seamonkey – just about everything for a pedestrian, if you’re going from Cuba St over to the Waterfront. You have to cross back and forward, zig and zagging, from west side to east side to north side to south side, over main roads and minor roads, with cars coming at you from one direction or both directions, as the cars get several lanes, and pedestrians get short shift. There are about seven different spots you can get run over, if cars are impatient, and they often are impatient. Thoroughly unpleasant.
Seeing as it is the main route for many visitors to Welly on their way to Te Papa, its an appallingly bad presentation and introduction to the city. We can do better.
Fair call.
But then swing it the opposite way – it is the well-established alternative to the ‘could’ve-should’ve been a cut & cover’ central city bypass.
Auckland’s Queen Street it is not! At least not until they bowl the BP and put up apartments/cafes/restaurants there. Fat chance.
Also, if there is any need for looking at pedestrian crossings in that vicinity, then Cable/Taranaki to the waterfront needs a tad longer on the green man. =)
Better facilities for cyclists !
Need more cycle lanes, more bike parks (lockable), and more showers in buildings!
Personally, I was going for a tiki bar-light rail-ice skating rink. Better pedestrian and cycling facilities sound alright though.
Latest effort to get an ice rink for Welly, as posted on Facebook:
Blade Sports
More trees in the inner city. I want an avenue of leafy deciduous trees to walk under, so the leaves can fall in autumn and carpet the ground.
Trees are cool. More trees please.
And we can build tree houses in them and have affordable accomodation at last! :)
Wellington is still sadly lacking in inner city trees.
Tennis courts. Basketball courts. And yes, even ice skating rinks. Indoor sports. Outdoor sports. (in the city, not out in the suburbs). If there is 12,000 people living in the inner city, then that’s a huge proportion of the population without facilities. Yes, we have a library and opera house, but can’t we just have a few neighbourhood hoops as well?
Cant go wrong with trees. Or some more infill hoops – see the one between tory and taranaki (holland st)
Compost-able collections. For the suburbs too. Not everyone has a garden, but many people would like to be able to be more earth-friendly.
Jo – compost in an apartment? Wouldn’t that be smelly? You’re right about wanting to be eco-friendly and i hate putting scraps down the grungerator, but there isn’t much option really in the city….
Fair call.
But then swing it the opposite way – it is the well-established alternative to the 'could've-should've been a cut & cover' central city bypass.
Auckland's Queen Street it is not! At least not until they bowl the BP and put up apartments/cafes/restaurants there. Fat chance.
Also, if there is any need for looking at pedestrian crossings in that vicinity, then Cable/Taranaki to the waterfront needs a tad longer on the green man. =)