Urban Planning Stories - Page 8

Kiwi Stories

Urban Planning stories

Wellington hosts rail conference

Passenger rail could cut emissions and widen access, but chronic underinvestment and patchy national coordination still hold New Zealand back.

By Staff Writer • 4 min read • Fri, 7th Jul 2023

Supply Chain

Harbour bridge closures ‘over-cautious’ after 2020 incident

Auckland businesses face repeated disruptions as the transport agency’s lower wind thresholds keep forcing Harbour Bridge closures and delays.

By Staff Writer • 2 min read • Mon, 3rd Jul 2023

Auckland Council

Government orchestrates takeover of Auckland suburbs

Auckland Council says it was blindsided as Kāinga Ora weighs taking over planning for suburbs on the light rail corridor, overriding local plans.

By Staff Writer • 4 min read • Fri, 30th Jun 2023

Downer

Waste concrete gets new life in Wellington transport project

The new paths should help Wellington residents travel more easily while diverting waste concrete and asphalt from landfill.

By Staff Writer • 2 min read • Mon, 26th Jun 2023

Wellington Regional Council

New trains to sit idle 94% of the time

Passengers could see little benefit from the refurbished Capital Connection fleet, which is expected to be idle most of the time without new services.

By Staff Writer • 8 min read • Mon, 12th Jun 2023

Disaster Recovery

Shortsightedness and poor planning lead to property buyouts

Ratepayers and taxpayers will help fund buyouts and flood defences for homes in areas hit by severe weather after years of underinvestment.

By Staff Writer • 4 min read • Tue, 6th Jun 2023

Auckland Council

Too much consultation, not enough action

Auckland Transport risks paralysis if it keeps seeking public input on tiny road changes already covered by approved plans.

By Staff Writer • 5 min read • Mon, 29th May 2023

Auckland Council

Pre-election conversations we need to be having

Infrastructure New Zealand wants parties to back simpler funding, congestion charging and stronger oversight to tackle the country's infrastructure deficit.

By Staff Writer • 7 min read • Fri, 26th May 2023

Sustainability

Students tackle country’s big infrastructure issues

Real-world subdivision design projects are giving civil engineering students hands-on experience tackling housing and water shortages across New Zealand.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read • Thu, 18th May 2023

Agricultural Technology

Campaign launched against ‘undemocratic’ RMA reform

Critics say the reform could lift housing and infrastructure costs by stripping councils of planning powers and deepening court battles.

By Staff Writer • 8 min read • Fri, 12th May 2023

Disaster Recovery

Second Auckland harbour crossing ‘stupidest transport project ever’

Public consultation on the Waitematā Harbour crossing begins with options costing up to GBP £12.5 billion and facing carbon concerns.

By Staff Writer • 8 min read • Thu, 30th Mar 2023

Climate change

New Zealand cities losing their leaves

Urban trees and gardens are shrinking as intensification raises heat, flooding and liveability risks for New Zealand’s cities.

By Staff Writer • 4 min read • Sun, 19th Mar 2023

Public Sector

Reforms do not guarantee a better system

Councils could lose influence over local planning as new regional committees shift decisions further from communities and raise funding concerns.

By Staff Writer • 2 min read • Wed, 8th Mar 2023

Autodesk

What can we learn from the response to Hurricane Katrina?

For coastal New Zealand, the lesson is that resilience will hinge on working with nature, not relying on engineering alone.

By Staff Writer • 8 min read • Sun, 5th Mar 2023

Disaster Recovery

Is it time to consider managed retreat?

Experts warn rebuilding in flood-hit areas could lock communities into repeated damage, forcing a national rethink on who pays to move.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read • Fri, 3rd Mar 2023

Disaster Recovery

Building back better after Cyclone Gabrielle

Communities face repeated outages and costly repairs unless planners shift to more resilient, wellbeing-based infrastructure decisions.

By Staff Writer • 14 min read • Sun, 19th Feb 2023

Disaster Recovery

The impact of back-to-back storms

Back-to-back storms are exposing weaknesses in Auckland’s ageing drainage system and testing community recovery after record flooding.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read • Sun, 12th Feb 2023

Auckland Council

Experts weigh in on Auckland floods

Climate scientists say Auckland’s floods were intensified by atmospheric rivers, while economists warn neglected infrastructure is leaving homes exposed.

By Staff Writer • 5 min read • Mon, 30th Jan 2023