Skip to main content
Tag

Wellington City Council

Jun 16 2011
Love0

Wellington 2040: A smart green city – a “freakin fantastic” idea

By News, urban design

Image by Phillip Capper

This post is really just a heads-up for those of you who don’t keep up with the Dom-Post (and let’s be honest, they don’t really offer much reason to do so), but here is an article (via stuff.co.nz) that should have some interest for our members:

Wellington 2040: A smart green city

Although I recommend you read the article for yourself, the basic gist is that WCC have prepared a Central City Strategy that recognises the central city’s role as the heart of Wellington, and seeks to devise a central city framework that recognises and further develops that role. Read More

Mar 19 2010
Love0

Another restructure – Should we care?

By Comment

It’s inevitable, given their political nature, that governments (local and central) are subject to “restructuring” more than most institutions. Anyone involved in architecture and urban design in Wellington will have known, for a little while now, that the urban design bits of our city council have been, and are in the middle of, such a political reshuffle. All the positions with staff with any design background (architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design) have been deleted, and staff required to apply for positions with more generic job descriptions. Well that’s my understanding at least – and apologies if I’ve got it wrong – do tell me if that’s the case! Read More

Jun 10 2009
Love0

Is architecture at odds with politics?

By Comment

In a rare moment in April, I bought a copy of The Economist, but it was not the obvious architecturally related homeownership article which caught my eye – but rather it was pages 63 and 64, and an article titled: “There was a lawyer, an engineer and a politician …”Well spotted – no architect in sight.The article’s sub-title was a little more revealing: “Selection bias in politics.” Read More

May 01 2009
Love0

WCC – ‘design’ competition

By Competition, EVENTS OTHER, News

Posted by the Council last week, this competition is open until the July 3 (details click here):

“Entrants are required to design an upgrade to a typical Council housing complex consisting of four bed-sit units, with a focus on making them more practical to live in for everyone, regardless of mobility or age [ie. people with disabilities]. Several small complexes with similar plans are currently being upgraded as part of the Council’s Housing Upgrade Project.”

With the first prize of $2000 (total pool of $4000), it sounds a little like a lot of advice for next to free, but then the point of competitions is the engagement with design issues, not just doing a Daniel Libeskind and getting famous… or is it?

Note: to students and other architectural types, you’ll need to have a registered architect to stamp your drawings.

Mar 20 2009
Love0

Urban petitions (or the things we care about)…

By RANTING

Yay for participatory democracy…

Obviously, the demise of our green recycling bins matter, with almost 10 000 signatures already on the Council hosted ePetition (how ick is that particular moniker?), which doesn’t close until May 13. This was one issue that spread like a virus through the pc’s of most Wellingtonians some weeks ago. I am unsure if there is a hard version of the petition as well…?

But, seeing as the Council magnanimously provides such a forum, we really should endeavour to make ourselves aware of the issues that are burning for our fellow citizens, and, in this very spirit, here are, along with the recycling bin issue, the current most significant matters… Read More