Inner city pressure

Inner City Wellington (ICW) shares similar concerns to Diana Tuckwell (Sept 22) about the direction of Wellington City Council (WCC) for the development of the inner city.

ICW is not against development, but it’s the quality of the development that matters.

The council is responsible for ensuring all stakeholders are considered when developing plans and policies for the city and needs to set standards that achieve a people-centred and liveable inner city of diverse communities. Basic quality standards for apartments do not have to be unaffordable or micro sized.

And, given the drive to ensure Wellington becomes a resilient city, communal areas must be included in all inner-city residential developments to enable communities to develop and provide storage space for the water supplies that are now recommended – 20 litres per person, per day for seven days.

WCC should also look to the many studies on social and mental health issues associated with worldwide poorly designed and crowded residential developments to establish robust building strategies that, along with creating resilience, alleviate these problems.

This will ensure Wellington retains its title as one of ‘‘the most liveable cities in the world’’. WENDY ARMITAGE Inner City Wellington