Own worst enemies Creating a liveable city

Golden Mile business owners are their own worst enemies if they think that rejecting proposed improvements to the road corridor will benefit them.

The point of the changes is to improve accessibility to the area for actual humans – i.e. the entities that spend money in their shops – and to create a more pleasant urban environment in which people want to linger (which means to spend). Do these owners really think their customers arrive by car and park outside their businesses?

The Chamber of Commerce can be relied on to reject any proposal that recognises the way modern cities function so its sidingwith uninformed business owners is irrelevant. We don’t have to guess at the outcome of creating a Golden Mile that prioritises people over cars.

Any number of examples from traditionally car-dominatedNorth American cities attest to the retail benefits (not to mention wider community and environmental benefits) that accrue from creating pedestrianised spaces that can be reliably and safely

accessed. The loss of a few measly car parks on Courtenay Place and Lambton Quay won’t change anything for retailers but the improved access for public transport, bikes, and walkingwill bring people through their doors.

Reuben Ferguson, Brooklyn

In the mid-1990s Imanaged the upgrade of Courtenay Place between Cambridge Terrace and Tory St. There wasmuch opposition from retailers and others to the loss of car parking spaces as a result of the proposed changes.

A post-construction survey of retailers and businesses was carried out and the unanimous response was that business was booming and had not suffered from the loss of parking spaces.

It is natural for retailers and others to be fearful of change. However, if they were of an open mind and understood the planning behind the proposed improvements they would probably find they would benefit. As I understand it, the overall strategy of Let’s Get Wellington Moving is to move more people with fewer vehicles.

If Iwere a retailer I would rather see hundreds of people walking past my shop front, than one or two cars with one or two occupants parked outside.

It seems to me the council and the planning authorities need to doamuch better job of educating the public in general on what makes for an appealing and liveable city in the 21st century. Michael Barnett, Masterton