City Planners Who Listen To People: Do They Exist?

New Regent St, Christchurch, New Zealand.

It’s all the rage to consult with the community to determine its wants and needs. Cynics might say that community administrations save money by always consulting, seldom acting.

However, there is no question that when action is required, city planners need listen to the basic wants and needs of those who inhabit their community. Except . . . do those planners actually pay attention to what they hear?

With a growing trend towards high density inner-city living around the world, planners are testing the waters to determine whether their community should be changing the focus of development towards inner city apartment and condo towers a short walk from downtown offices and shopping. Is it a good idea? Consult the citizens, certainly!

But when it comes to listening to the results, it often seems that planners have already preconceived the answers.

Christchurch, New Zealand, is still rebuilding after the massive destruction of a 2011 earthquake. What shape should their community take? Consider the headline of a recent article: “New Thinking needed for Christchurch to embrace apartment living, researchers say.”

Everything about this title suggests that those ‘researchers’ already know all the right answers. Alas, the population has been surveyed and unfortunately supports the wrong answers. So who needs ‘New Thinking’? The citizens, apparently, not the planners.

‘New Thinking (good)’ is paired with downtown apartment development. ‘Old Thinking’ (bad) is linked, according to the article, to unsustainable suburbs and long commutes.

Just who are these ninnies who prefer the bad old thinking of fresh air, room to play, garden swings, growing flowers and vegetables? They are doubtless candidates for re-education camps, or so it would seem.

You be the judge. Read the article in The Press: New thinking needed for Christchurch to embrace apartment living, researchers say

 

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