Wellington, New Zealand

[JNL]

Here's some pics of my city:

 

[JNL]

And another one

 

[JNL]

And another.

 

[Virtue City]

Wow...definitely a place to visit. It reminds me somewhat of Pittsburgh, PA, except without the dirt and filth.

Keep the pics coming if you have more!

 

[Cardinal]

I propose the first annual Cyburbia Bash in Wellington. A week of touring the city and countryside by day, drinking ale in the pubs at night. An informal alternative to the APA conference. Maybe this summer sometime?

 

[Planderella]

What a beautiful and peaceful looking city........I wonder if I could survive in that type of environment????

 

[Dan]

I propose the first annual Cyburbia Bash in Wellington. A week of touring the city and countryside by day, drinking ale in the pubs at night. An informal alternative to the APA conference. Maybe this summer sometime?

This summer would be their winter, you know ...

Besides, I gotta' go to Denver for the national conference next year. I have to see what the people who bought my old house did to it.

Sometime this year, I MUST get off the North American continent. I've been to 38 states, a province and two Mexican states, but that's it. The short list includes Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

 

[planasaurus]

Wow, looks like a great place. It is on my list of places to visit.

 

[Glomer]

Very Picturesque!!! Must have a hell of a planner.

 

[JNL]

This summer would be their winter, you know ...

Yup, it's the middle of winter here at the moment. January would be the best time to visit NZ.

 

[Planderella]

What are the summers like? Today, the temp was 95 degrees with a heat index of 107 degrees. This is just July.....I am not looking forward to August

 

[JNL]

Summer temperatures are generally between 20C and 30C (roughly 70-85 F). 107F/40C is unheard of! I can't imagine it.

 

[Planderella]

While other places may actually get hotter than it does here, we still have to battle humidity. 100% humidity means that you will also be sweaty all day and kiss your hair goodbye because no amount of hairspray, mousse, ect. will hold a style.

 

[BKM]

Having grown up in the midwest, humidity is one thing I DON'T miss.

It was 113 degrees in Vacaville last week. We reassure ourselves that it is "a dry heat." As my plants withered, and my utility bills edged up $20 for the month, that is somehow not very reassuring. New Zealand here I come!

 

[Cardinal]

I'll echo BKM's idea. Any planner/economic development jobs in NZ?

 

[JNL]

There certainly are. If you're serious, I can keep an eye out for vacancies. Generally though they want local experience...

It is a great country to live in. We have such a range of landscapes, from beautiful beaches to snowy mountains, fjords to glaciers, and even desert, and all within such a compact space. You could drive from one end of the North Island (where most of the population lives) to the other in about 12 hours.

And we're proudly nuclear- and GE-free!

 

[peter lowitt]

Weather in May?

I'll be heading down to NZ next May and am wonder what the weather will be like. I'll be part of a team giving a lecture on economic development and planning to be held in Napier. Lovely country you've got there.

 

[JNL]

It depends which part of the country you visit - Auckland I guess? May is late Autumn for us, so could be a bit rainy, temperatures likely to be around 15C (60F).

 

[JNL]

Oops missed the bit where you said you'd be visiting Napier. Nice part of the country.

 

[BKM]

Hey JNL:

According to one article: http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/14/faux-j.html, the US economy is doomed! How do I emigrate?

 

[JNL]

BKM, after reading the discussion in 'Cyburbia Forums > Planning and the Built Environment > Make No Small Plans > Guidelines for Developers' I'm not sure I should encourage any planners from your continent to bring your craft to our shores!

I couldn't access the article but will try again later.

 

[BKM]

OH, come on. We'll bring some good ol' AMERICAN style development. I'm sure there are some hillsides in the Wellington area that could use some nice 36 foot wide "local residential streets" carved into them! If you let me come, I'll even bring a couple of our Public Works engineers so you get the entire package!

 

[JNL]

If you want to visit so you can marvel at our relatively unspoilt paradise, you're welcome

If you want to move here and impart your "good ol American style development", that's quite another story!!! >:-(

 

[Dan]

BKM, after reading the discussion in 'Cyburbia Forums > Planning and the Built Environment > Make No Small Plans > Guidelines for Developers' I'm not sure I should encourage any planners from your continent to bring your craft to our shores!

I had my master plan for New Zealand's rural areas already drawn up, too.

Before ...

After ...

Look'it those houses ... 200 to 400 square meters, not counting the space in the two or three car attached garage! Yup, two or three of these ...

Seriously, we should have put smileys after all of those posts.

 

[JNL]

AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

If we want your help, we will ask for it! (being as polite as I can, and exhibiting strong symptoms of NIMBYism)

 

[nerudite]

You do know that the Guidelines for Developers thread was pure sarcasm, right? Just checking...

 

[JNL]

Yep. Still concerned though!

 

[JNL]

It's kind of a catalogue of some of the worst aspects of American development in recent history isn't it? But yeah, I've just been jesting too.

 

[nerudite]

Just wanted to make sure that we weren't peeving you... sometimes Americans (of which I am one, despite my current location) tend to assume everyone knows what we're talking about (and agree)

 

[JNL]

Dan, what on earth is that bronze-coloured truck thingy?

 

[Dan]

AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

If we want your help, we will ask for it! (being as polite as I can, and exhibiting strong symptoms of NIMBYism)

It's our nature to put our noses where we don't belong. We're Americans!

Before ...

After ...

See? That didn't hurt, did it?

 

[Dan]

Dan, what on earth is that bronze-coloured truck thingy?

This? Just the Kenworth Dominator, the truck manufacturer's SUV.

You know, that beast could fit in the driveway of these houses ... they look so familiar, yet there's something different about them. I wonder where they are ...

 

[el Guapo]

Leaving on a jet plane.

JNL,
I have a family member in India looking in to emmigrating towards New Zeeland. How hard is that to do? Is there much paperwork involved, fees, tattoos...etc...?

Thanks

 

[Journeymouse]

I thought Laura Ashley was one of our sins? (British)

 

[GeogPlanner]

it looks like albany...only cleaner...oh wait, isn't that toronto?

i gotta get me one of those semi-utility vehicles...i hope that it'll fit into my parallel spot on the street...if not i'll just have to go work in a suburban office park.

i can't wait to move to new zealand and live in that new development called "Grazing Meadows." It looks so pristine and what a view. Homes starting at $350,000.