Curbing the A to B Mentality

Internationally, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is used to catalyse city growth using transit-oriented development (TOD), with a focus on giving more people easier access to frequent public transport. Light rail networks (such as in Seattle) are extremely successful at this, prioritising A to B networks which move people efficiently, resulting in intensified areas around regularly spaced transport nodes. These compact areas boost social and economic activity, seeking to provide pedestrian friendly environments in close proximity to amenities. However, as the model becomes more widespread, a challenge arises in weaving this into the existing suburban fabric in a way which enhances existing life, rather than smothering it in tall, identical apartment blocks. This thesis asks the question, “how can localness and casual street appropriation structure Mass Rapid Transit and housing intensification in Wellington’s suburbs?

After exploring LRT and BRT heavily, this research focuses on the trackless-tram, a modern technology which has been heavily criticised for advertising its “tram like appearance,” overshadowing its potential social ability and synergy with street life, which has had little attention to date. By designing this new way of thinking about MRT in Wellington, the system goes from one which catalyses a controlled node of development, to one which encourages a matrix of development which is intrinsically local and engrained in existing neighbourhood life.

Newtown was chosen as the study area to apply this thinking, where intensive fieldwork studying local dynamics uncovered ways of representing and designing with casual appropriation and building-street synergies. This lead to the creation of a socially driven development scheme structured around localness and casual appropriation.