Key to St Asaph St stoush will be taking a wider view of success

OPINION: There's been so much change forced upon us over the last six years that it's no wonder our collective patience is wearing thin.

But when events beyond our control give us an opportunity to reassess whether what we had is still what we want, it seems foolish to waste it.

Pre-quake Christchurch was a city that prioritised the use of private cars. Through Share An Idea, Cantabrians said they wanted this to change, which led to a plan being created that caters to all road users.

When it comes to actually implementing this plan one street at a time though, we keep finding ourselves in a vicious war of carparks versus cycleways. It's becoming clear that people who are used to a particular way of getting around feel that their routine, their way of life – perhaps even their identity – is under threat.

Change is tough, and the thought of having to re-think something as ingrained as a daily commute requires a bit of commitment to the greater good.

But if what we had before was a city that catered primarily to cars, and what we want is a city that offers a range of viable options for people, then something has to give.

There's a saying that goes "when you've been in a position of privilege, equality often feels like oppression."

 

DAVID WALKER/STUFF

The narrowness of car lanes on St Asaph St has raised safety concerns.

 

The Central City Business Group (CCBG) are currently lobbying the Christchurch City Council to reinstate 53 car parks along St Asaph St as part of their own proposed redesign of the road.

It's our understanding that they have been feeling hard done by – oppressed even – by the road changes required by An Accessible City to make Christchurch a safer, healthier and easier place to travel for everyone.

Our question to the CCBG is this: if the recent comment by spokesperson Stephen Collins that "we are just trying to ensure Christchurch is a successful city" is a genuine one, have you considered what decades of research from all around the world points to as "success"?

Ask any expert on urban planning and regeneration what some of the drivers (no pun intended) of a successful city are, car parks and wider roads are not on the list.

Cities which cater to public and active forms of transport as well as (not instead of) cars are better for everyone, including motorists.

Let's reiterate that, because this point doesn't seem to be sticking: encouraging people who are ready to try different modes of transport into those modes of transport also benefits those who still want or need to drive.

The reason is simple: one more person on a bike or bus means one less car in your traffic jam – you get to drive on less congested roads, other commuters enjoy the added health and environmental benefits of their transport choice, and we reduce our overall carbon footprint.

But here's the catch: there is a finite amount of land available, which means we cannot put public and active transport on anything close to equal footing while continuing to provide the same concessions for cars.

Making our new city a success – a lively, vibrant place where people want to live, work, visit and play – will take courage from our Council, and it will also take courage from us.

We're all a little bit selfish, and that's only human.

The challenge is not to conflate what's good for us with what's good for everyone, and that requires us to think about how we could be more accommodating of our fellow citizens.

Simple choices, such as parking one to five minutes walk away in a dedicated car parking building, allows for people on foot, bike and those with disabilities to get around our city with greater ease.

So perhaps it's time to quit this broken numbers game. Advocacy groups and business lobbyists could continue rallying more and more people from their respective crowds, amplifying the racket, and fuelling the media fire, but to what end?

There comes a time where our elected leaders need to step back and simply listen to the experts, look at the facts, and enact the vision that benefits the most people, not the loudest.

Christchurch seems to be telling us that it doesn't like change, but we also happen to know that we are an adaptive, caring people who are capable of looking out for those around us. Aren't we?

Rosalee Jenkin and Francesca Bradley are members of youth climate advocacy group Generation Zero in Christchurch.

 

STACY SQUIRES/STUFF

St Asaph St features a separated cycle lane.