Walking tour brings transport history to life
A free, 90-minute walking tour of Wellington’s transport history is one of this year’s ‘sell-out’ events in Wellington Heritage Week. The tour will take in sites like the Wellington Railway Station, Midland Park, Cable Car and Cuba Street. Claire Pascoe, Tobie Pretorius, David Huang, Amy Hobbs and Eddie Anand – all of whom are engineers or transport and mobility planners – will share their knowledge and explain the significance of these sites.
They will provide insights into the city’s rich transport history, discussing the social impacts of transport and how it has shaped Wellington’s urban growth.
Transport is a hot topic in Wellington, and guides will also discuss possibilities for our city’s future transport network. Future-focused themes include people-centred cities and green infrastructure, tactical urbanism, and the ‘20-minute city’. The merits and place of different transport modes will also be discussed, as well as concepts of shared and separated spaces.
Wellington Heritage Week Festival Director David Batchelor says Engineering New Zealand has been instrumental in the festival’s expansion into the built professions. “The festival’s aim is to expand the understanding and appreciation of heritage. We use the phrase ‘People, places, and stories’ to highlight the human element because that is what gives heritage its value.”