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Building on recent interest in unsolicited urbanism – private sector-led urban development proposals that bypass state-led strategic planning – this paper broadens the focus of existing literature from "back room" deal-making to influence campaigns that occur "in plain sight". Prompted by highly visible unsolicited plans for waterfront redevelopment in Auckland, New Zealand, the paper discusses how public promotion of speculative proposals can be central to unsolicited urbanism. Even when they fail to materialise, the public visibility of such proposals has the potential to normalise property-led development at the expense of alternative visions, and imbue private developers with moral authority as civic visionaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to report on fatal landslides resulting from two extraordinary storm events in January and February 2023, in Auckland, New Zealand, including the characteristics of the terrain, the site geology, and the storms. The January 27 Auckland Anniversary storm was from an "atmospheric river," dumping Summer's worth of rain (265 mm) in one day. This was the highest 24-h total on record, estimated a 1 in 200-year event, with a peak 2-min rainfall of 4.2 mm, coinciding with Friday's evening "rush hour." This led to widespread landsliding throughout Auckland, including a fatal landslide in Parnell, central Auckland. Notably, this occurred only meters from a similarly destructive landslide in 1997. With January 2023 Auckland's wettest January on record, and with the region still in a state of emergency, Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle crossed the region on February 13–14. This also caused widespread landsliding, including a fatal landslide at Muriwai on the west Auckland coast. Fatal landslides from the same escarpment had occurred in 1965, close to the February 13, 2023, fatal landslide. Taken together, both storm events caused > 140,000 landslides across the North Island, and flooding, making hundreds of people homeless, with damage estimates of > US$8.6 billion (3.4% of NZ's GDP). For future disaster risk reduction, attention should be paid to revising legislation and local planning, which currently allows people to legally build (and re-build) houses in landslide-prone areas of New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent studies of housing financialisation, a "financial paradox" has been identified in which owner-occupied houses are simultaneously places of ontological security and financial investment. This paradox influences the way owner-occupiers interpret their primary and holiday houses, particularly if the latter are located in sought after high amenity locations. In this paper, we argue that, faced with rapidly increasing residential property prices, many long-term owners reluctantly reconceptualise their understanding of their holiday house as both a recreational and financial asset. Our study uses in-depth interviews with owners of holiday houses on Waiheke Island, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand to identify how they are interpreting and managing the normalisation of this paradox. The island is historically popular for holiday houses and is currently experiencing substantial property price increases. It is therefore an ideal place to study the complex and paradoxical nature of housing financialisation and thus potential biases in the housing market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our research addresses the link between the palatability of food and ethnic acceptance within dominant cultures. Specifically, we explore considerations of fusion Korean food in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Within our exploration, our paper not only reveals how our four Korean chefs construct fusion Korean food, but how that construction has co-created the acceptability of Korean migrants within Aotearoa New Zealand's socio-culture. In these ways, our paper provides a unique insight into the politics of palatability, recognizing the key role that food plays in constructs of identity and social acceptance. Consequently, our paper's considerations of fusion Korean food provide a template of understanding for other ethnic groups seeking recognition and acceptance within a dominant socio-culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is dedicated to my dear colleague and good friend Professor Melissa Chan Chin Han with whom I share a body of common work in material science and in material characterization. Part of this work concerns aspects of education in science that resulted from a number of exchanges concerning the current quality of laboratory data and the observation that the new generation of students have not been exposed to the underlying idea of scientific rigor, commonly expected of all scientific work. This is the origin of this short course on scientific thought, which was titled "What is science?" and first presented during POLY-CHAR 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue showcases research exploring the work of settler individuals and groups in support of projects of decolonisation in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Israel. The papers gathered here were developed from presentations at an international symposium held in Auckland, New Zealand and online in February 2021. As symposium organisers and editors of this collection, we speak and write as settler subjects ourselves, and this collection is situated within the field of Settler Colonial Studies (SCS). This editorial provides an opening framing of the field into which these papers speak, and a survey of some of the key themes within the wider literature. We aim firstly to locate this work within the wider field of scholarship and activism on decolonisation and decoloniality, delimiting the particular focus of decolonisation within settler-dominated contexts. We then discuss the critiques that have been mounted against SCS and some important defences of the field. We argue that while settler colonialism persists, work in SCS has a contribution to make – in highlighting and critiquing settler logics and in identifying changes that it is within the power of settler peoples themselves to make as a contribution towards Indigenous-led decolonisation. Further, we argue that decolonising settler societies must involve settlers learning to be 'in relation' with Indigenous worlds and people outside of deeply habituated logics and practices of domination. The papers gathered here provide examples of settler subjects at various points on the path of decolonising themselves and learning the work of 'being in relation'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aotearoa New Zealand's population is ageing. Increasing life expectancy is accompanied by increases in prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and ageing-related disorders. The multicentre Dementia Prevention Research Clinic longitudinal study aims to improve understanding of AD and dementia in Aotearoa, in order to develop interventions that delay or prevent progression to dementia. Comprising research clinics in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, this multi-disciplinary study involves community participants who undergo biennial investigations informed by international protocols and best practice: clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, lifestyle evaluations, APOE genotyping, blood collection and processing. A key research objective is to identify a 'biomarker signature' that predicts progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD. Candidate biomarkers include: blood proteins and microRNAs, genetic, neuroimaging and neuropsychological markers, health, cultural, lifestyle, sensory and psychosocial factors. We are examining a range of mechanisms underlying the progression of AD pathology (e.g. faulty blood–brain barrier, excess parenchymal iron, vascular dysregulation). This paper will outline key aspects of the Dementia Prevention Research Clinic's research, provide an overview of data collection, and a summary of 266 participants recruited to date. The national outreach of the clinics is a strength; the heart of the Dementia Prevention Research Clinics are its people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measures of individual mobility, such as activity space, have been previously used to help improve our understanding of individuals' interactions with their everyday environments. However, such methods have rarely been adopted in studying children's physical activity and active travel behavior. In this study, we use a combination of participatory mapping and accelerometer data collected from children aged 8–13 years living in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand, to describe children's travel behavior and explore associations of active travel, physical activity, and socio-demographic characteristics with environmental attributes. The results from this study reveal complex associations between these different layers. Density of cycling routes was consistently associated with higher levels of physical activity captured via moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), prevalence of active travel, and total activity space exposure. Nevertheless, population density, greenspace, and land-use mix revealed varying associations across different activity behaviors including MVPA, number of steps, and prevalence of active travel. The results from this study not only reassert the complexity of person–environment relationships, but also highlight the potential impacts of measurement and analytical methods on the study results. The novel combination of participatory mapping and accelerometer data together with activity space analysis provided new analytical insights which we discuss in this paper. This study concludes by reporting its observations and envisioning future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth of demand for containerized cargo shipping has put more ports into pressure to accommodate larger vessels. Considering the limitations on dimensions of navigation channels, this is not feasible unless aiming for significant capital dredging or alternatively creating high precision predictions of vessel motions subjected to environmental forcing and interaction with shallow and restricted waterway. NCOS ONLINE (Nonlinear Channel Optimisation Simulator) is a state of the art navigation support tool which combines DHI's high level forecast of environmental conditions with mathematical model of ship motions to add an extra level of accuracy in predicting the under-keel clearance and vessel swept path to boost the efficiency of navigation and pilotage within restricted channels. NCOS Manoeuvring Module utilizes an autopilot scheme based on PID (Proportional / Integral / Derivative) controller and Line of Sight Algorithm to FORCE Technology's SimFlex4 manoeuvring solver for prediction of manoeuvring ship swept path and response, which will effectively bring the accuracy of real time full bridge simulator to fast time operation support tool. In this paper, the result of mathematical model is validated against fullscale measurements of containership transits through Port of Auckland Navigation channel by comparing pilot commands, leeway drift and swept path through output of portable pilotage unit. According to the results the model is found promising to predict the behaviour of human pilots with precision required in operational use. Finally, the swept path and manoeuvring performance of a sample transit is assessed on different environmental conditions and tide stages to evaluate the safe transit windows in operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause lung inflammation and the later development of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, and the use of asbestos is banned in many countries. In most countries, large amounts of asbestos exists within building stock, buried in landfills, and in contaminated soil. Mechanical, thermal, and chemical treatment options do exist, but these are expensive, and they are not effective for contaminated soil, where only small numbers of asbestos fibres may be present in a large volume of soil. Research has been underway for the last 20 years into the potential use of microbial action to remove iron and other metal cations from the surface of asbestos fibres to reduce their toxicity. To access sufficient iron for metabolism, many bacteria and fungi produce organic acids, or iron-chelating siderophores, and in a growing number of experiments these have been found to degrade asbestos fibres in vitro. This paper uses the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 16S amplicon sequencing to investigate the fungal and bacterial diversity found on naturally-occurring asbestos minerals, asbestos-containing building materials, and asbestos-contaminated soils with a view to later selectively culturing promising species, screening them for siderophore production, and testing them with asbestos fibres in vitro. After filtering, 895 ITS and 1265 16S amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) were detected across the 38 samples, corresponding to a range of fungal, bacteria, cyanobacterial, and lichenized fungal species. Samples from Auckland (North Island, New Zealand) asbestos cement, Auckland asbestos-contaminated soils, and raw asbestos rocks from Kahurangi National Park (South Island, New Zealand) were comprised of very different microbial communities. Five of the fungal species detected in this study are known to produce siderophores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant progress has been made addressing adolescent health needs in New Zealand, but some areas, such as mental health issues remain, particularly for rangatahi Māori (indigenous Māori young people). Little is known about how contemporary Māori whānau (families) and communities influence health outcomes, health literacy and access to services. Previous nationally representative secondary school surveys were conducted in New Zealand in 2001, 2007 and 2012, as part of the Youth2000 survey series. This paper focuses on a fourth survey conducted in 2019 (https://www.youth19.ac.nz/). In 2019, the survey also included kura kaupapa Māori schools (Māori language immersion schools), and questions exploring the role of family connections in health and wellbeing. This paper presents the overall study methodology, and a weighting and calibration framework in order to provide estimates that reflect the national student population, and enable comparisons with the previous surveys to monitor trends. Methods: Youth19 was a cross sectional, self-administered health and wellbeing survey of New Zealand high school students. The target population was the adolescent population of New Zealand (school years 9–13). The study population was drawn from three education regions: Auckland, Tai Tokerau (Northland) and Waikato. These are the most ethnically diverse regions in New Zealand. The sampling design was two-stage clustered stratified, where schools were the clusters, and strata were defined by kura schools and educational regions. There were four strata, formed as follows: kura schools (Tai Tokerau, Auckland and Waikato regions combined), mainstream-Auckland, mainstream-Tai Tokerau and mainstream-Waikato. From each stratum, 50% of the schools were randomly sampled and then 30% of students from the selected schools were invited to participate. All students in the kura kaupapa schools were invited to participate. In order to make more precise estimates and adjust for differential non-response, as well as to make nationally relevant estimates and allow comparisons with the previous national surveys, we calibrated the sampling weights to reflect the national secondary school student population. Results: There were 45 mainstream and 4 kura schools included in the final sample, and 7,374 mainstream and 347 kura students participated in the survey. There were differences between the sampled population and the national secondary school student population, particularly in terms of sex and ethnicity, with a higher proportion of females and Asian students in the study sample than in the national student population. We calculated estimates of the totals and proportions for key variables that describe risk and protective factors or health and wellbeing factors. Rates of risk-taking behaviours were lower in the sampled population than what would be expected nationally, based on the demographic profile of the national student population. For the regional estimates, calibrated weights yield standard errors lower than those obtained with the unadjusted sampling weights. This leads to significantly narrower confidence intervals for all the variables in the analysis. The calibrated estimates of national quantities provide similar results. Additionally, the national estimates for 2019 serve as a tool to compare to previous surveys, where the sampling population was national. Conclusions: One of the main goals of this paper is to improve the estimates at the regional level using calibrated weights to adjust for oversampling of some groups, or non-response bias. Additionally, we also recommend the use of calibrated estimators as they provide nationally adjusted estimates, which allow inferences about the whole adolescent population of New Zealand. They also yield confidence intervals that are significantly narrower than those obtained using the original sampling weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work related to central‐Auckland site Albert Park showed that sparse site histories for inner‐city weather stations can be usefully supplemented by mining searchable online historical archives (Papers Past, DigitalNZ), at least as far back as 1909. Assessment of potential is extended here back to 1853, within the context of developing a long‐term rainfall record for Auckland. Although late 19th century sources are thinner and of poorer quality, much useful information could be gleaned about the locations and exposures of early sites. Hypothesised implications for the rainfall record suggest that all early site data need to be adjusted upwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally cities are increasingly applying Sustainable Stormwater Management (SSM) to mitigate urban stormwater problems caused by rapid urban sprawl and climate change. However, a gap exists in specific guidance and supporting case studies for SSM (termed Water Sensitive Design or WSD in New Zealand) at industrial sites. This paper uses a two-step New Zealand case study to identify priority issues to address when formulating guidelines for industrial SSM. The first step, in this paper, reports on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Auckland's stormwater professionals to gain insight into the practice, motivation, and the benefits and barriers, of applying Industrial WSD (IWSD). The analysis showed that although IWSD could mimic and retain nature to mitigate impacts of changes to stormwater contaminants, flows and volume, as well as enhance aesthetic amenity, comfort level, and human health. The key challenges revealed reasons for these low levels of application were space shortage, lack of cognition and knowledge, lack of official regulations and compliance structure, and maintenance uncertainty. In conclusion, the successful application of IWSD is likely to be a slow process, that requires knowledge and awareness transformation, establishment of a sound regulation and governance structure, and the valuing of WSD in planning and design stages with specific consideration of industrial environments. These findings will inform a second step of this research, formulating guidelines on the application of WSD (and so SSM) to industrial sites and precincts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how the Indigenous-led, community-supported campaign # ProtectIhumātao became a site for decolonisation work that nourished productive bicultural relations. For six years, we worked together, alongside others, to stop a transnational corporation building houses on culturally significant, but contested, whenua (land) at Ihumātao, Auckland. Pania draws strength from her Indigenous Māori whakapapa (ancestral relations), and Frances from being a New Zealander of Irish descent. Committing ourselves to the campaign kaupapa (values, principles and plans), we embraced different roles: Pania as a kaitiaki or land protector and Frances as a hoa tū tata or close friend, standing by, ready to assist. Along the way, we became our own whānau (extended family); a kaupapa-based whānau (people mobilised for a shared purpose). Here, we share knowledge from our campaign experiences to explore what becoming whānau means to us in relation to Ihumātao. Thinking and writing at the interface of Māori and Pākehā ways of knowing, we interact with ideas from Māori philosophy and Indigenous–Settler relations. Through telling our stories, we illuminate relational qualities that made our different roles and evolving relationship possible, and glean insights to inform ongoing Indigenous-led, decolonising practices at Ihumātao, and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fowler (2021a, New Zealand Geographer, 77, 16–31) supplemented the site histories of four central‐Auckland climate observatories by mining two searchable online historical archives (Papers Past, DigitalNZ). Photographic and map evidence was found for three of the sites, but not for the Auckland Domain observatory. Additional information (a map) has now been found which allows a more accurate determination of that site's location. The new information is presented here and the implications for the central‐Auckland rainfall record are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban intensification seems to be a growing trend, especially in the context of severe land scarcity. Brownfields offer great potential in meeting the increasing demand for housing in major cities worldwide. Redevelopment projects appear to provide immediate solutions to housing shortages that are being experienced due to population pressures in large metropolitan areas. The paper explores the range of factors that property developers need to consider in their decision-making process when assessing the viability of brownfield redevelopments. This research, which employed a comparative case study approach, and examined two brownfield redevelopments in Auckland, focused on the economic, social, and environmental criteria that were utilised in the decision-making process. Document analysis of the two case studies, site observations, and semi-structured interviews with the property developers were the main data collection methods. The results suggested that the economic aspects of a brownfield redevelopment are the most important criteria that developers consider during the feasibility assessment of proposed projects. Projects that offer the potential for quick investment returns for all stakeholders are the preferred choice for developers. Brownfield redevelopments offer significant potential for invigorating local areas through urban intensification which boosts local businesses and encourages community revitalisation. The environmental concerns appear to be the lowest priority and little consideration is given to reducing the environmental impacts or incorporating green building practices in the new developments. A major shift from a purely economic focus toward a comprehensive environmental approach to new developments is needed to ensure the sustainable development of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of in-situ testing of two integrated pile-columns of a partially demolished bridge located in Auckland, New Zealand. A series of tests involving lateral monotonic pushover and subsequent dynamic free vibration snapback tests were used to quantify the variation in the stiffness and damping behaviour of the pile-column specimens over a range of lateral load levels. Each testing sequence consisted of incrementally increasing peak monotonic loads followed by the dynamic snapback, with a series of varying peak loads at the end of the testing sequence to evaluate the influence of loading history on the monotonic and dynamic response. The secant stiffness between the monotonic pushover tests performed to the same loading levels before and after the maximum load was applied, reduced by up to 40% in both the pile-columns, primarily due to soil gapping effects, highlighting the significant potential softening of the system prior to pile or column yielding. Progressive reduction in the damping of the system during each snapback test was evident, due to the varying contributions of different energy dissipation mechanisms, and the level of damping varied depending on the peak load applied. These results highlighted the significant influence of soil gapping and nonlinearity on the dynamic response of the system. Numerical models were developed in the open source structural analysis software OpenSeesPy using a Nonlinear Beam on Winkler Foundation approach to further investigate the response of the pile-columns. Models of both the pile-columns using existing p-y curves for clay soils showed good agreement with the experimental data in loaddisplacement, period and snapback acceleration time histories. Sensitivity analysis showed that the surface soft clay layer had a significant effect on the lateral response and dynamic characteristics of the model, reinforcing the need for good characterisation of the near surface soil profile to capture the behaviour of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the energy collection performance of north/south- and east-west-facing collector pairs, installed at optimized fixed and seasonally adjusted tilt angles, considering both portrait and landscape alignments, and setups with and without reflectors, were numerically compared with each other. For the purpose, a method based on a hybrid ray-tracing model was employed, as developed in this work. A case study, considering an installation site in Auckland (New Zealand), is presented. For this, the fixed and seasonally adjusted optimum tilt angles for the layouts were first obtained. Then, the yearly energy collection for the layouts was evaluated at fixed tilt angles. An hourly analysis was also performed to understand the behavior of these layouts in the morning, and at noon and evening. Then, the effects of seasonal adjustments were investigated for each layout. Finally, the layouts were ranked according to their performance. The north-facing landscape layout with reflectors showed the best performance, followed by its portrait alignment version. The east-west-facing portrait layout with reflectors ranked third. The east-west-facing layouts without reflectors were found to give the poorest performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments around the world are seeking to slow the spread of Covid-19 by implementing measures that encourage, or mandate, changes in people's behaviour. These changes include the wearing of face masks, social distancing, and testing and self-isolating when unwell. The success of these measures depends on the commitment of individuals to change their behaviour accordingly. Understanding and predicting the motivation of individuals to change their behaviour is therefore critical in assessing the likely effectiveness of these measures in slowing the spread of the virus. In this paper we draw on a novel framework, the I3 Compliance Response Framework, to understand and predict the motivation of residents in Auckland, New Zealand, to comply with measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Framework is based on two concepts. The first uses the involvement construct to predict the motivation of individuals to comply. The second separates the influence of the policy measure from the influence of the policy outcome on the motivation of individuals to comply. In short, the Framework differentiates between the strength of individuals' motivation and their beliefs about the advantages and disadvantages of policy outcomes and policy measures. We found this differentiation was useful in predicting an individual's possible behavioural responses to a measure and discuss how it could assist government agencies to develop strategies to enhance compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines a method for determining the maximum number of floors of a vertical farm (VF) that can be powered by building-integrated solar photovoltaic panels for supplying artificial lighting to the plants. The panels are mounted on all the walls and the rooftop of the building. It takes into account the location of the site, the monthly average daily solar irradiation, parameters associated with the luminaires, the geometrical dimensions and orientation of the layout, the tilt angle and row spacing between the rooftop panels, and the efficiency of the conversion system. It then provides linear equations representing the year-round electricity demand of the luminaires and the yearly electric yield from the panels. These equations are solved simultaneously to estimate the maximum number of floors. The results show that design performance can be maximized by optimizing the floor dimensions, layout orientation, tilt angle, and row spacing. Hypothetical 300 m² vertical farms, partially occupied by growing trays, located in Auckland and Dubai, were found to have maximum heights of 1.87 and 3.47 floors, respectively. A free online tool is also presented to help designers and researchers analyze designs located anywhere in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of homogamy on the distribution of household income in New Zealand at the national level and across different sized cities. We focus on homogamy by age, education, hours worked, employment status, and migration status. We present a new index of homogamy that takes account of maximum potential homogamy. Our index is less sensitive to categories with small population shares than the commonly used concentration ratios. We compare the inequality impact of actual matching with that of randomized matching by means of the additional randomization method. Contrary to public perception, homogamy of the highly educated has declined relative to random matching. Nonetheless, homogamy has had an inequality‐increasing impact on the distribution of income and this effect has grown over time: from around 5% of the mean log deviation (MLD) measure of income inequality in 1986 to 16% in 2013. Allowing for simulated labor supply responses reduces this effect by less than 1%. Spatially, the effect of homogamy is larger and increases more in metropolitan areas than in other urban areas. In Auckland, New Zealand's largest city (around a third of the population), homogamy accounted for a fifth of MLD inequality by 2013, up from 6% in 1986. Educational homogamy plays the biggest role in this process, but the effects of hours worked, employment status and migration status are relatively important too. Homogamy by age has little effect on income inequality. Using the Gini index as an alternative inequality measure yields similar results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper joins literature on suburban advertising with Lefebvre's concept of representational space to analyse property advertisements as part of the representational production of suburban space. Based on comparative analysis of advertising material for suburban residential developments on Auckland's "North Shore" in two time‐periods—1950s and 2010s—the paper examines changes and continuities in thematic content. While property advertisements in the mid‐1900s emphasised the "functional suburb," paying attention to attributes such as quality of utilities and proximity to the central city, more recently advertisements have more strongly emphasised the "lifestyle suburb," with a focus on middle‐class community and natural amenity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a growing appreciation that the processes generating urban residential segregation operate at multiple scales, stimulating innovations into the measurement of their outcomes. This paper applies a multi‐level modelling approach to that issue to the situation in Auckland, where multiple migration streams from both Pacific Island and Asian origins have created a complex multi‐ethnic city. We identify two distinct trends. For the larger ethnic groups segregation remained static despite rapid growth over a recent twelve‐year period. For the smaller groups growth has been combined with considerable change; they initially clustered in a few localities and areas within them but then experienced considerable reduction in the intensity of that segregation. By spatially decomposing the segregation levels, this paper extends our appreciation of its underpinning processes when they apply to migration streams that differ in their nature from those on which traditional residential location‐decision theory has been based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imaginative practices are central to ongoing transformations in the form and function of suburbia. In recent years, urban scholars have focused increasing attention on the concept and process of 'post-suburbanisation' to understand contemporary suburbs, yet imaginaries and imaginative practices have been largely absent in their analyses. This paper examines the role of imaginative practices in post-suburban change. Through a case study of Auckland, New Zealand, the paper examines three key domains of imaginative practice – visions, problems and trajectories – implicated in the production of post-suburbia. It argues that understandings of post-suburbanisation will be enhanced by an appreciation of both the material and imaginative dimensions of suburban transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food poverty, or household food insecurity, has been a growing phenomenon in high-income countries as a result of neoliberal reforms. In this paper, we advance the idea of a noncommercial food system which, we argue, differs from conventional and alternative food systems in that it does not entail a profit motive, and we examine its potential contribution to alleviating food poverty. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in 2017 with organizations and groups involved in the noncommercial food system in Auckland, New Zealand, it highlights the importance of collaborations and networks and how the sharing of resources, knowledge, and skills enables and sustains local initiatives that contribute to alleviating the effects, but not the root causes, of food poverty. Two key findings emerged from this study. First, the noncommercial food system can contribute to addressing food poverty in both direct and indirect ways, and a key factor that enables this is through collaboration and resource sharing between actors. Second, actors face challenges related to resource constraints which limit the scope, scale, reach, and sustainability of their activities. Therefore, we argue that the State needs to play a pivotal and active role in addressing both the causes and consequences of food poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original description of Scheloribates crassusHammer, 1967 was incomplete, lacking information and figures about some morphological structures. Our specimens of S. crassus match broadly with the original description of the type specimens. However, there are the following differences: the morphological structures of leg I–II, the number of saccules, the presence of small holes between h3. Therefore, to help with its identification and discussion in the future, supplementary description of specimens is necessary. The supplementary description of Scheloribates crassusHammer, 1967 is presented on the basis of specimens from Auckland and Bay of Plenty, New Zealand in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes the case for Digital Social Innovation as a step toward democratic participation and engagement in the planning process. Information and communication technologies are increasingly playing a major part in mobilizing collective social and political action as a response to the outdated planning policies and practices. With transport infrastructures constrained by the unprecedented global impact of COVID-19, DSI can potentially become a defining element of the post-pandemic world. We use the case of transport planning in Auckland and analyse the role of a proactive advocacy group and its use of technical expertise to offer opinions through virtual shared platforms for public participation and empowerment. City Rail Link is discussed as a large-scale public transport project that received political and community support due to the efforts of digital social innovators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the POLY-CHAR 2023 conference held in Auckland, New Zealand, which was the first live conference to be hosted since the pandemic. The conference aimed to provide a platform for PhD students and young researchers to create scientific networks and experience a scientific community. About 180 scientists from 29 countries attended the conference, which covered various technical topics related to polymer research. The special issue of Pure and Applied Chemistry includes contributions from the conference, as well as selected papers honoring the late Professor Melissa Chan Chin Han for her contributions to polymer science and her active role in IUPAC and POLY-CHAR. The article concludes by expressing gratitude for hosting the conference in New Zealand and wishing success for the next POLY-CHAR conference in Spain. [Extracted from the article]

Auckland, the largest city of New Zealand, is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with more than 40% of its population born abroad, more than 200 ethnicities represented and 160 languages spoken. In this paper, we measure residential sorting of individuals in Auckland by their cultural (ethnicity) and economic (income, education and occupation) characteristics for the years 1991–2013. Using entropy-based measures of residential sorting and of neighbourhood diversity, we find that individuals exhibit greater residential sorting by ethnicity than by economic characteristics. Geographically, the semi-rural fringes of the city exhibit less diversity than the central urban area. Multi-group indexes of cultural and economic sorting showed a small decline over the 1991–2013 period. We also observe that ethnic sorting declined over that period for broad ethnic groups, but that sorting within the broad ethnic groups increased since 2001. A similar pattern of decreasing sorting at the aggregate level, with increasing sorting within groups in the more recent sub-period, is observed for occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems and their associated services have become essential in policymaking as they often have implications for the welfare of those who live nearby. Coupled with the shift toward integrating green infrastructure, ecosystem services, and nature-based solutions in urban and environmental planning, ecosystems may capitalise on property prices. But a potential phenomenon in applications of hedonic prices models is the offsetting between amenities and disamenities values, which may result in insignificant marginal effects. Some strategies to mitigate this phenomenon involve introducing a greater categorisation of open spaces and housing submarkets typology. Hence, this paper explores the capitalisation patterns of 14 terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems across the housing market segments of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. We used a dataset of 274 thousand sales transactions between January 2011 and December 2019. Models are estimated via OLS and unconditional quantile regressions (UQR) to account for heterogeneity, outliers and heavy-tailed distributions. UQR produce more accurate estimates of the implicit prices and lead to more effective policy recommendations. We find multiple capitalisation patterns across the prices distribution and confirm offsetting effects when ecosystems are not controlled as separate variables. This paper informs land-use decisions involving the preservation or creation of natural spaces in residential areas and improves our understanding of the interaction between their economic valuation and regional diversity. • Capitalisation patterns across the distribution of prices depict the possibility of effects cancelling out. • There is a complex and nuanced landscape about the capitalisation of ecosystems into housing price. • The interactions between ecosystems can improve the accuracy and explanatory power of the model in several ways. • Results help to identify if combining different ecosystem services provide greater benefits than individual services alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sometimes it is easier to not think too long or hard about the future, and to just accept that 'what will be, will be' (that the future is pre-determined or out of our control). My paper invites you to consider the application of socially-constructed creative analytical practice (CAP) within the production and consumption of critical sports event tourism discourse. In January 2017, following months of media speculation about the future of several major tourism-generating sports events, 20 experienced event professionals located across multiple time zones were asked to respond to a piece of thought-provoking narrative foresight. The scenario offered several reasons as to why Auckland, New Zealand, could submit a bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games. The consensus amongst the respondents was that the dream would never become a reality, but a number of alternative options were suggested offering some meaningful insight into the minds and mindset of those employed to deliver major sports event experiences. Having scripted a piece of creative non-fiction, I seek to temporarily transport you into the middle of an ongoing conversation occurring all over the globe around the long-term future of the world's biggest multi-sports events. My goal is to mix hindsight, insight and foresight. I hope to offer something evocative, provocative and, most of all, informative. The story concludes with a new piece of narrative foresight for you all to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cycling priorities and experiences of low‐income communities have traditionally received less research attention. This paper explores community perceptions of new cycling infrastructure within the Te Ara Mua – Future Streets project in the low‐cycling, low‐income, predominantly Pacific neighbourhood of Māngere Central, Auckland. Themes from seven key informant interviews and three focus groups included: local cycling norms; socio‐economic barriers; appreciation of the new community walking and cycling trail; desire for connectivity beyond the neighbourhood; concerns about on‐road bike lanes; support for local cycling champions; and tensions between views of the project as "experimentation" versus "investment." We explore the implications of these findings for cycling promotion in Aotearoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex interactions and ruptures between contemporary settler colonialism, environmental ethics, and Indigenous rights and worldviews often emerge in projects of civil engineering. The continued capture, control and burial of natural water courses in Aotearoa-New Zealand is a case in point, and exemplifies a failure to stay abreast of evolving understandings and renewed relationships we seek with our waterways, our ancestors. Wai-Horotiu stream used to run down what is now Queen Street, the main road in Auckland, Aotearoa-New Zealand's largest city. Treasured by Māori as a source of wai (water) and mahinga kai (food), it is also the home of Horotiu, a taniwha or ancestral guardian--a literal 'freshwater body'. However, as Tāmaki-Makaurau transitioned into Auckland city, Wai-Horotiu became denigrated; used as an open sewer by early settlers before being buried alive in the colonial process. How, now, can we know this buried waterway? Te Awa Tupua Act 2017 that affords the Whanganui River juristic personality and moral considerability offers one possible solution. It acknowledges that waterways, incorporating all their physical and metaphysical elements, exist in existential interlinks with Māori as part of their whakapapa (genealogical networks). This paper asks, can a corresponding and appropriate ethics of association and care be fostered in and expressed by the political descendants of British settlers (Pākehā) and later immigrants who live here under the auspices established by Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840? Here is a conversation between a Māori earth systems scientist and a Pākehā interdisciplinary scholar. Where Hikuroa speaks from and to direct whakapapa connections, beginning with pepeha, Lythberg's narrative springboards from public art projects that facilitate more ways of knowing Wai-Horotiu. Together, we contend that a regard for Indigenous relationships with water can guide best practice for us all, and propose that creative practices can play a role in attaching people to place, and to waterways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies are focused on maximizing the solar energy collection by photovoltaic modules installed on a flat (horizontal) field. This paper presents an analytical model, which considers the tilt angle of the field along with the modules and evaluates the direct solar energy accumulation within a given time period. Validation of the model is performed by comparing the results with measurements obtained from a computer-aided 3D model. Then, various applications of the model are demonstrated for optimizing field and module tilt angles. The simulations were performed at a virtual site in Auckland (New Zealand; latitude: ∼36.86⁰S). For the given dimensions of the field and the modules, the results showed that nearly horizontal modules collect 35% more energy than when they are at the latitude angle. If they are tilted at the latitude angle, increasing the inclination angle of the field above 16⁰ increases energy collection by 48%. A contour plot of energy collection over the specified ranges of tilt angles was developed to help designers choose the best possible combinations. Finally, the monthly and seasonal energy collections are also presented for modules fixed on an inclined field, tilted at latitude angle. • The solar energy accumulated by modules installed on an inclined field is modelled. • The model is used to optimize the tilt angle of the modules and the inclined field. • Near-horizontal modules collect 35% more energy those tilted at latitude angle. • Latitude-tilted modules mounted on a 16⁰ inclined field collect 48% more energy than those on a horizontal field. • An energy contour plot is developed to choose the best combinations of tilt angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies are focused on maximizing the solar energy collection by photovoltaic modules installed on a flat (horizontal) field. This paper presents an analytical model, which considers the tilt angle of the field along with the modules and evaluates the direct solar energy accumulation within a given time period. Validation of the model is performed by comparing the results with measurements obtained from a computer-aided 3D model. Then, various applications of the model are demonstrated for optimizing field and module tilt angles. The simulations were performed at a virtual site in Auckland (New Zealand; latitude: ∼36.86⁰S). For the given dimensions of the field and the modules, the results showed that nearly horizontal modules collect 35% more energy than when they are at the latitude angle. If they are tilted at the latitude angle, increasing the inclination angle of the field above 16⁰ increases energy collection by 48%. A contour plot of energy collection over the specified ranges of tilt angles was developed to help designers choose the best possible combinations. Finally, the monthly and seasonal energy collections are also presented for modules fixed on an inclined field, tilted at latitude angle. • The solar energy accumulated by modules installed on an inclined field is modelled. • The model is used to optimize the tilt angle of the modules and the inclined field. • Near-horizontal modules collect 35% more energy those tilted at latitude angle. • Latitude-tilted modules mounted on a 16⁰ inclined field collect 48% more energy than those on a horizontal field. • An energy contour plot is developed to choose the best combinations of tilt angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the resilience of the South African community in Auckland to a potential hazard event. Design/methodology/approach: The research collected data from both primary and secondary sources. The research used parametric and non-parametric analytical procedures for quantitative data and a general inductive approach to qualitative data analysis and a three-step coding cycle for interviews. A content analytical process of theme formation was used to analyse secondary materials. The research discussed findings in line with related studies on community resilience. Findings: The aggregate community resilience index was above average on the scale of 1–5. The highest and lowest contributions to the resilience of the South African community came from communication and information and physical capacities of the community. Although the highest contribution came from the communication domain, there is a need to sensitise the community on the importance of real-time information for resilience. Community ability to respond as a first responder and to access diverse sources was low because of a lack of interest in disaster risk reduction activities and membership of associations. Intervention in the economic domain and affordable housing is needed to assist low-income earners in coping with a potential disaster and enhance future resilience. Research limitations/implications: The practical resilience of the community is limited to the time of this research. The state of resilience might change in longitudinal research due to changes in resources and ecosystem. The research did not consider institutional and natural domains because its focus was to predict resilience at the individual level. Practical implications: At-risk societies could enhance their resilience through a periodic audit into its resources, identify indicators of low resilience and carry out interventions to address potential vulnerabilities. Besides the importance of resource in resilience, the research illuminates the need to address the question of who is resilient and resources distribution in the community. The issues are imperative in community resilience as they underpinned the personal ability to preparedness, response and recover from a disaster. Originality/value: Although the research provides insight into the resilience of the South African community, it constitutes preliminary research towards a further understanding of the resilience of the South African community in Auckland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of rows of photovoltaic (PV) modules in a field are limited by the area available for installation. With the objective of achieving maximum solar energy collection by the modules, determining the geometric layout becomes an optimization problem that couples the tilt angle and inter-row spacing. The existing optimization methods are simplistic as they consider tilt angle and inter-row spacing as constant values for all rows. This paper presents an optical-energy model for determining the optimal geometrical layouts of PV arrays by considering different tilt angles and row spacings for every row, given a field constraint. It is comprised of two sub-models: (i) an optical sub-model that determines mutual shading and (ii) an energy sub-model that evaluates the yearly solar energy collection. Optimization was performed by proposing random layouts for the model and using the one that yielded the maximum yearly collection. A situation in which the proposed model can be used as a powerful tool for optimization is explained via a case study conducted in Auckland, New Zealand. The effects of maintaining either a constant tilt angle or a safe row-spacing on year-round performance are investigated. • A method has been developed for optimizing the geometric layout of solar PV arrays. • Different tilt angles and row spacings are considered. • Landscape and portrait orientations of panels in a constrained field are considered. • Portrait installation keeping the minimum safe distance performed best. • Landscape installation keeping the constant tilt angle gave the worst performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the relationship between rurality and unintentional non‐fatal hospitalisations for falls and motorised vehicle transport injuries and their geographic patterns in New Zealand. Data were constructed from Statistics New Zealand's Integrated Data Infrastructure. Logistic regression revealed that the odds of hospitalisations from falls were lower in more rural areas, but motor vehicle injuries were higher. The odds of injured people being discharged from a ward increased with rurality for both injury types. This study discovered geographical disparities in the two injury types. The findings of this study direct attention to underlying contextual factors that require targeted prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing recognition within housing preference studies that younger housing consumers are more amenable to compact dwellings. Yet, there remains uncertainty around the drivers of these preferences. In Auckland, the development of a spatial plan emphasizing intensification has attracted opposition from residents, reinforcing a notion that compact housing is largely unappealing. Utilizing a housing pathways approach, we question this notion through examining the housing narratives of Generation Y, a cohort whose preferences are largely ignored in this debate and poorly understood within housing research. This paper highlights the influence of past experiences on attitudes to changing urban environments, providing several themes related to housing experiences that have the potential to influence preferences. We conclude that a process of 'acclimatisation' to density is likely as Generation Y become exposed to higher-density housing. However, to encourage positive experiences, compact dwellings must attend to the dynamic nature of contemporary housing pathways and provide quality housing, located where young people aspire to live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State Highway 16 (SH16) is a motorway of significant strategic importance, connecting central Auckland to the city's western suburbs and beyond. It carries an average of 90 000 vehicles per day and runs through an environmentally sensitive coastal marine reserve. Two bridges on the route – Whau River Bridge and Causeway Bridge – were rehabilitated due to extensive chloride contamination as a result of exposure to the marine environment. This paper offers a holistic review of the inspection, durability assessment and design processes, and discusses construction, operation and maintenance details. The durability assessment considered deterioration mathematical modelling with regard to service life extensions of 25 and 50 years. A hybrid corrosion protection (HCP) system was selected as the preferred corrosion management solution. The system operates in two phases, initially energised using low-voltage direct current power to arrest ongoing corrosion and thereafter in galvanic mode to provide corrosion prevention. A structural health monitoring system was also designed and installed to offer long-term performance monitoring. The HCP system minimised physical works on site, negated the requirement for extensive replacement of chloride-contaminated concrete, allowed work to take place around the natural tide cycles and offers long-term protection. This is the first HCP system designed and installed in New Zealand and is believed to be the first of its kind for prestressed concrete in tidal waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates children's experiences of hyperdiversity in public spaces in inner city and suburban neighbourhoods in Auckland, New Zealand. As children walk through, and talk about, their everyday places of play and mobility they sense and reveal material and relational diversity in the places and people they encounter. We examine temporal and affective changes in children's experiences of familiar places when in the presence of strangers – older youth and homeless people. We draw on walking interview and/or focus group data gathered from children aged 9–12 years living in socio economically and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods. Declining rates of physical activity and independent mobility in children and calls for urban spaces that nurture children's agency and wellbeing provide the research context. Ideas of enabling places are adapted to explore the way constructs of otherness, inclusion and difference can be fortified through social and material expressions of hyperdiversity in the urban landscape. We explore the contention that how children and adults behave, identify and feel within particular urban spaces arises from everyday encounters and affective relations with place itself. In so doing, we seek a conceptual broadening of place as an enabler of children's mobility, agency and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The service hub concept is strongly associated with deprived areas of North American inner cities, where agglomerations of low‐cost housing and service providers form a space of survival for marginalised populations. In this paper, we contend that service hubs can take other forms, including as small‐scale sites of housing and service provision, informally networked across an urban region. We develop this argument with reference to suburban campgrounds in Auckland, New Zealand—a city experiencing a severe housing affordability crisis. Both individually and collectively, campgrounds enable vulnerable households, as well as tourists, to inhabit an increasingly exclusionary urban environment. Drawing on interviews with 24 resident campers and eight managers, we highlight the role of campgrounds in supporting residents through the provision of informal housing and on‐site services. This provision also benefits the facilities' owners and managers, by creating a year‐round rental income stream. We find that campgrounds are critically important for those whose lives are rendered precarious by the housing market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyemotid mites are parasitoids of various insects and are of potential as biocontrol agents. Three New Zealand new species of the genus Pyemotes are described in this paper: Pyemotes cumberi sp. nov. parasitic on Procecidochares utilis (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Auckland, Pyemotes martini sp. nov. parasitic on eggs of Scolypopa (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae) in the Northland, and Pyemotes mayae sp. nov. parasitic on scolytid larvae (Coleoptera) in Auckland. Keys to both adult males and females of these three new species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Loss of cognitive function is a significant issue as the world's population ages. Preserving cognitive function maintains independence in older adults bringing major societal and financial benefits. Lifestyle factors such as diet are modifiable risk factors, which may help preserve cognitive function. Most nutrition research aimed at preserving cognitive function and metabolic health has focussed on individual nutrients and foods, not allowing for food combinations and interactions. A dietary pattern approach considers the entire diet including its complexity. Previous research investigating dietary patterns and cognitive function has not always considered relevant covariates such as physical activity and the Apolipoprotein E genotype, which are known to have associations with cognitive function. The aim of the REACH (Researching Eating, Activity and Cognitive Health) study is to investigate associations between dietary patterns, cognitive function and metabolic syndrome, accounting for a range of covariates.Methods: This cross-sectional study design will recruit older, community-living adults (65-74 years) from Auckland, New Zealand. Dietary data will be collected via a 109-item food frequency questionnaire validated using a 4-day food record. Cognitive function will be assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (paper based) and the Computerised Mental Performance Assessment System (COMPASS) - a testing suite covering six domains. Additional data will include genetic (Apolipoprotein E ε4) and biochemical markers (fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipids profile), anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist and hip circumference, body composition using dual X-ray absorptiometry), blood pressure, physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire - short form) and health and demographics (questionnaire). Dietary patterns will be derived by principal component analysis. Associations between cognitive function and dietary patterns will be examined using multiple regression analysis. Covariates and interaction factors will include age, education, socio-economic status, physical activity, Apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype, family history of dementia or cognitive impairment, and lifestyle factors. Differences between participants with and without metabolic syndrome will also be examined.Discussion: This study will bring new knowledge regarding associations between dietary patterns and cognitive function and metabolic health in older adults living in New Zealand. This is important for developing nutrition related recommendations to help older adults maintain cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Not surprisingly given their multi-component nature, initiatives to improve integrated care often evolve to find the best way to bring about change. This paper provides an example of how an evaluation evolved alongside such an initiative designed to better integrate care across primary, community and hospital services in South Auckland, New Zealand. Theory and methods: Using the explanatory power of a realist evaluative approach, theories of new ways of working that might be prompted by the initiative were explored in: (i) interviews with stakeholders in 2012 and 2015, (ii) online surveys of general practices and local care organisations, and (iii) a purposive sample of ten general practices. Results: The results highlighted the institutional contexts that led to difficulties in implementing population health initiatives. They also revealed that changes in work practices focussed mostly on activities that improved the coordination of care for individuals at risk of hospital admissions. Discussion: Multi-component complex interventions can vary in their delivery and be vulnerable to one or more components not being implemented as originally intended. In the case of this intervention, the move towards strengthening local relationships arose when contractual arrangements stalled. Realist evaluative approaches offer a logic that helps unpick the complexity of the relationships and politics in play, and uncover the assumptions made by those developing, implementing and assessing health service changes. Conclusion: Given the multi-component and evolving nature of initiatives seeking to better integrate care, the realist evaluative emphasis on surfacing early the theories to explain how change is expected to occur helps overcome the challenge of evaluating "a moving target". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expert technical knowledge has a central role in decision-making for urban transport and is subject to public scrutiny for major investments. This paper examines how expertise is produced and contested by advocacy groups in Auckland, New Zealand. A network of advocates has emerged, garnering considerable influence as "experts" on urban transport and planning. In response to the perceived over-reliance on outdated approaches to transport, advocates mobilised alternative expertise using blogs and social media. Internet platforms enabled groups to extend the public sphere online, creating spaces for deliberation and contestation. Their activities targeted the technocratic logics embedded in forecasting models, reasserted transport infrastructure's function as urban space, and highlighted how transport infrastructure shapes everyday experience. This case shows how advocates countered the postpolitical condition by re-ordering the polity of transport in Auckland. Advocates have been instrumental in appropriating globally mobile policies and successfully promoted improvements to public transport and cycling. However, those interviewed showed limited consideration of equity issues related to income, race and gender. This raises questions over whether the expertise mobilised favoured privileged groups, as advocates may be unaware of marginalisation that they rarely experience themselves. Alliances with community groups and local researchers can support broader engagement with distributional issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper follows a call for a 'long view' perspective on contemporary housing problems and policy. It applies this longitudinal lens to a multi-city comparative ethnographical study that investigates and relates place-specific and common trajectories and policies in regard to contemporary urban housing. By comparing Auckland, Singapore and Berlin from a heterodox political economy perspective, it demonstrates how contemporary challenges and proposed solutions over housing have deep-seated historical and geographical roots that are usually overlooked. It suggests that comprehending current housing issues as cumulative effects of developments and policy (non)-action taken in the past, and relating and evaluating those constitutive trajectories and transformations across (disparate) cities, current academic and policy debates can be enriched and deepened. One lesson is that 'learning from the past' may be a more promising crisis response than nowadays' politically fetishised learning via global best practice and spatially mobilised policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auckland’s first spatial plan (locally known as the Auckland Plan) is the principal document providing strategic direction for the city’s development over the next 30 years. The Auckland Plan aspires to radically transform transport in Auckland, from a car-dominant system into an integrated public transport network, by proposing a series of expensive infrastructure projects, including rail tunnels under the CBD, rail extension to the airport, and an additional harbour crossing. This paper critically assesses the transport strategies proposed by the Plan from a broad spectrum of sustainability perspectives. In drawing on the events leading to the 2009 Auckland local government reform, the Plan making process and the content of the Plan, this paper shows that the Plan’s transport strategy suffers a range of drawbacks, including limited political support, a rushed consultation process and lack of a robust framework for funding public transport projects. These problems raise questions about the Plan’s capacity to drive a ‘transformational shift’ in Auckland’s transport landscape and ultimately contribute to the vision of making Auckland the world’s most liveable city. This paper concludes by recommending Auckland Council adopts a more proactive approach to transport planning focusing on better civic engagement, more strategic mechanisms to incentivize public transport and to overcome institutional inertia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we studied the morphological ontogeny of Phytoseius leaki, which were collected from leaves of Whau (Entelea arborescens, Malvaceae) in Auckland. We found two types of P. leaki adult females, some with solenostomes gd5 beneath z5, others without. Study of the ontogeny revealed that this gland started to appear in the deutonymphs of some females. It was never present in adult males. We also conducted molecular testing on the fragments 18s and 28s rDNA for two types of P. leaki with or without solenostomes gd5 and confirmed that they were conspecific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]