Students Take Back The Streets

Students Take Back The Streets

Students taking part in the national youth environment forum have occupied part of a busy central Wellington road to highlight how much city space is taken by cars.

Eight young people from around New Zealand set up a meeting area on Molesworth street, directly across from Parliament and the Beehive, as part of a workshop on sustainable transport and cities. Despite the drizzle, they set up chairs, pot plants and a coat hangers in a parking space and held a meeting to talk about cities, transport and people.

"The exercise of reclaiming some public space is a way of countering the car-culture," says Auckland Regional Transport Authority's Arthur Orsini, who has convened similar parking meter meetings in the Canadian city of Vancouver.

"It also focuses on the other means of transport, such as walking, cycling, roller-blading, taking the bus and carpooling, which are better for people, their health, and the environment."

Participants in the week-long Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum will report to the Environment Minister on Friday on their research.

ENDS

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