At the end of August 2026, I stepped down after four years as President of Living Streets Aotearoa, the national advocacy organisation for pedestrians. (Do you sometimes walk from A to B? Then you should join!)
That was very worthwhile mahi – but it was a lot of work, and it wasn’t till after I stepped down that I realised just how tired it had made me. So I’ve been largely lying fallow for the last few weeks, as the world of events slid by outside.
I’m starting to recover my energy, though, which is a good thing as there is plenty going on – even without referring to the upcoming election, which presents a sharp choice between the potential for positive action, and a further descent into a fossil-fuelled, regressive, racist hellhole. (My tips: don’t vote for the hellhole parties, and do vote strategically.)
There are quite a few events worth your time in Wellington this month! Here is Part 1 of Coming Attractions – watch out for Part 2 early next week.
Friday 9 October: Motonormativity: How we struggle to see the problems of car dependency
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Lecture Theatre 1 (LT1), Te Kura Hoahoa | School of Architecture and Design Innovation
Wellington,
Hosted by Cycle Wellington
Tickets (free): https://events.humanitix.com/motonormativity-poneke
Why do we expect pedestrians to stand and wait in the rain while people in cars are given priority? Why do our media present deaths and injuries on the road as unpredictable, and outside our control? Why do people think nothing of transporting four empty seats around with them at all times?
This talk suggests that these outcomes all arise from a shared blindspot within our culture, known as motonormativity. This makes us see driving as the default mode of transport, and makes us see the many problems arising from living with cars as inevitable.
Ian Walker looks at how motonormativity arises, how it is shaped, and most importantly what we might do about it if we want to enable healthier, more inclusive and more sustainable lifestyles.
I’ll be one of the discussants after Ian Walker’s speech. I may discuss an $3 billion example of motonormativity that the current Government is trying to push right past the Architecture School’s front door.
Sunday 11 October: Launch of Michelle Elvy’s new poetry collection Motion Sickness
3-4pm
Aurelia Books, 109 Willis St
With guest readers Reihana Robinson, Bram Casey, Gill Ward, Madeleine Slavick, David Coyle, Noa Noa von Bassewitz, Tim Jones, Ya-Wen Ho and Vivienne Plumb
Motion Sickness was Shortlisted for the 2025 Kathleen Grattan Award and runner-up for the 2026 John O’Connor Award. More about Motion Sickness.
