Wellington's cracks are showing: The decay of our cool capital
Wellington is struggling to complete major infrastructure projects due to a combination of cost blowouts, bureaucratic hurdles, and a culture of opposition. Critics argue that the city's highly engaged and politically savvy population often halts development, leading to a cycle of stagnation.
Why it matters
The article highlights the challenges of urban development and governance in capital cities where public scrutiny can lead to infrastructure paralysis.
The cracks are showing in Wellington's efforts to get infrastructure projects off the ground. They've been stymied by cost blowouts that have been compounded by expensive reviews into why the projects shouldn't proceed.
Last week, Mayor Andrew Little nixed the Golden Mile plan to spruce up Courtney Place and environs. But that was just the latest in a long list of things that are not happening.
"There's an extraordinary and long-term problem in Wellington, which essentially boils down to: it's really hard to build anything," says The Spinoff senior writer Joel MacManus, who's been closely following developments over the past seven years.
"Not just housing, not just private developments, but these bigger government projects.
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