Business land gives us the business
Wed, May 24, 2023 | HousingGive someone the business
American English
Informal
'to make difficulties for someone'
Read more...
Read more...
Why we clarified our purpose
Mon, May 22, 2023 | GeneralWe're on a mission to create a world where we can all thrive without cars.
If you've known us for a while, that statement won't be a surprise for you. But if you've just discovered MRCagney, and you're considering working with us or for us, it may help to understand what makes us tick. MRCagney MD Jenson Varghese introduces the firm's purpose for the future.
Read more...
Researching Integrated Land Use and Transport Planning
Thu, April 6, 2023 | ResearchWhy do development outcomes not match the vision laid out by our strategies and plans? Why do more people not have the choice to travel by alternative modes?
These are underlying questions that we delved into with a recent research project we did for Waka Kotahi on integrated land use and transport planning (ILUT) planning in New Zealand.
Read more...
Introducing B Corper @MRCagney.works
Mon, March 27, 2023 | GeneralCertified B Corps are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. To become certified, a company must go through a rigorous assessment where governance, employee representation, and environmental impact are evaluated.
Read more...
Our B Corp Journey
Tue, March 21, 2023 | GeneralWhy we all need the transport and urban planning sector to step up and walk our sustainability talk, and how B Corp can help us all be better businesses.
Read more...
Thinking more broadly around resilience
Thu, March 9, 2023 | Climate Change and Emissions ReductionMay you live in interesting times: this saying is offered up as both a challenge and a curse and each form rings true in Aotearoa New Zealand this year. We are facing multiple challenges – what some describe as a ‘polycrisis’ – from long-term challenges like providing affordable housing at scale in ways that ease the grip of car-dependence, to the urgent need to repair damage wrought across the motu by Auckland’s recent flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle.
Read more...
Successfully Implementing Public Transport Networks - The devil is in the detail
Thu, February 23, 2023 | Public TransportMRCagney launch the white paper authored by Pippa Mitchell, Technical Director & Anthony Cross, Public Transport Specialist.
Significant work has been invested in designing public transport networks, but without the correct implementation, these networks are not used as widely and effectively as they could be.
Read more...
We need dignified, inclusive access for everyone
Wed, February 22, 2023 | GeneralWe caught up with our newest team member Darren Davis to find out more about his background, how he became involved in the transport sector, and what some of the key transport challenges facing Aotearoa are.
Read more...
Reflecting on life with a Bakfiets - Part 1
Wed, February 15, 2023 | Walking and CyclingI will never forget my first ride down a busy street in Amsterdam testing out a bakfiets. We hadn’t planned on buying a cargo bike, but I was 24 weeks pregnant, and my husband and I love riding bikes, so perhaps it was always going to be the natural progression.
Read more...
MRCagney welcomes Darren Davis as a new Technical Director
Thu, January 19, 2023 | GeneralWe are delighted to welcome Darren Davis to MRCagney as our Technical Director for Public Transport Planning.
As a leading transport planner in Aotearoa, Darren joins MRC to expand the services we offer to our clients in public transport planning, land use/transport integration and urban strategy.
Read more...
Development Insights – Lower Hutt housing and the removal of parking minimums
Mon, December 19, 2022 | Housing | ParkingHutt City Council were one of the first councils in Aotearoa to remove parking minimums in September 2020. This decision, in combination with upzoning to allow medium density housing, has proven to be extremely successful in supporting more homes to be built with fewer carparks per dwelling.
Read more...
How much is “free” parking?
Thu, December 15, 2022 | ParkingI recently came across a tweet that said free on-street parking in New York City was equivalent to a subsidy of $500 billion (that billion with a ‘B’).
Read more...
Development Insights - Auckland City Centre Residential Parking
Mon, December 12, 2022 | ParkingThe Auckland City Centre is changing. My research indicates the average car park per unit ratio in new private residential developments over the past decade is around 0.65. This is lower than the regional average which is slightly above 1 car park per unit as of 2022.
Read more...
Introducing the Induced demand calculator
Wed, November 30, 2022 | Climate Change and Emissions ReductionBuilding new roads creates more space to drive, and results in more people driving. But how much more road creates how much more driving?
Supporting public conversations about reducing transport emissions is important to MRCagney. Simple visualisations of complex transport systems are essential for keeping these conversations centred around evidence.
Today we are excited to introduce our latest visualisation, the Induced Demand Calculator.
Read more...
Transport2035 - Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Assumptions
Mon, November 21, 2022 | Data SciencePredicting the future isn’t easy. Modelling complex systems isn’t quick. Yet tackling the climate emergency requires decisive action based on an uncertain future. How can we resolve this paradox together?
Read more...
Transport 2035: Insights from a transport planner
Wed, November 9, 2022 | Climate Change and Emissions ReductionTransport 2035 was developed by MRCagney and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. It’s a tool to help people understand the range of options we have for slashing transport emissions in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Three things came to mind when I had a go with the tool...
Read more...
Accessible public transport: the whole of journey approach
Mon, November 7, 2022 | EquityAccess to public transport is a complex issue. For many disabled people, the extra effort they must exert to make a journey can mean public transport is not an accessible option. There are lots of little things which can go wrong, and having multiple agencies manage distinct parts of a journey only adds to the complexity.
Read more...
How to talk about urban transport
Tue, November 1, 2022 | GeneralBig changes are needed in our cities so people can travel in ways that are better for the environment, better for our health, and that enable everybody to move about easily, including people who can't drive or can’t afford a car. Building support for these changes depends on how we talk about them.
Read more...
Why we don’t get nice things from transport in Aotearoa
Sat, September 10, 2022 | GeneralOver the last year I’ve been hosting Transportation Group ‘Chair’s Conversations’ to explore why we don’t get better outcomes from transport.
Read more...
Density Done Well
Mon, August 29, 2022 | Housing“These are just future slums” is a common response to articles these days regarding medium or high-density housing. While these comments are far from the truth, they often stem from genuine concerns from residents about the change that could occur in their neighborhood.
Read more...
Why density is critical for our future
Wed, June 29, 2022 | HousingThe past two years have seen a significant shift in central government policy to intervene in land supply for intensification with the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) and the Medium Density Residential Standards. While media discussion around these changes has focused on housing affordability, these moves are essential for many other reasons. We should view enabling density as an opportunity to improve our town and cities.
Read more...
Te Huia - A review and an eye to the future
Fri, April 1, 2022 | Public TransportThis week I had the pleasure of using Te Huia train service from Tāmaki Makaurau down to Kirikiriroa. Here is my review.
Read more...
A love letter to Hamilton East
Thu, October 21, 2021 | HousingHamilton East is my favourite suburb in the whole world. No competition. I love the iconic 1940s weatherboard houses, the mature trees, the winding streets, and the huge gardens. My ultimate fantasy is to live in a cottage in Hamilton East with a flock of chickens, where I can walk from my vege garden to Hayes Common for a coffee and bike across the bridge to get to work (this fantasy gets better if the pedestrian bridge ever gets built).
Read more...
“Gender diversity” shouldn’t be code for “women”
Sun, September 26, 2021 | InclusionGender equity initiatives in the transport sector currently focus on the differences in how men and women use the transport system and promote equity between men and women. This isn't radical and it's not going to solve our equity issues. Instead, I ask that we focus on challenging the gender binary in our profession and create a transport system that is genuinely universally accessible.
Read more...
Road pricing: a boost for Auckland’s transit?
Wed, September 15, 2021 | Public TransportThe idea of a road pricing for Auckland was in the news last week as the select committee reported back on its inquiry into the Congestion Question report. In this post I’ve looked into how the Auckland public transport network might look like if road pricing was implemented and the revenue was used to boost alternatives to driving.
Read more...
Novelty mugs and New Zealand’s problem with public open space
Wed, September 15, 2021 | Data ScienceHow does the layout of our cities affect access to public open space? Do we have enough parkland to go around?
Read more...
We should allow three storeys EVERYWHERE
Thu, September 9, 2021 | HousingWe should allow three storeys to be built everywhere and by everywhere, I mean everywhere! Your place, your Nan's house, Jacinda’s house, everywhere! Think of any site in urban Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland and my answer to you will be yes, we should allow at least 3 storeys to be built there.
Read more...
Sex(uality) in the city: Planning for queerer public space
Thu, August 19, 2021 | InclusionIn the spirit of Eleanor Mohammed’s NZPI 2021 conference address which called on planners to hear different ideas and distinct voices, I write from my perspective as both a Pākehā queer femme and a planner to consider how planners can make public spaces safer for queer communities.
Read more...
Until we measure exclusion we won’t get inclusive transport
Mon, July 26, 2021 | EquityA recent article "Just build a ramp" got me thinking about how we provide for accessibility. The world didn't evolve with ramps and other universal design accommodations in place by default, so we relied on decades of advocacy and incremental enlightenment to develop transportation design codes that provide for inclusion.
Unfortunately for disabled people and our future selves - over half of us will be disabled by age 65 if we are fortunate enough to live that long- the world is not inclusive yet. So how can we accelerate progress?
Read more...
Reimagining pedestrian cut throughs and pedestrian streets
Thu, July 8, 2021 | Urban Design | Walking and CyclingIf you know your neighbourhood like the back of your hand, you know where the pedestrian cut throughs are. You also know which ones feel scary, and which ones you would avoid. Why is this? If a cut through is put in place to improve access, shouldn’t it be inviting, safe, and functional? As our cities change, we have an opportunity to improve the humble cut through, fundamentally changing the role that space plays.
Read more...
Equity in Auckland’s Transport System: LGBTQI+ Communities
Thu, July 8, 2021 |Queer people love the bus. I’m not sure how a love for cramming into the so called ‘loser cruiser’ with 40-odd strangers made it into queer culture, but somehow it did.
Read more...
Improving walkability to rapid transit
Thu, July 8, 2021 | Walking and CyclingHow far are you willing to walk to access your nearest public transport stop? How much extra distance are you covering, because the most direct link isn’t there? Maybe this infuriates you every day, or maybe you’ve never considered it. Either way, this small question has huge implications for how many people can access our public transport network.
Read more...
A shuttle for the Onehunga Branch Line?
Thu, May 13, 2021 | Public Transport | Rapid TransitThis post from Nicolas Reid, our Principal Public Transport Planner, was originally posted on LinkedIn.
This article explains the constraints of the Onehunga Branch Line and raises the question of the trade off between higher frequencies but requiring a transfer or lower frequency but a one seat journey to Britomart.
Read more...
The Auckland Harbour Bridge clip-ons, planning disaster… or best practice?
Thu, May 13, 2021 |This post from Nicolas Reid, our Principal Public Transport Planner, was originally posted on LinkedIn.
This article covers the history of the Auckland Harbour Bridge and outlines the benefits of the staged expansion.
Read more...
A interim option for an Auckland Harbour Bridge footpath and cycleway?
Wed, April 21, 2021 |This post from Nicolas Reid, our Principal Public Transport Planner, was originally posted on LinkedIn.
This article outlines a potential option to add separate walking and cycling paths to the Auckland Harbour Bridge, as an 'minimum standard' interim until a new bridge can be built.
Read more...
Queer language tips for planners and researchers
Mon, February 1, 2021 | InclusionBut I thought “queer” was derogatory?!
If you want to begin engaging with queer or LGBTQIA+ communities but are anxious about using the wrong language, this compilation is for you. I’ve included resources which provide you with an introduction to terms you might hear in your engagement and places you can go for in-depth exploration of different identities.
Read more...
Introducing Transport2030.org
Mon, May 11, 2020 | Climate Change and Emissions ReductionI’ve been working from home now for 6 weeks. Even though I did work at home a little before lock-down, it was by choice and a chance for quiet work than for any other reason. Working from home is one thing but being at home trying to work is something else as I'm sure many of us have discovered.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: Milestones
Mon, May 6, 2019 |Last year we celebrated 15 years of MRCagney in New Zealand. As part of that we looked back on some of our favourite and most influential projects.
Read more...
MRCNZ: The Northern Busway
Tue, February 19, 2019 | Rapid TransitThis set of blogs celebrates our 15th birthday, but in 2018 there was another anniversary close to our heart.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: Women in Urbanism Aotearoa
Thu, February 7, 2019 | InclusionToday for MRCNZ15 Emma Mcinnes writes about Women in Urbanism Aotearoa, and organisation we are proud to support.
MRCagney, the company I work for, is celebrating 15 years in Aotearoa. As part of this, we have been asked to choose some of our favourite MRCagney projects and initiatives. Our cities, communities and families are important to us as a company, and to me personally. I am proud to say Women in Urbanism Aotearoa is one the community initiatives MRCagney has helped to get off the ground.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: Rethinking Parking
Tue, October 30, 2018 | ParkingIn our first blog on parking (an issue close to our hearts) Anthony writes about two groundbreaking city-shaping parking projects in Auckland we have worked on.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: AMETI
Thu, October 18, 2018 | Rapid TransitAs we look back on our favourite or most influential projects over the past 15 years #MRCNZ15, Luke Chistensen looks at AMETI and bus rapid transit to East Auckland.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: The New Zealand Land Value Model
Thu, October 11, 2018 | Data SciencePhil Donovan and Peter Nunns write this week's entry in the MRCNZ15 project- The New Zealand Land Value Model
Read more...
MRCNZ15: Local Path Design Guide
Thu, September 27, 2018 |Today's lookback for our 15th anniversary comes from Lukas Adam, who is writing about the Local Path Design Guide, which we worked on with Resilio Studio and you can check out in full here.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: The Affordability Map
Tue, September 18, 2018 |In this weeks article celebrating the 15th anniversary of MRC in New Zealand, Alex Raichev writes about The Affordability map, which you can try for yourself here.
One of my favorite projects that I’ve worked on at MRCagney is Affordability in New Zealand, also known as the Affordability Map, a public education tool illustrating the spatial nature of affordability and how big a role transport plays in it. It combines analysis, visualization, open source software development, and public education, all things I enjoy.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: Electric Vehicles
Wed, September 12, 2018 |Todays #MRCNZ15 celebration comes from Alex Raichev and Danielle Gatland, who are looking back on three of our projects focussed electric vehicles :
One of the joys of working at MRCagney is the variety of topical projects that come our way. In this post we describe three such projects concerning electric vehicles.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: Researching Autonomous Vehicles
Sat, September 1, 2018 | ResearchThis week as part of our 15th anniversary in New Zealand celebrations, Danielle Gatland looks back at last years Autonomous Vehicles Research Report, now including GIFs.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: The Auckland Cycling Investment Programme (In Gifs)
Thu, August 30, 2018 | Walking and CyclingFor this week's #MRCNZ15 we have two exciting entries on the Auckland Cycling Investment Programme. Click here for Karl Bakers in depth look at the business case.
For another perspective on the project, Emma McInnes has summarised the report in GIF’s.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: Making a case for future investment in Auckland cycling
Tue, August 28, 2018 | Walking and CyclingFor our 15th anniversary celebrations Karl Baker writes about creating the Auckland Transport Cycling Business Case. Check back on Thursday for another perspective on the project…
Read more...
MRCNZ15: The New Network Schematic
Fri, August 24, 2018 |Continuing our look back on the New Network, Nic Reid details how we tackled the problem of communicating the many benefits of the revolutionary integrated network to the public.
Read more...
MRCNZ15: The New Network
Tue, August 21, 2018 | Public TransportOur first entry looking back at 15 years of MRCagney in Aotearoa. Jenson introduces a presentation by Anthony Cross, Auckland Transport’s Network Development Manager (Public Transport), looking back on the New Network for Auckland.
Read more...
Announcing MRCNZ15
Thu, June 7, 2018 |It's the 15th anniversary of our Auckland office, so we are having a trip down memory lane. Regional Manager Jenson Varghese explains all in the video below.
Read more...