OCEANIA

• With the exception of the capital Wellington, New Zealand cities have some of the highest rates of car ownership globally.
• Ask people what “public space” means and they probably won’t mention roads because these are assumed to be for cars.

Superblock neighbourhoods

• Over 30 years, the city has developed “superblocks” – neighbourhoods where traffic speeds are reduced and through-traffic is limited.
• It’s more a redefinition of the bus and car network, coupled with lower speed limits in certain areas.
• Significant benefits include lower air pollution and noise, increased green space, more physical activity, fewer premature deaths and higher economic activity.

1. Stop hoping for a silver bullet

• Whether it is a new tunnel under Wellington, as proposed by the coalition government, or a light-rail system for Auckland, such projects imply the only solutions are big and expensive.
• But because cities are networks, there are often far cheaper options that can be implemented with careful analysis and reallocation of space.

2. Use bus networks to identify superblocks

• The most climate-efficient, readily available and flexible system to reduce car use in cities is the bus network.
• However, organising the bus network in a grid of orthogonal routes that follow perpendicular lines is key.

3. Better management of on-street parking

• In Japan, people have to prove they have access to a local parking space before they can buy a car.
• But generally, on-street car parking represents a major subsidy to drivers through the use of public space that could be put to other uses.
• Car parking creates large areas of paved roads that reduce social and business opportunities.

4. Redirect traffic

• At the moment, New Zealand cities are designed for unlimited through traffic, with unfettered access across the city.
• In Barcelona, in the streets which are for movement, car traffic is aligned with the bus transit, using a one-way system and speed limits of 30km/h.

5. Make targeted investments in public spaces

If the experience of Barcelona demonstrates anything, it is that the creation of public space underwrites a whole range of commercial (as well as social) activity that uncovers latent demand.
In other words, the creation of public space in our cities supports small businesses and commercial activity because people shop and buy coffee, and cars don’t.

6. Encourage density

• According to data released by Sichuan Airport Group, from May 1 to May 5, the passenger throughput of Chengdu international aviation hub exceeded 1.2 million, a year-on-year increase of 10.0%, of which Chengdu Tianfu International Airport became the second busiest airport in China.
• During the "Labour Day" holiday period, Chengdu Railway Bureau Group Co., Ltd. served more than 13 million passengers, and on May 1, the number of passengers served on a single day exceeded 2 million, setting a new historical record.
• Relying on Chengdu International Trains, Chengdu continues to strengthen its connection with the world.
• During the "Labour Day" holiday period, the number of tourists in Chengdu reached 14.613 million, a record high.

• The "The Global Market for Chemical Recycling and Dissolution of Plastics 2024-2040" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
• The global plastics industry is facing a growing challenge - the need to address the environmental impact of plastic waste.
• As traditional waste management methods struggle to keep pace, advanced chemical recycling and dissolution technologies have emerged as a crucial solution to transform the industry towards a more sustainable, circular model.
• This comprehensive industry landscape covers the technology developers, equipment manufacturers, chemical producers, and waste management companies driving the transformation of the plastics value chain.

• SYDNEY, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- D2UNet, a leading supplier of network equipment and security solutions, today announced a new distribution agreement with Be Broadband Technology Ltd. (BBT.live), a provider of a groundbreaking Network Security as a Service (NSaaS) platform.
• This strategic partnership will allow D2UNet to offer its customers in Oceanian countries region access to BBT.live's industry-leading NSaaS platform.
• Traditional Wide Area Network (WAN) services and on-premise security appliances struggle to keep pace, leaving businesses vulnerable to unauthorized access and cyberattacks.
• BBT.live's cloud-based NSaaS platform, BeBroadband™ as a Service, is a robust solution that comprehensively addresses these challenges.