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Creating the Circuit Breakers: An Examination of the Sociotechnical System Factors Which Impede and Enable the Delivery of Safe and Healthy Neighbourhood Street Design in Aotearoa New Zealand

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Advancing a Design Approach to Enriching Public Mobility

Part of the book series: Intelligent Systems Reference Library ((ISRL,volume 198))

Abstract

Taking a socio-technical systems approach, the aim of this chapter is to describe the barriers and enablers to innovative street projects that promote wellbeing. We explore these barriers and enablers through the lens of five proposed, current, or delivered niche street re-design projects or programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through a thematic analysis of project and programme information, the key themes of leadership, funding, policies and procedures, organizational norms, community and delivery tensions, and social environment emerged. These themes were used to analyse the extent to which the projects and programmes succeeded as niches and influenced the wider system. While there was varying success across the projects and programmes in influencing the wider regime and social landscape, the analysis found that niches need to be supported within government planning systems as a way of managing investment risk and testing future scenarios. The lessons provide direction for those seeking to expedite transport system change so that positive health, safety, environmental, and social outcomes can be realised.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The authors have elected to use the Māori name for New Zealand throughout this chapter. Aotearoa is the indigenous name for New Zealand and is gradually becoming accepted as a bilingual name for the country.

  2. 2.

    More information about the Te Ara Mua—Future Streets project can be found at https://www.futurestreets.org.nz/

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Funding Acknowledgement

This work was supported financially by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment Science and Innovation Research Funding, contract ID MRACO1501.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mackie Research and Consulting, Level 2, 2 Princes Street, Auckland Central, 1010, New Zealand

    Hamish Mackie, Lily Hirsch & Rebekah Thorne

  2. SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, Massey University, Level 7, 90 Symonds Street, Auckland Central, 1010, New Zealand

    Karen Witten

  3. Dovetail Consulting Ltd., PO Box 78-146, Grey Lynn, Auckland, 1245, New Zealand

    Adrian Field

Authors
  1. Hamish Mackie
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  2. Lily Hirsch
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  3. Rebekah Thorne
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  4. Karen Witten
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  5. Adrian Field
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hamish Mackie .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mobility Design Lab, Department of Design, Faculty of Art Design and Architecture, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Selby Coxon

  2. Mobility Design Lab, Department of Design, Faculty of Art Design and Architecture, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Robbie Napper

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Mackie, H., Hirsch, L., Thorne, R., Witten, K., Field, A. (2021). Creating the Circuit Breakers: An Examination of the Sociotechnical System Factors Which Impede and Enable the Delivery of Safe and Healthy Neighbourhood Street Design in Aotearoa New Zealand. In: Coxon, S., Napper, R. (eds) Advancing a Design Approach to Enriching Public Mobility. Intelligent Systems Reference Library, vol 198. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64722-3_14

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