THE future has come to Wellington with two interactive exhibitions exploring what the city might look like in 2040.
The exhibition Toward 2040: Smart Green Wellington, has been set up in large shipping containers at Te Aro Park and on the waterfront by the Wharewaka.
Imagery of how Wellington will look in the future, video posts from people on the street, touch screen maps and other audio-visual material is inside. There’s also a tandem bicycle power-generator to illuminate the graphics and see how much pedal power it takes to charge a lap top or make toast.
The container at Te Aro Park will also double as a stage with free lunchtime and evening gigs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday featuring local musicians like Bill Hickman and Rosy Tin Teacaddy. At the waterfront site giant screens will light up every night with images of the city, including photographs from the social pages of Capital Times.
The exhibitions are part of the council’s public consultation for its strategy Toward 2040. Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the strategy details what council believes needs to be done to ensure the city continues to thrive.
“We’re looking at building on our strengths – our compactness, our highly-skilled workforce, our quality of life, our status as the capital city and our stunning natural surroundings,” Wade-Brown says. “All council strategies will be guided by this plan, whether we’re looking at roading and pedestrian pathways, or making the most of new technologies.”
Wellingtonians wanting to comment on the Toward 2040 strategy can pick up copies from libraries or from the council. A website, www.wellington2040.co.nz, has also been launched.
Consultation on the strategy opened on Monday and closes on August 15.