Cities seem to prioritise cars over people. It seems odd that a place prioritises the people who pass through there, rather than the people who live there.*

Imagine a simple case: A cul-de-sac street. No through traffic. Mostly just used by people who live there, and their friends coming to stay.

What would that street look like if we designed for the people who live there, instead of their cars?

There will be engineering and safety requirements, such as access to infrastructure. Emergency services need to be able to access properties when required.

But some of our design assumptions might shift by taking a people-first approach.

*This isn't about motorways and major arterial routes around a city. Roads are a key element of the infrastructure that underpins society. They transport goods vehicles and commercial activity in general.

Welcome to my little corner of the internet.

I believe that place matters.

Our connection to whatever little corner of the planet we find ourselves in, or choose to place ourselves on, matters.

I'm relentlessly curious and continually learning.

My interests are scattered across topics including property, strategy, acoustics, psychology, theology, systems theory, quantum physics and leadership. I read, listen, watch, and learn about whatever grabs my attention in the moment.

This is a learning experiment.

I come here to try to make sense of something I’ve come across, by writing about it.

I’m immersing myself in a new language.

I’m learning to speak Te Reo Māori, the language of the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand and one of our official languages. After spending 2020 studying, I’m figuring out how to keep the journey going outside the classroom.

You’re welcome to follow along.