ETHAN ROGACION (HE/HIM)
A coalition of business owners on Cuba St are petitioning the Council to reconsider its plan to
remove 20 car parks along the stretch of road between Ghuznee and Vivian. Organised by
(unsuccessful) Lambton Ward candidate and famed Kaffee Eis creamslinger, Karl Tiefenbacher,
the “Park It” campaign hinges itself on business owners arguing that losing the 20 car parks will
make a significant impact on their profit margins.
“The thing to remember is that a lot of people walk here, obviously, and I get stupid statements
like, ‘cars don’t spend money, people do’, but cars don’t drive themselves either, so every car
brings an extra person to Cuba St,” he told Salient. “You know, we’re selling a low cost product,
and we need a lot of turnover, so if we lose something like 10% of our business [by having no
car parks], that’s enough to send us under.”
Policy documents from Waka Kotahi on the economic impact of having walkable cities stand in
contrast to this claim. According to Waka Kotahi, citing research done domestically and in other
comparable cities, walking interventions drive higher consumer spending in retail settings, and
that shoppers value good walkability more than they do good car parks.
“[This proposal from Council] is not pedestrianisation - all they are doing is extending one side
of the footpath by the width of a carpark ... They’re using the argument that it's safer for
pedestrians, which is a whole load of bollocks,” he said.
Tiefenbacher argues that having parklet seating opposite cafes and restaurants - which a larger
footpath would allow for - makes it more dangerous and difficult for waiters to traverse the
shared space. This is despite businesses further down Cuba St and on nearby streets making
full use of extended footpaths to have parklets, and having few issues with such arrangements.
Not all business owners along the street are opposed. One retailer that Salient spoke to
suggested that people who come in cars tend to be on Cuba St for “a quick trip” at a specific
shop, and that most of her customers are pedestrians that wander in. Steven Hinderwell from
Slow Boat Records echoed this sentiment, saying that Council’s proposal was a good idea, and
will bring in more people visiting Cuba St.
He added, “there’s plenty of other car parks around, so I don’t think it’ll be bad for business.”
The proposal does not impact other existing public car parks or the multiple, larger private
parking facilities dotted in the surrounds of Cuba St - including at Left Bank, Garrett St,
Ghuznee St, Marion St and Taranaki St - which have a combined total of at least 20 car parks.
In response to the campaign, Pukehīnau/Lambton Ward Councillor Geordie Rodgers told
Salient, “Most people in Wellington walk and international evidence shows they will walk down
the streets that are the safest and most accessible to them.” Rodgers added that, “Events like
Cuba Dupa have shown us just how vibrant Cuba Street can be when space that’s currently
reserved for storing cars is returned to people.”
“I want to see a Cuba Street where people want to spend time with their friends, where
shopfronts are lively and open into a street full of people rather than an empty street with some
parked cars.”