Since coming home to Charlotte there has been a lot of shopping, planning, asking questions, and finally packing. Everything is finally in the bags and ready for 3 flights, crossing the International Date Line, and some jet lag. Let me tell you why.
For six weeks this summer I will be serving as the “City Planning Intern” for the Upper Hutt City Council. Upper Hutt is a suburban valley town about 30 minutes north of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. My host-site supervisor, Mr. Steve Taylor, suggested I read the city’s Urban Growth Strategy and Rural Strategy in order to learn more about the city, the direction the city is moving, and the city’s role in the larger Wellington metropolitan region. After perusing the documents, I am very excited to be living and working in Upper Hutt. The town is bisected by the Hutt River and surrounding by rolling hills and steeper mountain points. A city of 38,000 residents, Upper Hutt is known nationally and internationally for its beautiful landscapes, its access to outdoor recreation such as cycling and hiking, and its family friendliness. The city’s motto, “A great place to live,” seems to definitely ring true and I am itching to witness the river town in person.
According to Mr. Taylor, a typical day for me will consist of researching issues, preparing background materials, or assisting with the preparation and distribution of communications materials. Additionally, one of the key staff members for the rural strategy will be away while I there, so I have been encouraged to step into some of his work. After spending three years in a classroom engaging Urban Studies and therefore doing some research as part of my coursework, I am greatly looking forward to having the chance to learn from policy makers and conduct research that may directly have short or long term impacts on the community. I fully expect, since I will only be there for 6 weeks, that some of my time will be spent getting acquainted with the city and the current initiatives being undertaken by the Council. However, since one of the members of the Rural Strategy team will be away, I hope can be an important part of the city planning team both socially and professionally.
The family I am living with I think will also provide a very authentic “kiwi experience,” as they described to me. Between living, working, and recreating in Upper Hutt I hope to become very familiar with the city and all that is has to offer. From shopping to recreating to dining I was to be a fully engaged member of the Upper Hutt community, with of course having access to some other exciting amenities in Wellington City. Especially in terms of urban planning, it is beyond essential that one be a part of the community he wishes to develop policies about. I fully expect that my experiences this summer will offer a rich perspective on community development and city planning in an environment much different than the Memphis, Tennessee, USA that I have been studying for three years. I expect also to have some cultural barriers, but Upper Hutt appears to be a fairly “westernized” town and many citizens speak English making the transition much more fluid. Overall, my goals for the summer consist of experiencing the richness of New Zealand culture and landscape, to develop professional skills relevant to the urban planning and development field, and to contribute to the community that I will call home for six weeks.
Reflections of an Urbanist 