This street installation makes it easy to see how many bikes can be parked in the space of single car park. Cycling in Gisborne I’ve lived in New Zealand for 22 years, most of them in Auckland, and before that in the Netherlands and France. Now, you might wonder why that matters. Hang in there, we’ll get to that. After visiting Gisborne regularly over a seven year period, my partner and I finally made the move last year. We knew we wanted to leave Auckland… it just took us 21 years to do it. Our main requirement? A coastal town on the North Island where you could get around by bike. In Auckland, I cycled. But to call it cycling is rather generous. It was more of a sport involving hills, honking, and lots of deodorant. With the slow progress of cycling infrastructure and the increase of cars on the road, it was starting to feel less like transport and more like combat training. Gisborne, in contrast, is flat. It’s compact. The roads are wide. Some even have cycle lanes, though let’s be honest, they’re the kind where you develop a sixth sense for opening car doors. You’re never fully relaxed. A cycle-friendly (left to right) roundabout, footpath kerb, and bus station. The Missing Crossings But for someone starting out, especially families or anyone walking, scooting, or using a mobility device, Gisborne isn’t exactly welcoming. The big road corridors, free of pedestrian crossings, carve up our city and result in a disconnect between our homes and our destinations: the city centre, services, beaches, parks, friends, workplaces and schools. Take Rutene Road. Two kilometres long and not a single pedestrian crossing. Te Wharau School, Ilminster Intermediate, Dunblane Village and Kaiti Mall are all nearby. Good luck trying to cross safely. Same with Awapuni Road... great beach, no safe way to walk there. Or Ormond Road, where you're expected to detour 20 minutes to the Ballance Street crossing just to get to the other side in one piece. Busy Wainui Road—near the popular shops level with Harris street—has no zebra crossing. And Wi Pere, Lytton etc etc… The Cost of Convenience We live in a city where most families need two cars, not because they want to, but because it’s the only safe option. But imagine ditching one car because walking or cycling became safe, normal, and convenient. That's money saved on fuel, maintenance, and insurance, plus a little more sanity during school runs. And here's a bonus: zebra crossings and safe infrastructure make drivers more considerate too. They remind us that other humans exist, small ones on scooters, older ones with walkers, tired ones just trying to get home. Not All Projects Are Created Equal... and that’s OK Now, if you’ve been following the Grey Street saga, you might be thinking: “Cycling infrastructure? We tried that. Look how that went.” Fair enough. Even as someone who cycles, I’ll admit: that project wasn’t ideal. The intention might have been good, but the execution left too many scratching their heads, including cyclists. Here’s the thing though: one bumpy rollout doesn’t mean we abandon the whole idea of improving how we move around our city. It just means we need to do better. We involve more locals early on, including those who cycle, those who drive, and those who do both. We think carefully about how designs work in practice, not just on paper. And we learn from places that have done this well, including other NZ towns. We all want the same things: safe roads, less congestion, healthier communities, and a town where our kids can walk or ride to school without us worrying. If we get that right, the benefits aren’t just for the cyclists, they’re for everyone.   From Amsterdam to Paris… to Christchurch The Netherlands didn’t become a cycling paradise overnight. In the 1970s, after decades of prioritising cars, protests erupted following tragic road deaths, many involving children. Combine that with the oil crisis, and the Dutch began rethinking the car-first model. Fast forward to Paris, 1995. I moved to Paris just before the start of a national rail and local metro strike which brought the city to a standstill.  It was mayhem. Cars were parked and left for weeks in places you can’t imagine you could park a car. People walked, dusted off old bicyclettes, or resigned like only the French can... "Laissez faire". For 22 days, in the lead up to Christmas, Parisians found out what life without public transport (and with way too many cars) looked like. And surprise: many realised that cycling was faster, more reliable, and oddly liberating. Investment followed. And continues to this day.   purpose-built cycle-way rubbish bins And right here in Aotearoa, we have Christchurch, now considered the leading city in New Zealand for active transport. Following the 2011 earthquake, the city was given a rare opportunity: a clean slate to redesign its transport network. And they used it. Instead of rebuilding around cars, Christchurch invested in public transport, separated cycle-ways, pedestrian-friendly design, and smarter urban connections. It has paid off. Not just in bike use, but in liveability, health, and city resilience. What Can We Do Right Now? Local elections are coming up. That means we’ll have the chance to shape the kind of city we live in, not just through our votes, but by asking candidates the right questions. If the idea of a safer, healthier, more connected Gisborne inspires you, here are some questions you could ask at Meet the Candidates events (or email them directly to candidates if you are not able to make one of the events): Safe Crossings: What is your plan to make it safer for people to walk, cycle, or use mobility scooters, especially on roads connecting neighbourhoods with schools and shops but no pedestrian crossings? Active Transport: Do you support investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, so families have a genuine alternative to needing two cars? Learning from Others: Christchurch rebuilt with cycling at its heart after the earthquake, and is now NZ’s leading cycle city. What lessons from Christchurch (or other towns) would you apply here in Gisborne? Grey Street: How will you ensure that future projects involve locals from the start so designs work for both cyclists and drivers? Long-Term Vision: Where do you see Gisborne in 10 years’ time? A city locked into car dependence, or one where people of all ages can safely and confidently walk or cycle to school, shops, work and the beach? These conversations matter. They signal to candidates that this isn’t a “cyclists versus drivers” issue. It’s about building a city where everyone can move safely, affordably, and connect with the city in a way you can’t from behind a windscreen. Gisborne’s Potential Gisborne already has the ingredients: flat terrain, manageable size, mild weather. With a little investment and vision, we could become New Zealand’s most cycle-friendly city, and the healthiest, happiest, and most connected, too.   Let’s Not Let This Slip Past Whether you ride a bike, drive a car, or walk your dog, we all benefit from safer, better-designed streets. The question is: do we wait for a crisis to force our hand, or do we start building a city we can all enjoy now? It’s our move. Words and photos by Silvia Spieksma

This is another one of those stories (we never get sick of them) that proves you can work in a small, isolated town at the bottom of the world and still be recognised on the international stage. Jacopo Orazi might have chosen to start his business, Radice (Ra- dee-che) Soil Solutions in the stunning town of Sirolo, Italy, but for him, there was one thing missing from his hometown. Surf. It was the surf that brought him to Gisborne twelve years ago, and we are all the better for it. Radice, which means ‘root’ in Italian, was recently shortlisted for the Falling Walls science breakthrough awards in Berlin, Germany. Jacopo’s application was selected from over 250 other international applications. The global recognition is impressive, but it also speaks to the importance of the kaupapa. Soil health. We don’t talk about it enough. Not on a large agricultural scale anyway. I’ve written about soil health and backyard food forests before. At an individual and whānau level, I found no down sides to improving the soil and biodiversity on my own little patch. I get excited when I imagine those positive outcomes at a community level. Imagining forest and soil restoration on a global scale can feel like wishful thinking. It brings to mind the film Don’t Look Up, a satire on the absurdity of science denial. No doubt, there will be those who say, “Don’t Look Down” when faced with the idea of soil restoration as a solution. But it could literally save the world. Soil health is the key to healthy and abundant food, clean water, climate resilience and sustainable food production. Again, there are no down sides! Politicians often cite economic concerns as a reason to delay environmental progress. But Radice’s soil improvement service proves that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand. Large agricultural businesses don’t have to choose between the two. Why would anyone continue to use chemicals and costly fertilisers if they didn’t have to? Jacopo says his clientele varies and he adapts his approach with each organisation according to their needs. Plans have been customised with iwi, farmers and orchardists and he recognises that each have a special relationship with the land. The science of soil health is complex and involves sampling, microscopes and years of acquired knowledge. But the concept is actually very simple. If you’ve ever made sour dough or rewena bread, you’ll know that you need a starter. To make a starter you feed it, and after a few days a diverse community of microorganisms spring to life. Now you have a starter to make as much bread as you like, for as long as you like. The same principle applies to soil. With permission, Jacopo transplants a small sample of soil from undisturbed areas like native forests and adds it to a compost. Microorganisms from the sample flourish in the compost and that becomes the soil starter. Damian (Day Whaanga) from Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust, wanted to gain a scientific understanding of soil health to support their restoration efforts. Rongowhakaata have aspirations to transition agricultural land back to native forest. Before seeking Jacopo’s service, Day says they didn’t have a baseline measurement for soil health. Their knowledge was all based on observation, like checking for worms and visual signs like colour and structure. But there is a whole universe underneath us that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Radice Soil Solutions enables people to see inside that fascinating world. For Day, there’s also a cultural significance to soil health. ‘Before colonisation, much of this area was remnant forest, and you can clearly see the decline in the land’s health.’ They are now looking for ways to remediate that. To decolonise the land. There is already a lot of evidence about the negative impacts of current land use practices. A growing number of people are trying to do things differently. Jacopo is there to support their drive for change. One example of how small, simple changes can yield big results in forest restoration is to shift away from using herbicides. Instead, mulching with cardboard and bark and sowing clover seeds as a cover crop. While mulch just suppresses weeds, a living mulch like clover brings in nutrients from the sun, encourages bacteria and fungi, and helps feed the soil. Day says he really valued the collaborative aspect of soil restoration. His relationship with Jacopo wasn’t transactional, it was an exchange of knowledge. And that’s exactly what Radice Soil Solutions is shortlisted for at the science awards: outstanding community engagement. Days group started with a four-day tailored workshop, which he says was hugely beneficial for the whole team. Keep an eye on Radice soil solution socials as Jacopo runs free Healthy Soil introductory workshop at EIT a few times a year. Find out more at https://radicesoil.com Photos by Jordan Perry

Hey Creatives! Do you want to be a part of our network of creators and makers at Gizzy Local? We have two studio rooms available for lease from the 1st of July. The benefits of renting a space at Gizzy Local go well beyond your own four walls: you get to work alongside a diverse range of thinkers and doers, there’s a breakout meeting space, wifi, coffee, Gizzy Local perks, and the warm glow of being under the roof of your favourite community Arts champion. Gizzy Local are committed to creating a space where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued. The rooms are $92 each, which includes wifi and power. One room, pictured at left, looks onto Lowe Street while the room pictured below looks onto the inner courtyard. If $92 per week is a little steep for your budget maybe you want to share with a mate? We’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in having a look. We will be showing people around from the week of the 16th June. Don't wait, because these rooms will get snapped up! Sing out to Sarah P at community@gizzylocal.com to arrange a time to see the room.