Auckland Transport has identified Manukau City Centre as a prime area for increasing active transport through behavior change initiatives. Its young, diverse population, compact layout, strong transport connections, and ongoing development make it ideal for a hyper-local mode shift approach.

The aim of this project was to uncover the attitudes and barriers to cycling in Manukau through mix method research and community engagement and then develop a Local Area Activation Plan (LAAP) which responded to these attitudes and barriers through locally relevant cycling activations or communication campaigns. 

In collaboration with FOLKL, a human-centered research company, and Ngahere Communities, a Manukau-based social enterprise fostering creativity and innovation, we:

• Analysed the context of transport research already conducted around Manukau, to avoid doubling-up on what communities have been asked to engage on before
• Identified gaps in the knowledge produced by the existing research, and key groups of ‘community influencers’ who could share their expertise with us
• Partnered with Ngahere Communities to design, facilitate and host ‘community influencer’ wānanga sessions.
• Co-designed an activation plan with those local influencers to support upcoming cycling infrastructure over the next 1–5 years, with a key focus on providing free access to bikes for whānau to experience low-risk, off-road, recreational rides together through Manukau’s ‘wairua hot spots’ such as the Te Aka Raataa pathway being delivered by Eke Panuku. 
• Worked with FOLKL to develop an Impact Measurement Framework to track behaviour change over time.