Lightfoot Thoughtlab

1. Count It

Know where we’re starting from.

To shift how we travel, we first need to understand what’s happening on the ground. That means collecting and sharing rich, reliable data about how people move across the district.

From school runs to freight logistics, individual habits to community-wide patterns, and carbon emissions at every level - Count It gives us the insights we need to target change, guide smart decisions, and track real progress.

What we need to do:

Baseline the Now

Collect meaningful data on how people move and the emissions their movements create—across homes, workplaces and the district.

Map the Gaps

Identify what we’re missing, whose journeys aren’t counted, and which data needs strengthening.

Make the Invisible Visible

Share insights openly, in ways that resonate with communities and decision-makers.

Set Targets That Matter

Use the numbers to shape bold, grounded goals and track our collective impact over time.

2. Switch On

Back the tools that get us moving.

Technology is already transforming how we move—so let’s switch on and bring the best of current and emerging innovation into our transport systems.

From data-driven flow lanes to next-gen e-mobility, we need to urgently upgrade the way we travel. By embedding smart, sustainable tech into our infrastructure, systems, and services, we can move faster, reduce emissions, and keep the Queenstown Lakes moving in the right direction.

What we need to do:

Embed What Works

Integrate proven technologies—smart services, e-mobility, digital tools—into daily life.

Scan the Horizon

Stay alert to emerging tech and trial it early to drive innovation and accelerate change.

Upgrade the System

Advocate for smart infrastructure and digital tools that make shared and active travel easier and more efficient.

Collaborate with Innovators

Partner with tech providers, researchers and community to co-design future-fit solutions.

3. All in

Culture shift starts with people.

Shared and active travel won’t take hold through top-down directives—it must be woven into the way we think, live, and move.

All In is about building a movement where shared and active travel becomes a natural choice, a source of pride, and a reflection of who we are as a community.

Through experimentation, storytelling, support and real-time feedback, we grow a collective understanding that here, in the Queenstown Lakes, this is simply how we travel better together.

What we need to do:

Talk the Walk (and Roll)

Tell stories that resonate. Launch bold campaigns that show what’s possible.

Make it Easy and Fun to Try

Use activations, trials, and guided experiences to help people test new ways of getting around.

Tred Lightly

Provide tools, guidance, and encouragement that meet people where they’re at.

Build Belonging

Keep growing the movement—community-led and grounded in local identity, pride and shared values.

4. 10 Minute Moves

Design for the journeys we want and need to take.

We need an integrated urban transport network that puts people first—and makes active and shared travel the most convenient choice.

10 Minute Moves means shaping our towns and cities so everyone in Queenstown, Wānaka, and Arrowtown is within a short, safe walk of excellent transport options.

That means identifying infrastructure gaps, raising planning standards, and embedding mode shift into the heart of urban development.

What we need to do:

Map the Network

Audit current infrastructure, planned upgrades, and identify missing links across our urban centres.

Fix the Gaps

Prioritise upgrades that connect seamlessly into the integrated urban transport network.

Design it In

Embed access to shared and active modes into all new developments from the outset.

Align the Policy

Ensure local and national strategies back the delivery of the 10-minute network we need.