Accommodating the motor car: Dunedin,New Zealand,1901–30

Abstract

Cities and their inhabitants were obliged to adapt rapidly to the rise of car ownership in the first few decades of the twentieth century; this article examines how one of New Zealand’s most developed urban centres, Dunedin, adapted to motor vehicles in the years 1901–30. Changes to the built environment are considered: new, specialised building types and commercial activities; the resurfacing and realignment of streets; and the introduction of traffic control measures. Social attitudes towards the changes in the use of public space brought about by motoring are also examined. In contrast to the hostility shown to early motorists in other countries, Dunedin attitudes appear to have been less overtly antagonistic.