Name: Making Queenstown the best little city it can be… | 30th March
Start: 2026-03-30T09:00:00+13:00
End: 2026-03-30T10:30:00+13:00
Location: The Rees Hotel, Luxury Apartments & Lakeside Residences

$Making Queenstown the best little city it can be\u2026 | 30th March$

Catalyst Kōrero with Skye Duncan, Global Designing Cities Initiative, Monday March 30
The secret to creating more liveable, resilient cities lies in how we design our public spaces and streets — “the connective tissue of our communities – says Skye Duncan, executive director of Global Designing Cities Initiative.
Catalyst Trust, in collaboration with Lightfoot Initiative, has invited Skye to Queenstown to help spark conversations about how we can help make Queenstown the best little city it can be, despite the pressures of congestion, fast tracked developments and turbocharged tourism.
She co-founded GDCI in 2014 with Janette Sadik-Khan, one of the world’s foremost authorities on transportation and urban transformation. Her team now supports councils and practitioners in more than 70 cities around the world to reimagine their streets and other public spaces.
“When thoughtfully planned, these spaces can strengthen wellbeing, support local economies, improve mobility choices, and help cities adapt to change,” she says.
Skye left New Zealand after completing her architecture degree to pursue a Masters in Urban Design in New York City. She lived there for 15 years, teaching at Columbia University and working at the NYC Department of City Planning on a range of affordable housing, public space, public health and sustainability initiatives.
You'll also hear from Lightfoot Initiative about what's happening right here — the challenges, the progress, and how our community is already part of the solution.
Catalyst Trust and Lightfoot Initiative will host a lunchtime workshop with Skye for councillors, council staff, and infrastructure representatives prior to the community Catalyst Kōrero that evening.
Monday, March 30, at The Rees Hotel Queenstown’s Ruma Wai Kahu, 7 - 8.30pm, Register below to ensure your seat. Please donate online or bring cash for your koha, which will be given to Queenstown Trails Trust