Pacific World Views for Public Housing and Urban Regeneration

This study examines some of the core principles that underpin how Pacific people view the world. Drawing on a targeted literature review comprising articles published in peer-reviewed journals and grey literature, five core principles were identified as determining Pacific worldviews. They were holistic systems; the collective family; spirituality; relationship with the natural world; and Te Va (theory of space and time). These findings from Pacific scholars and experts in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the Pacific are subsequently applied to guide our work in the Public Housing and Urban Regeneration programme. This study seeks to encourage all researchers to understand these core tenets as they engage with Pacific communities and pose questions that will achieve improved outcomes for Pacific peoples.

Project lead: Mary Anne Teariki

For further information please email sustainablecities@otago.ac.nz