ABSTRACT
In Tonga, upholding anga fakatonga (the Tongan way of life) is a defining feature that has been reinforced over the last 200+ years of relations with the West. Key values related to honouring family, faka’apa’apa (respect, especially for seniority), loto tō (humility), and collectivity continue to shape the way the nation operates. Unlike most other Pacific nations, Tonga managed to remain a sovereign nation, then gained independence from protectorate status under Britain in 1970. Nevertheless, the lingering impacts of colonial interventions—and Tonga’s reactions to them—in urban, administrative, and governance arrangements have been significant. They have, for example, adversely affected the prospects of the only Tongan city of Nuku’alofa and the adapting of sacred values into urban praxis. In this chapter, we appraise the urban context and potential of Nuku’alofa, hinging around the 2006 democracy riots in the city. And whilst there is still much to be achieved in the urban planning space, it is important in a Tongan context to keep perspective, avoid hastiness and maintain a posture of gratitude in any looking forward to the future: oua lau e kafo kae lau e lava—focus not on your losses or failures, but on your successes.
