Super City set-up costs continue to sky rocket.

Auckland's new Super City

Sipping on my morning coffee today, I came across this interesting article in the NZ Herald about the costs of setting up the new Auckland Council coming to over $200 million.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hyde justifies this soaring cost at the reason that "The new Auckland Council will be able to provide integrated planning and improved service delivery at a reduced cost" (NZ Herald 2010).

When I saw this figure, my initial thought was "WHOA!" because I never thought that it would cost this muchsetting up a unitary Council for the Auckland region.
But what sits in my mind now is a very relevant point raised in the article about us ratepayers having to front a portion of the costs for the new Super City.

Although Auckland could benefit from a unitary Local Authority for the entire region, I personally think that the Auckland region itself has too many diverse characteristics that cannot simply be governed effectively by the one Auckland Council for integrated Planning down to the local level.
Maybe I'm just biased about the new Auckland Council dwindling some of my career prospects when I graduate, but I personally think the four major Councils in Auckland is simply too diverse to be effectively incorporated together into one on the new Auckland Council.

Personally, I'm rather looking forward to the Spatial Plan coming out later this year. It should be interesting to see whats in it and I'm sure it will form an interesting part of my Planning studies next year.
Oh and of course, we'll get to see how this $200 million set-up costs pan out.

To read the full article and see the new Auckland Council's spendings for the $200 million, follow the link below.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10648531

A Transit Oriented Development in the heart of New Lynn.

New Lynn's newly upgraded underground train station forming an integral part of town centres TOD (ONTRACK 2010).

As part of ONTRACK's Project DART rail upgrade, the Western Line and the New Lynn train station has undergone a major transformation by trenching the tracks underground to allow the seamless movement of vehicles on the road, and to create a TOD in the heart of the New Lynn town centre.

Underground rail trench at the New Lynn Train Station (ONTRACK 2010).

Since I live only a 10minute walk away from the train station, I have personally witnessed this transformation myself right from the beginning, till construction that is still currently going on today. I still have a vivid image of how the old train station looked like in my mind, and comparing it to how it looks today ... and boy! talk about a major upgrade!

The New Lynn bus station is located directly adajacent to the train station in the heart of the town centre, so it is the ideal location for a TOD encouraging people to choose public transport over travelling in private vehicles around the city. With an increasing public conscious over the rise of petrol costs, the recently opened up new train station couldn't have come at a better time!

Living in the area, I have witnessed and experienced a lot of the pros and cons of this rail development.

During construction, there was extensive road closures and detours and a major traffic delays around the train station area. It was virtually every drivers nightmare having to sit in traffic for 10minutes waiting for the light to turn green, all so you could move a couple spots up in the queue.

Since I travel by train to University everyday myself, I've noticed that there has been a significant increase in the number of travellers than before which I'm assuming it is because the train station is much more attractive nowadays, and there are more frquent train services available.

Point being, the upgrade of the New Lynn Train Station has done great things for the New Lynn town centre area because it has essentially created an effective TOD, which the old train station failed to achieve in my opinion.

As a result of this TOD in New Lynn, the town centre has become more lively and I've noticed a significant increase in the foot traffic around the train station area as well.

Once construction is fully completed, I don't doubt that it will be any less attractive or resourceful than Britomart because despite only half is currently unveiled and open for public use, you notice an instanct wow factor the moment you step onto that platform.

Art panels that line the trench wall, adding attraction to the train station (ONTRACK 2010).

For more information and regular updates about the development status of the New Lynn Train Station, follow the link below.

http://www.projectdart.org.nz/default.asp?s1=the%20projects&s2=Western%20Line%20Duplication

Auckland and Wellington, Top Cities of the World?

Auckland and Wellington was recently ranked highly in the 2010 Mercer Worldwide Quality of Living Survey for the most liveable cities.
Auckland took the cake over Wellington ranking in at 4th place, while Wellington just missed out on making the top 10 at 12th place.

As a Aucklander and student Planner, these results actually shock, surprise and fascinate me all at the same time considering that there are thousands of cities in the world, Auckland is ranked the coveted 4th place. No disrespect to Auckland, but in my opinion there are so many great and well-planned cities throughout Europe and America that offers great culture and lifestyles, so I was rather surprised when Auckland was ranked 4th.

Do I think worthy Auckland is worthy of this spot though? Its hard to say because I think it all comes down to personal preference. However, I do feel that Auckland has stepped up in recent years to become a globally competitive city by upgrading their public transport system to making a major regional governance reform.

On the other hand, Wellingtonians would be proud to hear that their the city was ranked 5th in the Eco-City ranking, when Auckland didn't even make it to the top 10 sitting at its 13th spot.

After studying Planning for more than 2 years, you start to develop your thinking like a real life Planner. When I was in Wellington earlier this year, I thought it the city area was really well-planned, and possibly even better than Auckland I must say.
I thought that the heritage buildings of Wellington was really well maintained and preserved, and was integrated well with the other modern buildings.
Lets not forget the stunning views of Oriental Bay as well!

View of Oriental Bay from Te Papa rooftop.

View of Wellington City harbour and Oriental Bay from top of cable car

From a Planning perspective, its interesting to find an article like this when you think about all the aspects that make a city liveable and consider them among the global ranks of other cities. Something to think about and food for thought for sure.

Click on the link below to read the article yourself and see the full top 10 lists.

http://travel.msn.co.nz/destinations/newzealand/1059136/new-zealand-cities-named-in-worlds-best

Great Bow Yard: A model for low energy development towards zero-carbon and sustainable housing.

Great Bow Yard:

A riverside sustainable housing project on the edge of the rural market town, Langport (Griffiths 2007).

My 403-Housing class has got me quite fascinated with the hot topic of sustainable housing lately!
I'm currently working my second assignment on the topic of sustainable housing (of course..) and our task is find a sustainable overseas housing project and then prepare 4x display panels for it.

Unfortunately, my poor time management skills have got the better of me and I don't have any completed display panels to put up and show you guys. But luckily, I have done some research and found out some pretty amazing things about Great Bow Yard which I didn't even know existed, let alone possible.

Great Bow Yard is a sustainable housing development located in Langport, Somerset (UK).

It is a unique riverside development of 12 differently sized dwellings divided into two North and East Wing terraces. Why divide the two wings into terraces you ask??

Well, the smart cookie architects at Eco-Homes have deliberately did this because they have designed the terraces orientated towards to the sun and so all houses in this project are highly energy efficient because of this.

Site Plan of Great Bow Yard. Notice how the North and East Wing terraces have orientated differently to best capture the light of the sun from all angles (Griffiths 2007).

The North Wing terrace has these awesome-never-seen-before sunspaces which absorbs the air from outside and actually heats it before releasing it into the dwelling, so minimal artificial heating is required in the chilly season for these dwellings because of the sunspaces.

To add to this, in between the sunspaces are solar panels mounted to once again utilise the sun for water heating. Although it is initially costly to have such solar devices installed, its really gives you more bang for buck in the long-term with all the money you will save in energy and heating costs.

Sunspaces on North Wing Terraces with solar panels mounted in between (Griffiths 2007).


Schmatic section of the North Wing Terrace showing the other sustainable features of the dwellings (Griffiths 2007).

Reference: Griffiths, N. (2007) Great Bow Yard: Anatomy of an Eco-Build, UK: Eco-Logic Books

From countryside to urban centre - Kumeu 2050, perhaps?

If you're reading this and have been keeping track of my previous posts, you would know that in Studio 222 last year we had to create an urban design concept for Kumeu in 2050 to accommodate the anticipated growth pressures.

Kumeu has been identified in the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy (1999) as a regional growth centre for accommodating future population growth in the Auckland region, and for this reason Kumeu would need to undergo significant transformation from a rural-countryside area to an attractive urban centre.

The key means in achieving this would be in attractive Urban Design that specifically and effecitively allocates land for certain purposes.

The Urban Design Concept for Kumeu 2050 we individually prepared required us to state urban design principles we crafted for the Kumeu area specifically and then further elaborate on how we will apply these design prinicples in the way we have allocated our landuses.

*Have a think about your own thoughts and experiences of Kumeu for a second before you read on to my urban design concepts and see if you agree with what I have proposed for Kumue. Do you think it'll work for a place like Kumeu? Maybe, maybe not. Read on to find out....

Urban Design Concept for Kumeu 2050

Introduction

This urban design concept for Kumeu is planned to accommodate a projected population of 10,000 people in 2050. The concept aims to preserve the surrounding countryside of Kumeu by intensifying urban development, and maintaining a similar scale to the current developed land area of Kumeu. The proposed development for Kumeu is a total of 100 hectares, situated in part above the existing Huapai settlement with additional development extending southward.

The table below shows the land use allocation for the urban development, calculated in accordance with the table from Apartment House Unit (1998) as a guideline to fit the context and scale of the Kumeu-Huapai development.

Urban design principles

The following principles are developed from the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy (1999) as a guideline to help deliver more sustainable outcomes, but have been manipulated in a manner to fit the context of Kumeu.

1. Enable greater housing options affordable to varying incomes and are strategically located within the limits of Kumeu.
2. Foster greater employment options and opportunities, enabling employment within each household.
3. Create more opportunities for local businesses to expand and attract more business investments to the area.
4. Upgrade the public transport system and improve connectivity within area to wider parts of Rodney and Auckland to ultimately reduce automobile use and enhance environmental quality.
5. Design a pedestrian orientated street network and block structure to encourage walking, cycling and other non-motorised methods of navigation around area.
6. Facilitate the creation of an integrated network of green spaces that connect with wider natural systems.
7. Protect and preserve significant rural land from future development and urban sprawl by compacting urban development.

Theory

The basic design concept for Kumeu is to form a radial pattern, adopting the hypothetical scheme of ‘Central Place Theory’ by Walter Christaller (1966). This theory has been incorporated into the urban design concept of Kumeu, in the manner that the centre of the radial design will be a concentration of mixed-uses that includes commercial, retail, residential and business functions. It is here that will have greatest amount of services, facilities and functions attracting the surrounding residents of the area. This design concept also adopts the theory of ‘New Urbanism’ (Roseland 2005) concepts of mixed-use combining commercial offices and shops on main spines surrounded by residential, high density so that everything is within walking and cycling distance, and pedestrian links with underground parking and traffic calming on any peripheral roads. Such theories have been adopted in this design concept to assist in delivering more sustainable outcomes.

Housing Variety

The design concept includes a combination of housing typologies which incorporate the mixed uses of commercial and business functions. The overall housing density will be higher than that of the existing Huapai settlement, requiring approximately 5,300 dwellings to accommodate a population of 10,000 by 2050. It is important that a range of housing typologies, prices and sizes are provided to accommodate the various and changing needs of the projected population.

Landmarks and Focal Points

The public square and clock tower above the train station are significant landmarks in the design concept. The centre of the urban area is the train station, acting as a focal point to draw people to the centre. This is further encouraged by the orientation of the street network and permeable block structure that encourages walking and directs pedestrian movement to this centre. The park immediately adjacent to the centre also acts as a focal point and provides a unique representation of the urban-rural mesh created in this design concept.

Street Networks/Block Structure

The street network is designed in an organic manner to resemble a radial pattern. The existing street network of Huapai is largely adopted from north of State Highway 16 to create an organic and natural appearance. However the street pattern is slightly altered to a grid like pattern for connectivity enhancement and further direction of pedestrian and limited vehicular movement to the urban centre. South of the Highway, a majority of the street network includes additional grid-like streets in order to promote walkability and connection between blocks. The design contains small block structures to provide choice and permeability to direct pedestrians and traffic towards the main centre. The small blocks defining the street network facilitates greater physical and visual permeability because it highlights other available choices, and ultimately because smaller blocks make it easier to see from one junction to the other in all directions (Bentley 1981).

Open Space

Open space in the urban area helps to maintain ties with the surrounding rural character of Kumeu. There is a hierarchy of parks in terms of location and size. Two large parks are located at the two main access points to the east and western boundaries of the urban area, increasing amenity values for visitors and local residents.

Social Infrastructure

The design concept will provide a range of facilities in terms of schools, libraries, health care services and recreational facilities to service and meet the needs of residents. In order to ensure the community can access these facilities, they are strategically located upon the main roads and transport corridors.

Employment and Business

The intention is to reduce trips to and from work by providing a range of workplaces close to home. The design concept aims to cater for a range of employment and business opportunities within the urban area. This will be achieved by intensifying development within the urban centre and along main transport corridors. Employment opportunities and business will be incorporated into a mixed use design within the main centre. Commercial and retail activity will be established at ground floor of buildings amongst offices and residential activities above.

Conclusion

The Kumeu Design Concept supports growth of a projected population of 10,000, but has addressed it in a controlled and sustainable way. Urban design principles as well as theories of Christaller (1996) and Roseland (2005) have assisted in designing a sustainable compact form which will reduce potential effects of urban sprawl. Overall this urban design concept for Kumeu aims to accommodate and develop growth at a sustainable rate by strategic integration of urban-rural elements and working alongside smart urban design principles for a dynamic and thriving Kumeu 2050.

References:
Bentley, L. et al. (1986) Responsive Environments, London: Architectural Press.

Moughtin, C. (1996) Urban Design: Green Dimensions, Boston: Butterworth Architecture.

Perry, C. (1998) The Neighbourhood Unit, New York: Routledge/Thoemmes Press.

Roseland, M. et al. (2005) Towards Sustainable Communities: resources for citizens and their governments, Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.

Sustainable Housing: Earthsong Eco-Neighbourhood

About a week ago, the 403 Housing class went on a fieldtrip to Earthsong visiting New Zealand's first cohousing neighbourhood based on permaculture and eco-design located in the West Auckland suburb of Ranui.

This fieldtrip was for the purposes of building on our learning of sustainable housing, as the topic for our second assignment of this course.

Earthsong is considered as a 'role model' for sustainable housing because the houses there are constructed out of rammed earth and timber built out of non-toxic material while incoporating passive solar principles to sustainably reduce energy consumption.

Solar panels visible on top of houses used for harnessing solar energy.

The Earthsong Eco-neighbourhood demonstrates the lifestyle of community living and the autonomy of private dwellings, while facilitating community interactions and enhancing pedestrian safety due to the design and layout of this eco-neighbourhood.

Resident's cars are to be parked at the edge of this property to create a walkable housing unit and minimise danger for children that play around within this neighbourhood.

The entire eco-neighbourhood is pedestrian focussed to create a walkable unit for residents by not allowing for any vehicle access within.

Carpark area at the edge of the property and the only provision for vehicles on site.

Overall, it was very interesting to see the sustainable housing principles and initiatives applied in Earthsong where there was a common unity or goal among residents to create a sustainable lifestyle within an urbanised area of Auckland.

In centre, a children's playhouse with only pedestrian access that is enclosed by houses.

Impacts of New Zealand Housing Policies

I have advanced my studies this year and taken on board a 4th year housing paper called Shelter Housing and Society.

Our first assignment for the year was about analysing the effects of changes to New Zealand's housing policy on a particular client in the Auckland region, and it was up to us to select our client to base our analysis on.
The client that I had selected was an extended Pacific Island family. Pacific people account for a significant proportion of the Auckland population and are prone to experiece a lot of housing issues in terms of demand and overcrowding. Due to these issues, I thought an extended Pacific Island family would be ideal for analysing the impacts on the client.

This assignment required us to 'build up a picture' of the client in terms of their social and economic circumstances, what their current housing conditions were, and how this might change due to changes in New Zealand's housing policy and it may affect the clients housing decisions in the current and medium term.

This assignment was possibly one the most challenging Planning assignments I have ever had to to (probably because it is a stage 4 paper and I'm a stage 3 student), but nevertheless I learnt a lot in the process doing it, and hopefully the assignment will speak for itself.

Follow the link below to take a look:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AR6-FN7q5s89ZGNqbmdkdmdfMTFncnp4NG5rcg&hl=en