New Zealand's largest retailer - Sylvia Park(Source: Google Images)
When I was doing my daily news round on the Herald website today, I came across this article about more plans for urban intensification at Sylvia Park which discusses the planning side of the project and the implications for the area.
Kiwi Income Property Trust is noted to be the $1.8 billion landlord for the 24ha vacant land around the Sylvia Park shopping complex, and has sought permission to what is described to be a 'mini-city' of high rise apartments and office buildings that will tower around the motorway.
There are so many concerns that will arise out of this proposal if it gets approval from the Council to go ahead with intensification plans because of the implications on the community, traffic congestion and the general public.
As a chronic shopper myself, I'm often put off venturing out to Sylvia Park because it is such a mission to get there. Not because of the distance, but because you have to get on the always congested Southern motorway and parking is an absolute nightmare. After studying Planning for a couple of years, when you read something like this and think of you own experiences, all the implications for this kind of development and in its particular location just starts flooding into your head. A 'mini-city' of high-rise apartments and office buildings will increase the traffic flow significantly and place increasing pressure around the surrounding environment of Sylvia Park.
This will also increase pressure for public transport initiatives to help reduce congestion problems and support this increase daily flow of people in and out of Sylvia Park.
However, what some people don't realise is that no matter how good the public transport system is, it will never fully replace the convenience and comfort of a private vehicle.
So even though there is adequate public transport to Sylvia Park now, and there are plans for improving this service there, it may not fully eliminate the traffic congestion implications to this project.
So from a Planning pespective, this project for Sylvia Park is going to be a huge undertaking that will require careful and strategic planning in order to reduce and avoid the associated implications. Not to mention all the consultation and extensive consent process it will have to go through, and drafting up a bunch of plans. Phew! Glad I don't have to do that yet, and I don't live or work around Sylvia Park.
Heres the link to article, read it and see for yourelf.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10638216
Kiwi Income Property Trust is noted to be the $1.8 billion landlord for the 24ha vacant land around the Sylvia Park shopping complex, and has sought permission to what is described to be a 'mini-city' of high rise apartments and office buildings that will tower around the motorway.
There are so many concerns that will arise out of this proposal if it gets approval from the Council to go ahead with intensification plans because of the implications on the community, traffic congestion and the general public.
As a chronic shopper myself, I'm often put off venturing out to Sylvia Park because it is such a mission to get there. Not because of the distance, but because you have to get on the always congested Southern motorway and parking is an absolute nightmare. After studying Planning for a couple of years, when you read something like this and think of you own experiences, all the implications for this kind of development and in its particular location just starts flooding into your head. A 'mini-city' of high-rise apartments and office buildings will increase the traffic flow significantly and place increasing pressure around the surrounding environment of Sylvia Park.
This will also increase pressure for public transport initiatives to help reduce congestion problems and support this increase daily flow of people in and out of Sylvia Park.
However, what some people don't realise is that no matter how good the public transport system is, it will never fully replace the convenience and comfort of a private vehicle.
So even though there is adequate public transport to Sylvia Park now, and there are plans for improving this service there, it may not fully eliminate the traffic congestion implications to this project.
So from a Planning pespective, this project for Sylvia Park is going to be a huge undertaking that will require careful and strategic planning in order to reduce and avoid the associated implications. Not to mention all the consultation and extensive consent process it will have to go through, and drafting up a bunch of plans. Phew! Glad I don't have to do that yet, and I don't live or work around Sylvia Park.
Heres the link to article, read it and see for yourelf.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10638216
I agree with you! It will take a lot of time and resources to ease congestion in the southern motorway. I think intensifying around Sylvia Park will just increase congestion around the area. That's why I hardly go to Sylvia Park anymore, too many cars too many people..
ReplyDeleteSo true eh! Like you can actually stop people from driving when its cold, rainy, windy just by discouraging their decisions.
ReplyDeleteI think the company is just too profit orientated at this point and really needs to look at the wider implications before they go ahead with their plans.