Emergence designing for the future
Designing a green network for a future regional Auckland Xinxin Wang and Matthew Bradbury
Abstract As many large global cities transform into regional cities, a regional city structure is emerging along Auckland’s growth corridor SH1. This paper discusses how designing a green network could ensure the sustainable future urban development of a regional Auckland. The paper begins by reviewing the importance of a green network in the shaping of a regional city structure and maintaining the Auckland lifestyle. The authors develop a methodology based on two sets of criteria; environmental and social. Three case studies are developed, ranging in scale from the regional to the localďźŒto test the design methodology. The paper concludes by suggesting that by designing a green network for the greater Auckland Region, the growing population will gain both a new regional park system and ensure the continuation of the existing Auckland high quality lifestyle.
Introduction As many large global cities transform into regional cities, the connection of territories to the natural world is weakening. The emergence of a regional development around Auckland is threatening the existing green space and the very lifestyle that the world and Aucklanders value so much. Given this risk, there is a need to urgently conserve the existing green space in the greater Auckland region, while allowing for future urban development.
Compared with other major cities in the world, Auckland has a unique urban-nature relationship and a high quality lifestyle. One of the most distinctive features of Auckland is the balanced interaction between the urban and natural environments, that is manifested as decentralized urban districts integrated with a large range of green parks (Duder, Winstone, & Warren, 1969; Palmer, 2002). Another element of Auckland’s identity is the traditional kiwi lifestyle dream, characterised by 1
separate dwellings with their own gardens. Although Auckland has some serious urban challenges to face, including high house prices and worsening traffic congestion, the current green network of parks provides Aucklanders a high quality urban life with relatively limited crowding, minimal pollution, scenic beauty and easy access to outdoor spaces.
However, the increasing population and on-going urban expansion is challenging these advantages. Firstly, Auckland’s population is expected to grow significantly in the mid-term. According to the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, the city’s population will grow from the current 1.4 million people to 2.4 million by 2040 (Auckland Council, 2015). This will cause more pressure on both environmental and urban structures. Secondly, the continuing urbanization process may continue to 2100 (Burdett, 2011). This will mean that Auckland and its surrounding towns will keep growing after the current Auckland Unitary Plan expires, which could potentially result in greater pressure on existing green spaces.
Recent research has shown that cities and towns in the upper North Island, from Whangarei to Hamilton and Tauranga, have been growing as strongly as Auckland (Bogunovich & Bradbury, 2012). These regional towns and cities are expanding, getting ever closer to the boundaries of the greater Auckland city. The existing green spaces that Aucklanders value so much are coming under threat from this development. To address this problem, we have to conceptualise Auckland as a linear city from Whangarei to Hamilton and Tauranga, it is also necessary to adopt macro regional thinking beyond the current Auckland region’s administrative boundaries and the current planning timeframes.
Auckland regional city thinking The research frames these issues within a review of recent international thinking on designing green networks from an environmental and social perspective. Three themes were reviewed around the research question; the regional city forms, green networks and Auckland lifestyle.
The Regional City 2
The concept of a regional city or city-region could be described as, “the presence of a core city linked by functional ties to a hinterland” (Rodriguez-Pose, 2008, p. 1027). The framework of a city-region is a network of different-sized settlements. A number of urban spaces surround and related to a bigger centre city, they are hierarchized by their size, related location, and distribution of functions (Soja, 2001). The development of city region is a process of decentralization. Peter Hall (2014) describes how a population is decentralized from cities to their suburbs, and then moved outside to smaller towns. During this process, cities play the core role within larger city region. Within the city-region context, studies of individual cities or towns are not enough to understand regional urban forms or to plan regional urban futures. To achieve this goal a whole city region has to be studied. (Hall, 2014).
The Green Network Green space refers to not only public conservation sites, but also space with higher ecological value in private land. Worldwide design practices shows that a green network is an essential element in shaping regional urban forms, in terms of providing ecological sustainability and maintaining a resilient environmental structure (Hall, 2002, 2014; Hall & Pain, 2006; Soja, 2014). Green space also plays a critical role in enhancing the quality of individual life, especially acting as a sub-centre divider, a development direction guide, as a retrofitting tool, and as green infrastructure (Bosselmann, 2008) (Calthorpe & Fulton, 2001) (Hall & Pain, 2006) (Weller & Bolleter, 2013). Moreover, the accessibility of green space is one of the three key elements of the kiwi lifestyle, including relatively low urban density and mixed dwelling types.
Auckland lifestyle Auckland lifestyle differs not only from most big cities in the world; it also differs from other cities in New Zealand. The uniqueness of Auckland’s lifestyle is not only because it accommodates the “kiwi dream” including a single family house with a garden, cars and pets, but also because it provides ready access to green space. Bogunovich and Bradbury argue that Aucklanders’ lifestyle will affects the development of a regional urban structure. They suggest that Auckland will become the “world’s lifestyle capital” (Bogunovich & Bradbury, 2012). Based on the recognition of low-rise urban development pattern along SH1, they propose an alternative vision for Auckland 2040, which is a 100 kilometres linear conurbation. Their development plan provided a sustainable and resilient 3
structure for Auckland’s regional growth. The project outlined in this paper acknowledges the linear city concept, and extends it further to a 230 kilometres long city beyond Auckland regional boundaries.
Methodology To facilitate this research, a specific methodology was developed. Through site visits, mapping and analysis, two investigations were established to guide the following design work.
The first investigation, based on environmental criteria, explores how green networks can shape a regional city’s structure in both planning process and government policy. The investigation also provides measurements and specific design techniques for the development of a green network. In order to build an ecologically and socially effective green network, the research suggested that there is a need not only to maintain existing green spaces but also to create new green spaces and corridors. Strategies to the size of existing reserves and to encourage ecological linkages were explored to extend potential green spaces (Meurk & Hall, 2006) (Ignatieva, Meurk, Roon, Simcock, & Stewart, 2008) (Kline & Cahoon, 2010).
The second investigation was based on social criteria developed through an investigation of an Auckland suburb; Remuera. Based on an analysis of census data and maps of Remuera, three main features are identified; population density, dwelling types and green space accessibility. These features were later used as standards to shape potential urban areas in a future greenbelt. Data was collected through GIS (Geographic Information System) software, one of the most powerful tools for analysing maps and statistics and for overlapping a range of environmental elements to generate new maps (Popov, 2011).
Green network for a regional Auckland How a green network might manifest at three scales; a regional Auckland, the Warkworth-Silverdale zone and the Puhoi village, was explored as case studies to test the research proposition.
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Regional Auckland The Regional Auckland study area covered Auckland, part of Northland, the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. The study particularly focused on a 10-km buffer zones along SH1. From Whangarei to Hamilton, six possible greenbelts were identified as possible buffers between future urban developments. Existing green spaces, including public conservation sites, native forests and water bodies are limited and fragmented; it is difficult to link them into a network. However through a GIS analysis, a large number of potential green spaces were recognized as having the potential for extending the existing green spaces. These areas contain exotic forests, steep land, flood plains and rivers and streams. The research suggested that a regional green network could be established in the greater Auckland region by purchasing private land and developing a revegetation process in conjunction with the existing green spaces.
Regional Green Networks Six greenbelts are proposed, these would become a new regional park network along either side of the SH1, with a length from 3 to 15km. Five of the new greenbelts would be forest parks, and one would be a water park. Through a purchase and revegetation programme, the suggested parks could expand to two or three times their current size. The largest proposed forest park would provide a green regional park from Warkworth to Silverdale, which would be nearly 15km along SH1. The shortest park would be made up of parks from Silverdale to Auckland, with a length of about 2.7km. The water park would be located from Tuakau to Huntly, including Lake Whangape, Lake Waikare and a small amount of forest.
The new greenbelts would not only offer a new regional park network, but could also determine sites for future urban development.
The Warkworth and Silverdale Greenbelt From the regional green network analysis, a greenbelt in the Warkworth-Silverdale (W/S) area was identified. In addition to the green space criteria developed from the first case study, a set of green space design strategies were used to shape an ecologically effectively green network. The key strategies used in this case study include; buffering existing greenspaces, revegetating potential 5
greenspaces, planting existing river/road corridors, and rezoning land use
The research suggested that through a carefully designed purchase process over 20 years, a public green space network could be built along the Puhoi Valley, located in the middle of the W/S greenbelt. This public park would be about 10 km long, adjacent to the Puhoi River and connecting the hinterland with the coast. Through the installation of camping grounds, walkways, recreation sites and car parks in the new park more social opportunities would be made available as well as improving the ecological value of the site. The W/S green network would provide more space for both native species and human social activities.
This case study suggests that through careful purchasing and a revegetation process, more land could be converted for use as public green spaces. At the moment, potential land for a green network is not valuable because of excessive slope or the potential for flooding. By using the GIS based planning methodology, critical sites can become identified and either purchased or land owner can be helped to gift land now. This makes the creation of the future green network more cost effective than buying the land in 20 years.
Puhoi Town The Puhoi village case study focuses on a smaller scale project to show how urban development could happen within a proposed greenbelt. Social criteria from the Remuera study were used to shape Puhoi’s future urban structure. The key principles of the lifestyle criteria include: average population density of about 40-60 people/ha; proportion of single houses to flat/apartments of around 7 to 3; maximum distance from every home to green space is about 500 m. Through subdivision and intensification north of the Old Town, the population in Puhoi could increase 6 fold while maintaining the historic town centre.
Through rezoning and replanting, a new town park could be built on the north side of the Puhoi River as an expansion of existing parks and sport fields. This new park could not only enhance the natural environment, but could also make a strong connection between the historic town and the new town. Based on the existing topography, the existing streams and ridges, three green corridors could be 6
identified across the new urban areas, linking the northern park to the southern green belt Residential gardens could be designed as a core element surrounded by new building clusters. Instead of roads, pathways have priority to connect each home with gardens and parks.
The master plan of Puhoi town suggests that a new urban development could happen harmoniously within the green network. The new park and corridors could not only support a high quality built environment, but could also ensure a good quality of life with easy access to nature.
Conclusion Given the current and future pressures on Auckland’s green space, the preservation and expansion of Auckland’s current green space network could provide a key way to protect Auckland’s high quality environment and lifestyle. Research findings from this project suggested that an enhanced and enlarged green network could not only offer the growing population of Auckland a new regional park system, but could also provide more urban land for a growing Auckland and at the same time enhance the quality of life for future citizens.
Firstly, green network could dramatically increase green accessibility for people living in the new cities and towns. Current towns around Auckland are mostly surrounded by private farm land or forests. By purchasing some of this private land, identified in the GIS mapping process, and encouraging a revegetation process, a large scale regional park system could start to be established. Citizens in the new towns and cities would have easy access to the new public green space network, all planned to be no more than 5km away from the new urban centres. The new park system will offers people a variety of outdoor activities, passive recreations and meets other social needs. Secondly, by preserving native ecotones, native species will be helped to move and migrate. Through the protection of public conservation sites, native bush and water bodies, plus establishing linkage through corridors from hills to the sea, the numbers of wild plants and animals could be increased. Their movement would enhance a resilient ecosystem and increase biodiversity, which are fundamental to the preservation Auckland native environment.
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A green space network in the greater Auckland region could prevent urban sprawl. Facing the persistent urban growth trend along SH1, cities and towns like Albany and Silverdale have almost connected together. The proposed green space network could contain some of the cities and towns in more or less their existing sites, while allowing new developments within the proposed green network. Urban sprawl threatens green space, it better to plan an effective green network around which future urban development can occur. Preserving green space in the greater Auckland region is not anti-development, but will rather result in better urbanism by identifying suitable sites for smart urban development instead of letting sprawl occur.
This research project suggests that a new green space network can contribute to improving the living environment of the new Auckland citizen. The new green networks will dramatically increase the access to green space for people living in the new cities and towns of regional Auckland while at the same time limit the growth of those town and cities thus preserving the enviable Auckland lifestyle.
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