Reflection

It is interesting to see that a lot of the development in Docklands has not gone as planned and the ideal look of Docklands has not been achieved. The multizoned site accommodating industrial as well as commercial and residential spaces, lacks community and interest.

It is great to see many waterfront developments bring people towards the water however do not interact with it within space rather just sit alongside. I feel that this is a missed opportunity with most waterfront developments. The precedent studies gave a good insight on what Docklands could be and bring people in from the CBD and suburbs.

Currently Docklands is its own suburb set apart from the CBD where people go to shop in Harbour Town or for sporting and recreational events. At this point in time there is no current developments on the chosen site but many multistory buildings in construction or planning throughout.

For future development of Docklands it would be good to connect the pieces of land together rather than having to go the long way around to explore. This would entice people to travel to different areas of Docklands. However this has limitations for water vehicle access to the harbour. Another aspect to consider would be a multi-use space for the community which could also have commercial and residential spaces if necessary. A good example that is currently in docklands is the ‘Library at the Dock’, which has many spaces and is a great community meeting place which also focuses highly on sustainable development.

Overall Docklands has immense potential for great waterfront developments, however limitations such as the soil and proximity to the waters edge make it difficult to achieve the desired multistory complex most developers and architects desire.