URBAN RETROFITTING “From Blight To Beauty” Presented by : Zara Jawadi
RESEARCH QUESTION • How can we use the triple bottom of line of sustainability to transform Auckland’s transport corridors? • How do we sustain the growth of our population through maximizing the use of marginal spaces around the city?
WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? • Auckland is moving towards creating a well structured public transport system, which promises to increase the amount of public transport patronage. • Population growth puts pressure on the capacities of natural resources and physical infrastructure. • Unsustainable land use can lead to the loss of green spaces and social spaces in the city.
By 2040 440,000 will be living within
One million will be living within
800 m
5 km
Of a rail station
Of a rail station
Every New Zealander contributes
2.6 tonnes of road transport emissions per year.
Due to car dependency
1 in 3 New Zealand adults is overweight.
Contamination is costing New Zealand $500 million over the next 10 years.
192 Million tonnes of eroded soil are entering our waterways each year
CASE STUDIES
CASE STUDIES AND THEORIES To reverse the impacts of population growth.. • Enhance and protect biodiversity • Support resilience of wildlife and plant communities • Maintain good quality of water and air • Promote social engagement and community networks
‘Rotterdam city’s recycled floating plastic island’
A wildlife corridor connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities
Meurk & Hall forest succession model :
A strategy to increase biodiversity
A 100 year plan for Seattle's open spaces
SITE SELECTION
PROJECT OBJECTIVES • Capture and employ the hidden value of marginal lands along transport corridors in the service of local economies. • Support social engagement opportunities at transport hubs to improve quality of life for the local communities neighboring transport corridors. • Nurture and seed ecological connections to enhance local and regional resilience.
SELECTION CRITERIA • Availability of facilities and services within a 800m radius from the transport station • Nearest Park / Or Ecologically significant site • What could be added to the site? Vs What could be ‘eliminated’? • Pedestrian + cycle pathway opportunities • Marginal space within the vicinity of the site
WESTFIELD STATION AND MANGERE INLET
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS • An area of 6.6 km2 and a catchment of 34.5 km2 • In 1880s continuing industry growth was centered on Westfield shoreline, where wastewater was directly discharged into the inlet. • Known to have fertile volcanic soils, now has one of the highest concentrations of copper, lead and zinc.
Ann’s creek
Mount Richmond Domain Canal Reserve Otahuhu Rail/Bus interchange
Pike’s Point Park Manu St Esplanade Reserve
AC PLAN , OTAHUHU STATION • Maintain and extend an integrated network of quality open spaces across the region that meet community needs and provide a diverse range of recreational opportunities by 2040. (Auckland Parks and Open spaces strategic action plan)
• Transport, particularly roads, walkways and cycleways, must create connections between and within communities. (Auckland Plan)
• The environment is an essential part of our identity, our economy, and the way we live. We will safeguard what we have, and strive to radically improve our environment where it has become degraded. (Auckland Plan)
METHODOLOGY
Methodology How will this work? 1- Triple bottom line of sustainability • Community • Ecological • Economic
2- Six step phase Plan 3- LIUDD
COMMUNITY • Community driven planning. • 70,959 live in Mangere/Otahuhu local board area. • When the potential for the site is realized new interventions will branch out. • Pedestrian and cycle facilities encourage the locals to use public transport, therefore increasing physical activity. • Creating connections between neighbouring communities and the new transport centre in Otahuhu, will offer the locals access to every part of the city.
A project by the community for the community.
ECOLOGICAL • The revegetation of marginal spaces within the site will create new habitat for wildlife. • Storm water treatment devices act as “kidneys” and giant sponges – purifying and slowing the flow of water off the land, reversing the rate of contamination in the inlet. • Trees contribute to enhancing the air quality by absorbing Carbon Dioxide. • Mycoremediation : Using Fungi to treat polluted soil • Wetlands support a high number of New Zealand’s threatened plants and animals.
48 coastal bird species regularly visit Mangere Inlet‌7 of which have been classified as threatened Caspian New Zealand dotterel
tern
wrybill
Reef heron black stilt
grey duck
Why is this important?
Brown teal
ECONOMIC Biodiversity is New Zealand’s biological wealth.. • The annual value of indigenous biodiversity on land in 1994 was estimated at $46 billion • the loss of 5-10 % of the annual direct benefits from indigenous biodiversity is equivalent to about $500 million-$1000 million per year • Well planned green spaces within the urban boundary attract new businesses and improve many health symptoms related to urban growth.
What if we use : Low Impact Urban Design Development • LIUDD : Utilise natural systems and new lowimpact technologies to avoid, minimise, and mitigate environmental damage.
35% of our birds are threatened with extinction
STRATEGY
GROUND UP URBANISM
A SERIES OF SMALL SCALE DESIGN INTERVENTIONS
Coastal pathway connecting to Otahuhu station + Mangere
Pedestrian + Cycle pathway through Canal reserve
Pedestrian access to the site from Great South Road
Stormwater treatment and Riparian planting
Restoration of Native vegetation on marginal spaces
New Pike’s Point Park
A FAMILY OF INTERVENTIONS
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION By remediating and heightening the functionality of existing marginal land along transport corridors this project ensures.. • Minimization of further environmental damage. • Maintenance of healthy water and air quality within the urban boundary. • A continuous green pathway for the flora and fauna of Auckland which provides various habitat, therefore increasing biodiversity. • Connection of communities and neighborhoods despite the change in population density.
Improving the natural systems of the “leftover” spaces will protect Auckland’s precious biodiversity as it’s population density continues to increase.
Our environment is not going to fix our mistakes, without our help‌ To become the most liveable city we need to
Plan .Retrofit. Act
New Pike’s Point Park