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Urban Design Strategy
Introduction
The Council's Draft Strategic Plan (April 1993) identifies Urban Design as one of the most
pressing issues facing Wellington.
The Plan establishes the following priorities:
°
improve the design and appearance of new buildings
°
preserve important parts of the City's heritage
°
enhance the vibrancy and diversity of Wellington's character and setting
°
integrate public and private spaces and enhance peoples' use and enjoyment of the
City
°
maximise the advantages of Lambton Harbour Development and integrate with it
Recently the Council clarified its vision for Wellington City in 2020. A key part of this is
the Council's vision that
"...the city never sleeps. There is vibrant street life and Wellington's inner city is for living
as well as working. The city's urban area is contained within a green "fence" with high
population density within clear boundaries. Our transport infrastructure enables access to all
parts of Wellington, encouraging freedom of movement with minimal pollution. All sectors
are commuted to design excellence. Buildings are beautiful, functional and sometimes
provocative! We treasure and re-use our built heritage, revelling in the mixture of old and
new.
Quality public spaces range from grand to intimate, enabling multi-cultural celebrations and
events as well as small informal encounters. The city is designed to encourage social
interaction. Vibrant street life proceeds around the clock. Streets, buildings and spaces are
designed to make people feel safe.
What makes Wellington so unique and attractive is its diversity and series of contrasts. Each
quarter or suburb is distinct and identifiably different..."
The Urban Design Strategy for Wellington has therefore been formulated to assist
achieving the Council's vision for Wellington, and to address the specific priorities
identified by the Council's Draft Strategic Plan.
In addition the Council has also put in place a number of other key plans and strategies
to achieve its vision for Wellington in 2020. This includes:
°
the new District Plan
°
the City Transportation Strategy
°
a Sustainable City Plan
°
an Economic Development Strategy
°
a Community Development Strategy
°
a City Recreation Strategy
These plans and strategies will be substantially completed in the first half of 1995 and
will represent an integrated package of initiatives designed to lead Wellington into the
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21st century. The Urban Design Strategy will complement and assist these Strategies by
providing the physical context within which development of the city will be encouraged.
The goal of the Urban Design Strategy is to achieve a public environment that is
accessible, safe, lively and enjoyed.
Its objectives are to:
1 provide the physical context and guidelines within which City development will be
encouraged
2 establish a programme of urban design initiatives for public space compatible with
the Strategic Plan
The public environment is defined as all those parts of an urban area (including, but not
exclusively, publicly owned land) that have, or encourage, some degree of public access
and use. This includes all the building edges and walls that define these places.
It also includes some overall visual sense of the urban area as a whole. The public
environment is shared by a great many people and is a combination of topography, built
form and natural landscape. It is what people see and understand as a physical image of
a city.
The strategy's purpose is to:
°
describe the characteristic circumstances that make up the image of parts of the city;
°
explore their potential for further enhancement; and
°
propose a strategy of specific and cumulative action to achieve this.
It is not intended or desirable that the strategy deal with every aspect of the city's total
area. Rather it focuses on four components of its public structure which collectively have
great influence on the way the city is understood, experienced and enjoyed by those who
use it:
°
the places and sequences of arrival and departure between the central area of the
city and its regional setting.
°
the links and sequences that connect the central area to the suburban centres.
°
the predominantly publicly owned space of the central area of the city.
°
a series of initiatives to realise these including one suburban centre as an example of
an approach to environmental improvement to be progressively applied to other
suburban centres.
The Conceptual Basis for the Strategy
The conceptual basis for the Urban Design Strategy is set out in three parts:
Part One : The Principles
This involves four structuring principles :
(1) The Open System
The city is an ever-changing environment. These changes are not exclusively physical,
although they will often take on some form of physical expression. They may also involve
shifts in social patterns or changes in the city's local economies.
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These changes may be subtle or obvious, small or large, progressive and incremental or
instant and all encompassing. Usually change involves some mix of social, economic and
physical characteristics with triggers, or starting points in each of these areas.
Any urban design strategy must accept this as a basic circumstance of the city to which it
must respond.
Effective policies, or programmes for action are more likely to succeed if they accurately
reflect the nature, character and circumstances of the situation or entity they wish to
influence.
The city is best described as an "open system". Any effective urban design strategy
should reflect this quality.
The strategy addresses this through its structure and its recommended course of action.
The Framework Plan identifies those elements of the city's structure and its working
image which provide a stable, easily recognised skeleton of connection and place around
which change can occur.
The Initiatives are examples of an on-going, and continually re-assessed, programme
for taking advantage of opportunities as they occur:
°
to better define elements of the Framework Plan, and
°
to add meat to its bones through action that animates certain aspects of safe and
enjoyable city life, the connections between them and the places where they occur.
The opportunities for successful intervention to realise or improve a city environment for
those who use it keep occurring indefinitely.
Any proposal for public action to improve some aspect of this public environment - a
connection, a place, or the clarity of a piece of city structure - will not be a one-off
exercise.
There will always be opportunities for a different approach to a situation.
This is the nature of an open system and the purpose of the initiatives.
(2) Centrality
The centre of a city involves the geographical concentration of its principal public and
private institutions, its service infrastructure, its economy and its social life. It is often a
major destination, or a point of arrival for visitors to the city, and is usually well
connected to its wider setting of suburbs and hinterland.
The idea and experience of the centre has particular potency as it is shared, in varying
degree, by all of a city's inhabitants. It has the capacity to draw together and represent a
city's public life in some of its most populous and intense forms.
The physical location of a city centre may shift from time to time, although these shifts
are usually ones of focus within a stable area, rather than a complete relocation of the
centre from one part of the city to another. As such, a city centre is often imbued with
some tangible evidence of the city's origins, and its historical development.
While the idea and reality of the centre is particularly important for the city as a whole,
there are also equally important local versions of centre attached to each of its districts
and suburban areas.
City centres are very vulnerable to change - physical, social and economic. The strength
and clarity of a city's centre remains a tangible measure of its health. The appearance
and use of its public environment has a major part to play in the quality of this self
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image, and requires the development of carefully conceived policies of management and
physical improvement.
Wellington's central area involves all of these issues in a particularly concentrated form -
both physically, and by virtue of its role as the nation's capital.
For these reasons the strategy concentrates on Wellington's central area, and that of one
of its suburbs. It considers the connections between the centre and its outlying areas,
and between it and the outside world. Both concentrations on "centre" have similar intent
- the definition of the centre as a place shared by a great many people, the quality of its
public environment, and the opportunities for intervention to improve or enhance those
qualities for its users.
(3) Pedestrian Balance
The city's public environment is experienced at its most intense on foot or by bicycle.
The progressive impact of the car on the city, has been so dramatic over the last eighty
years that the management and design of the city environments have often developed a
built-in bias towards the ease and priority of vehicle-oriented travel and amenity.
While walking can still account for half of all journeys made within an urban area, the fit
between the walking environment - its ease, associated perceptions and pleasures - and
the way the city assists these, often lags behind the amenity levels provided for those
who move by vehicle.
Redress, where it has occurred, has taken a number of typical forms: the segregation of
pedestrians and vehicles through the creation of pedestrian only areas; the increase in
space provided for pedestrian movement in city streets; and the adaption of various
traffic control systems to make provision for pedestrians to cross major traffic flows.
While these measures may go some way towards improving substandard pedestrian
environments, changing the balance of approach in the pedestrian's favour is more a
matter of changing traditional attitudes and priorities.
The Urban Design Strategy takes as its starting point the quality of the pedestrian
environment as first and foremost an issue of pedestrian perception and experience.
This is a necessary assumption to balance the traditional starting point of vehicle based
perspectives on environmental improvement.
From a pedestrian centred point of view, streets are regarded as public spaces in their
own right with their own street culture and pedestrian-based criteria for their success as
elements of a responsive public environment.
This is a somewhat more comprehensive view than the assessment of streets as
primarily efficient systems of movement for goods, services and people.
(4) Optimising Potential
Cities are tightly knit networks of influence and response. No matter how small, change
in one part of the city will have its inevitable flow-on effects in others.
A policy or programme for improving various aspects of a city's public environment will
create its own ripples and potentials.
While a particular public intervention may have a primary objective, attention should
always be paid to the opportunities it may create for further successful action.
This is the principle of making every public asset - a building, a place, a connection, an
event, people or a process - work as hard as it possibly can in the interests of making a
better public environment.
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The initiatives of the Urban Design Strategy have been developed with this attitude in
mind. An example of this is the improvement proposals for the Lombard Street Parking
Building initiative. Improvement to personal safety in the city was the starting point for
this proposal, This improvement had catalyst effects - a safe parking building when
teamed with a possible through route to the Civic Square, could create a series of well-
used public places with attendant ground floor retailing.
The proposals to create a new public space between Parliament Hill and the Waterfront at
Waterloo Quay and a bus-rail interchange along the west side of Wellington Railway
Station would have similar effects. This proposal would considerably strengthen the
possibility for another very attractive heritage and tourism objective - the recovery and
refurbishment of the Railway Station itself as the city's major transport terminus. This
would combine its original concourse spaces with possible hotel, office, apartment,
retailing or tourist uses in tandem with a link across Waterloo Quay to a new Fast Ferry
terminal for the Cook Strait service at, or near, Glasgow Wharf.
Part Two : City Qualities
This involves seven qualities of a good public environment. These are drawn from
established bodies of urban design theory and research into the relationship between
people and place :
(1) Fit
The match between the physical form and capacity of a public place and the pattern and
variety of action that people want to engage in. It involves the degree that different
people can use a public place for different purposes and are made aware of the choices
available to them through the appearance of the place.
(e.g. Civic Square - City Stage Initiative)
(2) Structure and Orientation
The visual clarity of a city's structure, the layout and form of its public environments, and
the activities they contain. It involves the knowledge of how places fit together and one's
relative location within the overall structure of the city.
(e.g. The Golden Mile and City Waterfront Boundary Road Initiatives)
(3) Place Character
The extent to which people can recognise, or recall, one part of the city's public
environment, and the events and activities associated with it, as distinct from its other
parts. It involves qualities of shape, appearance and use which set one city district apart
from another.
(e.g. MONZ and Newlands Shopping Centre Initiatives)
(4) Access and Connections
The ability to reach other places, people, activities, resources, services and information in
a relatively direct and unencumbered manner. It involves making available a choice of
connections and avoids isolating any part of the city through physical inaccessibility.br>
(e.g. Marion Street and Lombard Parking Building Initiatives)
(5) Sense
The extent to which the city's public environments actually engage people's senses of
sight, touch, smell, hearing and motion.br> (e.g. City Events and City Entry -
Kaiwharawhara Initiatives)
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(6) Variety
The diverse range of uses and experience made available to people within the city's
public environment.br> (e.g. Public Furniture and City Detail and National Mutual Arcade
Initiatives)
(7) Continuity
The city qualities that allow its inhabitants to locate themselves in time and place, by
ensuring that the history of the origins, growth and change of the city are given a
cohesive and tangible presence within the city's public environment.
(e.g. Parliament/Harbour Link and Mainstreet Programme Initiatives)
Part Three : The Framework Plan
The concept of The Framework Plan, draws on these qualities and principles to identify
the essential structure and image of the city.
It has three sections:
°
Wellington in its Regional Context.
°
Central City Connections to the Suburbs.
°
The Central City Framework.
The Framework Plan reveals the skeleton on which the city is built. It includes the
connections, the places and features that are familiar to many and which generally define
the overall physical character of the city.
The elements of the Framework Plan should be well known, indisputable and concrete.
While, in the longer term, changes may occur which will influence the framework, these
should do so only to the extent that they strengthen and enhance it, or, at the very least,
not detract from its integrity.
The framework should remain stable.
Wellington in its Regional Context
Wellington, at the bottom of the North Island and sheltered from the elements of Cook
Strait, is characterised by its location at the harbour's edge and it's surrounding hills. It is
an important place, not only as the countries capital city and its regional government
centre, but as the hub of the region. It is the major point of arrival at or departure from
the region and as the prime retail, employment, residential and recreational centre.
By virtue of being the capital city Wellington has links with the rest of New Zealand due
to it housing the headquarters of many national and international businesses, whose
employees often visit. It is also becoming a tourist destination for overseas visitors. Its
physical connections to the region and the rest of the country are by a network of entries
and gateways.
By Road Rail
Ngauranga
From the north west, and the Kapiti Coast, the vehicular entry down the Ngauranga
Gorge, or via the Tawa rail tunnel, is marked by a grand opening of the hills to the
harbour. The continuing entry into the city is shared by the entry from the north along
the harbour front.
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Hutt Valley
Coming from the Wairarapa and the Hutt Valley the entry to Wellington follows the edge
of the harbour merging with the road/rail entries from the northwest. Entering the city
along either Aotea Quay, Molesworth Street or Thorndon Quay there is a "gateway" at
the Railway Station which announces arrival in the city. Entering via the motorway the
egress from the Terrace tunnel provides another "gateway".
By Sea
Entering the city by sea, by scheduled ferries, can mean being delivered to different
gateways. Coming from Cook Strait it is likely the entry will be from the Cook Strait Ferry
Terminal at Aotea Quay - on the edge of a major transport zone and involving a further
journey along Aotea Quay before arriving in the city at the Railway Station. Entering from
Eastbourne across the harbour, passengers are delivered to the heart of the city at
Queens Wharf.
Overseas passengers may be welcomed to the city at the Overseas Passenger Terminal -
an underused and somewhat less than grand facility.
By Air
Arrival by air, from both north and south, provides a dramatic entry over and to the city.
The continuing journey by road into the city can be by alternative routes, although both
travel along Cobham Drive, an uninspiring landscape at the head of Evans Bay. The
inland choice involves entering via the tunnel, an understated landmark, which frames a
view of the Carillon and museum upon exit. The coastal route is a drive weaving around
the bays to Oriental Bay and gradually entering the city with spectacular views across the
harbour to the city.
All Wellington's landbased entrances and gateways need enhancing to heighten the
experience of entering Wellington. At present, the entry from all directions in
underplayed, and gateways do not take up the opportunity to announce arrival to the
city. The temporary "dressing" of the tunnel during the last Arts Festival demonstrated
what could be achieved in creating gateways to the city.
Central City Connections to the Suburbs
The central city's connections with its suburbs are many and varied, they do however fall
into certain geographical grouping: north, south, east and west and these in turn reveal
certain aspects of the suburbs themselves.
The starting point should be the early occupation of the area as this has a bearing on the
eventual development of the city suburbs. Early Maori settlement shows one of the first
connections, the Owhariu - Thorndon Track, which meandered through valley floors and
moved around hills and across ridges between the Makara and Thorndon areas. This
track forms the basis of most of the connections between the present suburbs. The only
real changes to this format have been the introduction of large earthmoving equipment
which enabled the construction of various tunnels around the city, Centennial Highway,
Ngauranga Gorge and the motorway north on State Highway One. This has made it
possible for us to create our own routes around what used to be unsurmountable
obstacles.
Initially many fairly isolated communities developed around the existing coastline and
gradually these have been connected as the need for development increased and
technological means for this became available.
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Southern Suburbs
Moving from the city's central area through the valley between the hills south from Mt
Victoria and Mount Cook the connection to Newtown is formed, this leads through
Berhampore, and on to link with the settlement of Island Bay. From here a shoreline
route connects to Owhiro Bay to the west and to Houghton and Lyall Bays to the east.
From the central city, rising up through Brooklyn a choice of valleys offers connections
through Mornington and along a ridge to Kingston, or down Happy and Owhiro Valley's to
Owhiro Bay and from there along the coast to Island Bay. From the Kingston ridge the
road dips into a neighbouring valley and on towards Vogeltown and Berhampore.
Eastern Suburbs
From the central city, over the Mt Victoria ridge to the east, at its lowest point, south
along Riddiford Street and east along Constable Street to the flatter areas of Hataitai and
Kilbirnie. Further south another route runs through Melrose and down to Kilbirnie and
south to Lyall Bay. From Kilbirnie the route east moves across the flats, around what was
once a knoll and is now the airport runway, to the flats of the Miramar Peninsular. Today
the route takes a more direct line through a cutting in the Miramar ridge and on to
Miramar. From here the route runs over the hill, or through the Seatoun tunnel to
Seatoun. Another coastal route from the city runs around Oriental Parade through to
Evans Bay or around the Miramar peninsular to Seatoun, then on through a cutting to
Breaker Bay, and via Palmer Head to Lyall Bay.
Western Suburbs
This route runs from the central city up into the Thorndon valley and then south along
Tinakori Road and Glenmore Street. From here the road winds its way by many different
routes to Northland. Another major route moves from the central city via the Terrace, up
Salamanca Road and Kelburn Parade to Kelburn. A further route runs via Willis Street
and the Aro Valley Through Raroa to Kelburn. The various areas known as the western
suburbs are interconnected by many routes that wind their way around the hills and
ridges that enclose them. From Kelburn and Northland the road winds its way to the
Karori valley and over the hills to Makara, a rather different route from that taken by the
original Maori route to the west coast. Moving northwards from Northland via a series of
routes along valley floors and hillsides towards Wilton and Wadestown at the back of the
Tinakori Hill. The cycle is completed with a return through Thorndon back towards the
City Centre.
Northern Suburbs
Moving from the Central City north, along the old shoreline from Thorndon to Ngaio
gorge, or further north to Onslow Road (or by the back route from Wadestown) the
connection to the northern suburbs wind over ridges and along valley floors. From here
movement is north along the Ngaio and Khandallah valley past Ngaio, Khandallah and
Broadmeadows and on towards Johnsonville, Newlands and Paparangi. This is the
modern route to the northern suburbs. The old stock route is still visible up through
Ngauranga Gorge. From Johnsonville it is possible to move west via Ohariu Valley and
Takarau Gorge to Makara, and to the east to Newlands, Paparangi and Grenada Village.
North of Johnsonville another valley road connects to Tawa and the Porirua Basin. This
route passes by the new suburb of Churton Park. These older routes have for traffic
purposes been superseded by a new, parallel route made up of Centennial Highway and
the motorway past Tawa and on to The Kapiti Coast and beyond.
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The Central City Framework
This section of the framework concentrates on the connections, structure and image of
the city's central area. It forms the basis for most of the initiatives that follow. All the
proposals they contain for the central city's public environment are set within its context,
and should contribute to its enhancement.
The Central City Framework is composed of a number of features:
Lines of Movement
The Quays
Aotea, Waterloo, Customhouse, Thorndon and Jervois, but excluding Lambton (Lambton
Quay has a different character now having been removed from the waterfront). These
roads (including Cable and Wakefield Streets) provide main entries and exits to, from
and through the city. They provide the opportunities to register 'entry' and 'exits' to the
city and are daily reminders of the city's relationship to the harbour as they follow along
the previous and existing shorelines and provide a tangible history of the various
reclamations that have created the city as the shoreline was pushed further seaward.
The Golden Mile
While marking the original shoreline, the Golden Mile has developed a different character
from the Quays which form the major entrance/exists to and from the city. It is the
backbone of the framework and is recognised as the spine of the central city. Along it are
located the commercial, retail and entertainment centres of the central area, and
provides the main links with other parts of the inner city. As a physical concept it
requires strengthening as it still appears as more of a series of separate places rather
than a continuum, made up of Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Manners Street and
Courtenay Place.
Kent & Cambridge Terraces
This potentially striking double boulevard was originally constructed to form a pair of
canals to lead to a careening basin at the Basin Reserve. An earthquake early in the city's
history lifted the land so that today the double avenue and the basin roundabout provide
a major north/south access from the central city to its southern and eastern suburb. It
also forms an important gateway when entering the city from the south or east. In
summary, they form a significant line of traffic movement. The potential grandeur, and
harbour view, has been largely unrecognised, and the vista potential destroyed with the
construction of a new supermarket.
The Terrace
The original steep cliff face provides a western edge to the heart of the city. It was a
major residential street and the location of the 1960's office development boom with the
city's second phase of high rise buildings along it, further emphasising its topography. It
is strongly linked to Lambton Quay with adequate but sometimes uninspiring links
between the different levels.
The Motorway
While of little meaning to pedestrian's knowledge of the city it provides the main fast
vehicle route into, out of and through the city. It nevertheless forms part of the
framework as it forms a well-known and strong physical edge along the western edges of
the central city. Its incompleteness as a by-pass is evidenced in an often unrecognised
swathe of land on the Te Aro flat designated for a possible extension.
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While not an important part of the framework, this strip of currently blighted land is a
feature of the southern edge of the central city. Should it be built on, it would
undoubtedly be a continuation of this line of movement as an edge to the city.
Landmarks
The city's landmarks provide physical points of reference and places to meet, and are
located throughout the city. They are easily identifiable - by virtue of height or location
within the overall landscape of the central city.
Railway Station
A large heritage building set in a prominent physical position and in isolation from other
surrounding buildings, it marks a gateway to and from the central city at the northern
end.
Parliament Buildings
Its situation is on a promontory, set in park like surroundings and with stature because
of its size, its architectural composition and its national role.
The Carillon
The city's most significant war memorial, it is also situated on a promontory shared by
the National Museum and Art Gallery. By size, history and location it forms a prominent
landmark in the southern part of the central city.
Overseas Terminal
Whilst regarded as underutilised in terms of use, it plays an important visual part in the
shape of the inner harbour in the inner harbour, jutting out into Oriental Bay and
Lambton Harbour.
St Gerards Monastery
Sitting high above Oriental Bay, this physically prominent building features strongly in
Wellington's central city landscape. It is often the subject of pictures and postcards of
Wellington from many vantage points. Views of it are protected through the District Plan
because of its landmark qualities.
Places
Stewart Dawson's Corner
This corner along the Golden Mile is well known as a meeting place and a junction
between Lambton Quay and Willis Street. While Stewart Dawson's the jeweller has long
been located here the corner shares its recognition with the BNZ - both old and new.
Civic Square
Previously the location of disconnected civic buildings, the Civic Square has succeeded in
connecting these buildings to form a central place which now provides a civic identity for
the city, in addition to being the central city's most significant public space.
Parliament
This area identifies the city as the capital of New Zealand comprising as it does, the
landmark building, the grounds, connected buildings such as The General Assembly
Library, the Government Centre and the new Law Library in the historic former
Government Building.
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Inner Harbour
This is a fundamental part of Wellington's character and landscape, with Wellington well
recognised as a harbour city. Connections to the city need enhancement to fully
recognise this relationship.
Basin Reserve
Strategically located at the end of the Kent/Cambridge Boulevard, the Basin forms the
centre of a major traffic roundabout. Its major role is as a sports ground.
Edges
The edges of the framework and the central city are formed mainly by the hills enclosing
and naturally forming the basin of the city. Tinakori Hills, The Terrace, Webb Street, Mt
Victoria and a multi-use border where land meets sea.
Areas
Between the skeletal form of the city there are areas that form the flesh and body of the
city. They are in some cases easily recognisable, and in others, characteristics less well
defined. All have different characters and functions and are connected by various parts of
the skeleton or framework.
Te Aro
Between Kent and Cambridge Terraces and Taranaki Street - previously an industrial
area now more predominately service and commercial with the recent addition of some
apartments, this is part of the low city/big street grid pattern with low buildings and large
spaces. The area is generally most busy during the working day and week.
Cuba Precinct
With Cuba Street the centre, this area extends from the fringes of Te Aro over to Victoria
Street. It is an old part of the city with small businesses and many of the city's heritage
buildings, predominantly small scale and part of the low city/big street grid pattern. The
area contains both residential and a number of restaurants is reasonably active
throughout the day, evening and weekends, being relatively self contained.
Civic
An area which has undergone substantial change recently, with the completion of the
Civic Square and associated buildings. The Art Gallery, Library, Civic Administration
Building, Wellington Festival and Convention Centre as well as the Capital Discovery
Place and the City to Sea Bridge. An underused and disorganised set of amenities which
would benefit from a joint plan of action to extend the usage of all the facilities.
Willis Street
A bit of a mixed bag, this area has numerous sections of different character connecting
with Lambton Quay in the south to the Aro Valley in the north. The Majestic Centre is a
recent addition and further apartment and other accommodation have been mooted. The
developing nightlife scene could extend the daytime evening and weekend use of the
area.
Courtenay Precinct
The entertainment centre of the city is now more vibrant at night than during the day.
This area links with Te Aro, Cuba Precinct and potentially the Harbour. Streets running
from Courtenay Place to the harbour need strengthening through Cable and Wakefield
Streets to realise necessary pedestrian connections and maximise its proximity to the
harbour. The area is well used at all times throughout the week.
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Cable/Wakefield
This no-man's-land is in a state of change with the Museum of New Zealand construction
but with little other connected development or space. It is divided from the city by the
one-way system of Cable and Wakefield Streets. The area is currently underutilised,
however with the proposed improvements to Blair and Allen Streets, the possibility of
retail development associated with the Chaffers Beach Residential Area and the current
supermarket development, the area is expected to undergo a change of usage in future.
Waterfront
This rapidly growing part of the city which contains the Lambton Harbour Development
has a vast potential for visitors to the city. It encompasses to a greater extent the inner
harbour, a place of recreation and events such as the annual dragon boat races. The
lagoon and Frank Kitts Park complex provides another event location. Further north are
two restaurants with a leisure centre and food hall planned for the near future. The
existing wharf buildings and the Glasgow Wharf are available for further development. At
the southern end there is further development potential west of Taranaki Street wharf,
further east is the Circa Theatre site, the Museum of New Zealand and the proposed
Chaffers Beach residential area. It is certain that the areas currently being used for
leisure at weekends, will with time be used at all times.
Lambton Precinct
Located around Lambton Quay, this area is characterised by its tall buildings and the
small grid pattern of the streets. In the commercial centre of the city, there is little
opportunity (unlike Te Aro) for achieving public open space. The city blocks of this district
contain buildings usually built boundary to boundary. The area is predominately used as
lunchtime shopping and there is little use outside normal retail hours.
Parliament / Molesworth
The area is predominantly covered by Government, Government Agency buildings or
those businesses servicing them. It has become somewhat separated from the rest of the
central city by being selfcontained and apart from civic use the area only functions during
office hours.
Hobson
An area almost divided into two by Molesworth Street but containing a number of schools
and colleges, a number of ecclesiastic centres and a substantial number of large
residential premises. The area functions mainly as a residential area.
Port/Railways area
Another no-man's-land with potential as a gateway to the city and possible location of a
sports stadium. With the rationalising of rail and port operations, the potential exists to
apply a physical structure to this land around which this area could develop. The area has
little activity outside business hours.
Open Space
Wellington City's setting is by world standards considered very beautiful. Its beauty and
character are derived to a large extent from its landscape setting. The city is clearly
defined by a containment of steep bush clad hills creating a layered amphitheatre with
the town belt along and below the ridgelines giving way to residential suburbs, the
Central Business District and finally opening out to the harbour.
The open space qualities of Wellington are important components of Wellington's visual
character.
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The most dominant open space features from within and outside the city are the town
belt and the inner harbour, both important
features in the physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing of the citizens of
Wellington.
Within this greater space sits the city which contains several types of open space - the
traditional urban park (Midland, Te Aro Parks), the Civic Square, the transportation
network (pedestrian and vehicular), the lost spaces (Marion Street, Wakefield Street
carparks), the leftover spaces (forecourts) and the harbour area (pavement and water).
These open spaces lack any cohesion, pattern or direction. Apart from Midland Park the
central city has not gained any permanent open spaces (along the main pedestrian
networks) in the past 30 years.
Whilst the Civic Square was developed to give Wellington a central focus it is presently
perceived as a large forecourt for the adjacent buildings. This attitude will change over
time with regular programmed events attracting a broad public mix.
Most of the urban parks lie along or are adjacent to the Golden Mile. These include the
Railway Station forecourt, Justice Park (temporary) Midland Park, Umbrella Park
(temporary) Te Aro Park. The only other open spaces of this type are Glover Park,
Cobblestone Park, Bolton Memorial Park, Frank Kitts Park and Chaffers (temporary) Park,
all peripheral to the central city. The city has recently lost one of its most popular
temporary parks: the Beach park on Panama Street and will soon loose the Umbrella
Park.
The widening of footpaths whilst improving the visual streetscape and providing greater
comfort for pedestrian circulation does not go far enough in providing the city with
quality open spaces. Public open space requires clearer definition and often a much
clearer delineation.
Recent redevelopment of Wellington's urban areas has seen commercial interests control
and influence the development of essentially private forecourt/street frontage spaces
contributing very little to the social life, health and vitality of our city and loosing the
opportunity of creating a useful and meaningful public open space pattern.
Open space must be seen and experienced as an integral part of the urban pattern and it
should be a determinant in the planning and form of the city. Urban landscapes have
traditionally been relegated to the secondary focus of built environments. Designers
typically first locate buildings, parking areas occasionally works of art and connect them
with roads and footpaths. Without a comprehensive open space plan that includes the
necessary framework and basis for achieving distinctive, quality public open spaces
Wellington will continue to inherit left over spaces.
Public spaces have the opportunity to give a city its special and identifiable character.
The often called for solution of planting trees along widened footpaths or left over spaces
is not enough, whilst the primary amenity level is high the question of what could be
achieved at a higher plateau is rarely posed. These spaces do not challenge our thinking
or create a sense of awe or special place unique to Wellington but merely regurgitates
another version of the tried and true. We should demand more. Wellington is desperately
deficient in such central city spaces.
A comprehensive open space plan/strategy is beyond the scope of this document
however various initiatives (partially) address open space qualities.
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Historical Character
The historical character of the city provides a layer of important information. The history
of a place provides a sense of belonging and continuity with the past and a direction for
the future. Its elements are sometimes visible and sometimes not, although their
presence is known and recognised. This is particularly the situation with sites of
significance to the Tangata Whenua.
All historical features are identified in the District Plan as having heritage significance and
are protected through mechanisms in the Resource Management Act 1991.
Areas
The Hills
The hills surrounding the City provide Wellington with its historical setting. They are
significant to the Tangata Whenua for the connection with the past and the significance
of specific sites - pa, gardens, urupa, walking tracks.
They provide the context and backdrop for the city and an understanding of the
settlement pattern. The enclosed nature of the city is one of its well recognised
characteristics. The resulting pattern of houses clinging to the hillsides is picture postcard
Wellington.
The Shoreline
The 1840 shoreline is still evident in places as city streets wind along the coastline. More
clearly, plaques have been put in place to mark the shoreline along the Golden Mile,
although this is not complete. The shoreline has significance for the Tangata Whenua,
being the site of stream outlets, cliff faces and connection with the sea.
Courtenay Place and Blair and Allen Streets
This area has a concentration of late 19th and early 20th century buildings predominantly
refurbished and being used for restaurants, theatres and apartments. Of considerable
historic value are Blair and Allen Streets which are a unique continuous collection of late
19th century warehouses.
Cuba Street
This area is similar in age to Courtenay Place and is the old retail area of the City. It is
now occupied by small businesses and retailing. It provides alternative retailing to
sophisticated Lambton Quay. The District Plan recognises the distinct character and
heritage qualities of the area by including it in Cuba Precinct with special provisions and
design controls to maintain and enhance these qualities.
Lambton Quay
While much of the historical character of this street has been lost, there are still a
number of the city's significant heritage buildings still standing - DIC (Harbour City
Centre), State Insurance, Public Trust, Prudential, Kirkaldies facade.
Wharves
Wellington as an operational port is part of its historical and present character. The
ribbon of Wharf sheds along the Quays has been substantially broken but remnants
remain. The remaining sheds are not generally used for port purposes.
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Inner City Suburbs
Thorndon, Mount Victoria, Hobson Street and area and Newtown are significant parts of
the history of growth in the City and the development of suburbs. Each has a distinct
character which residents and the council both seek to maintain and enhance.
Landmarks
Amongst the historically significant features of the City, there are some that stand out
because of their location and/or their outstanding connections with the past. They have
status as landmarks because of this and are referred to as reference points and
indisputable anchors of the City's history.
°
Parliament Buildings and surroundings
°
Railway Station
°
Old Wooden Government Building
°
Carillon, War Memorial, Museum Buildings
°
St Gerard's Monastery
°
Mount Victoria - Matairangi/Tangite Keo
Streets, Block Texture and City Form
Central City Streets
With the exception of Taranaki Street, the combined boulevard of Kent and Cambridge
Terrace, and the waterfront streets of Aotea, Waterloo, Customhouse and Jervois Quays
and Wakefield Street, Wellington's inner city streets are all relatively narrow; about 18 to
24 metres across from street frontage to street frontage.
This finely-grained texture of narrow streets does much to ensure the intimate, urban,
enclosed and generally pedestrian friendly nature of central Wellington.
Block Texture
The city blocks of the Central Area are of two general types:
(a) The Central Business District Blocks:
These blocks are compact in scale being almost fully built-up, with one or two tall
buildings covering a whole block. The blocks are relatively small in physical size, and are
delineated by a closely-packed grid pattern of relatively narrow streets.
This produces a city texture marked by many intersections and prominent corner sites,
with much visual incident from the frequent cross streets off the main lines of movement
along Featherston Street and Lambton and Customhouse Quays.
(b) The Te Aro Blocks:
By comparison, the Te Aro blocks are larger in size than those of the Central Business
District. They are also far less heavily built-up than their CBD counterparts. The buildings
are largely confined to block perimeters and to edges of lanes or culs de sac that partially
sub-divide the blocks.
While also a grid, the road pattern in the Te Aro area is set out at much wider spacings
than in the CBD.
As noted above, this less intensive building development of these blocks is further sub-
divided by the piecemeal development of lanes and culs de sac.
Page 16
Their potential as minor routes through the city is often frustrated by disconnections
which bring them up short of a full block-to-block connection.
Beyond the main routes and destinations of Cuba Street and Courtenay Place, the street
life in the Te Aro blocks is generally less intense than in the Central Business District.
This is partially explained by the smaller daytime population of the area. It is also
reflected in the relatively coarse-grained nature of the area, with fewer intersections and
corners; the usual place for social interchange The ground floor uses have very little to
stimulate the interest of passers by.
City Form
The overall physical setting of the central city is that of an amphitheatre. The central
area occupies the floor of this amphitheatre on a gently inclined plane of solid and
reclaimed land spread out around the central focus of the inner harbour.
On the basis of building height and development intensity, the general built form of this
central area can be divided into two parts:
(a) The High City
A well-defined and physically constrained core of high-rise buildings clustered along
Lower Willis and Manners Streets, Boulcott Street, The Terrace, Featherston Street and
Lambton and Customhouse Quays.
(b) The Low City
An area of generally low-rise buildings covering the balance of the Central Area, out to
the edge of the central city's surrounding hills.
The city's central business district has long been in the Lambton Quay vicinity. However
over the last 25 years there have been some changes in the spread and intensity of office
development south of Stewart Dawson's corner along Willis and Manners Streets.
Despite these modifications in the pattern and extent of High and Low cities, their
relative physical location within the central area is a stable one and is unlikely to change
significantly.
Concept and Programme - the relationship between action and
intent
The principles of the strategy, the qualities of the good public environment it pursues,
and the image and form of the city it promotes, are all statements of stable intent.
The third and fourth parts of the strategy - the initiatives and implementation - carry
these intentions forward into proposals for specific action, and for influencing all council
activities.
The initiatives are derived from opportunities for improving the city's public environment.
Some of these opportunities have been around for a long time, others are more recent.
The opportunities outlined in the strategy will be taken up over time.
The strategy is an open system subject to constant, and fluctuating change. - just like
the city. As such, it takes advantage of present and future opportunities in a reasoned
and related way. Its intention is to establish a "bottom line" of physical structure and
public experience for the city. It will amplify and enhance this "bottom line" over time as
it takes advantage of the city's changing, and often unpredictable circumstances.
The initiatives provide the programme and context for this to happen.
Page 17
They are not formal Council policy but represent key opportunities for improving the
City's public environment. Their implementation relies on further refinement and
development in consultation with relevant sections of Council and external interests.
Funding will be applied for through the Annual Plan process.
Implementation, Policies and Practices
Programme for Implementation for Initiatives
Some of the initiatives are already on the Capital Expenditure programme or are part of
other considerations:
°
The Courtenay Place section of the Golden Mile
°
Te Aro roading options
An implementation programme for the other initiatives follows:
°
Port/Railways Area - this is dependent on the overall planning of the stadium but
this is expected to be in the 94/95 year enabling early consideration of this initiative.
°
City/Waterfront Boundary Road - discussion regarding this initiative is already
underway and implementation should be targeted for the 95/96 year.
°
Public Transport Route - implementation should not be considered for some time
until the necessary changes identified in the initiative have occurred.
°
Golden Mile (long term) - dependent on implementation of the above two
initiatives.
°
Lambton Quay - planning in the 95/96 year for implementation in 96/97.
°
Parliament/Harbour Link - implementation of this ties in with development of a
new ferry terminal, the Bus/Rail Interchange, completion of the new Law School and
the Parliament Centre Bill. Planning and discussions can start anytime with the
parties involved and a working party could be established to progress the matter.
°
Kent/Cambridge Terraces - following implementation of Courtenay Place and
dependent on which roading option is selected (and constructed) for Te Aro.
°
Lombard Carparking Building - the time is right now for planning this initiative
because of adjacent property movements. Aim to seek funding in the 95/96 or 96/97
year.
°
National Mutual Arcade and Marion Street - investigations on these properties
can begin now. There has already been substantial planning on the Marion Street
proposal and Council needs to work with adjacent property owners and to pursue
purchase of Swan Lane.
°
MONZ - Planning of the spaces around MONZ and adjacent buildings is well
advanced and implementation is expected in 96/97.
°
Terrace Podiums - negotiations with property owners can begin following initial
brief development by the Urban Design Unit. While not a top priority, it ties in well
with Lambton Quay.
°
The Car Race - part of Port/Railways and City/Waterfront Boundary Road.
°
Mainstreet Programmes - on-going now but greater commitment needed
immediately.
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°
Public Furniture and City Detail - funding has been allocated in 94/95 year to
begin this but on-going financial commitment will be necessary.
°
City Events - should begin now with determining responsibilities.
°
Civic Circuit - largely dependent on the completion of MONZ.
°
City Square/City Stage - this should be implemented as soon as possible to
enhance use of the Square.
°
The Public Waterfront - the process for Council involvement should begin now.
°
Interpreting the City - could be implemented anytime.
°
Newlands - planning in 95/96 with implementation 96/97.
Incorporating Urban Design in Council Projects
While all the initiatives are important as projects in themselves, a large part of their
value lies in the lessons we learn from the strategies and in their implementation. From
this process a change in council policies is necessary if the practices used in
implementing the initiatives are to become a way of working and to achieve the kind of
city we want. Policies relate to both WHAT to do and HOW to do. That is, content and
process.
In order to deliver on the qualities that have been identified as contributing to the
achievement of an good city, the Council needs to adopt some modifications to the way it
currently works and the processes it employs.
Urban Design Criteria for the Project Management Process
Project Management Process
All council projects are subject to assessment in terms of objectives, costs and benefits.
In order to include urban design considerations in this process, the following criteria have
been adopted as part of the project management process and are part of consideration of
every project. While project managers should address these issues, consultation with the
Urban Design Unit is likely to be necessary to ensure a full understanding of the issues.
The degree of involvement by the Unit is addressed below.
Urban Design Criteria
i.
Who benefits from the project? This sort of question is not simply an urban
design question and will probably be dealt with in the general questioning of the
rationale for the project. It helps to know how the project came about and to
think about what the public benefit is. The answer to this question will also bring
out indirect benefits for nearby users, as well as the direct benefits. It should
show how the benefit has been established; who has been consulted to establish
this benefit; and also should demonstrate part of why the project has been
conceived in the first place.
ii.
What are the spin-off benefits of the project? This requires a good
understanding of other valuable public or private initiatives (physical, social and
economic) nearby which may be waiting in the wings, and which could be given
added impetus through the timing of this project. This also requires the
identification of the benefits which might accrue for existing activities and an
understanding of whether this project could be a catalyst for other actions.
Page 19
iii.
What is the impact of the project on the existing physical environment?
This calls for a description of the actual physical changes (drawings will be
essential) which will occur on the site as well as the impact these changes will
have on the surrounding properties, (eg. how pedestrian and vehicle movements
will change) and the visual impact from near and far. The Urban Design Unit can
assist with identifying these impacts.
iv.
How the impact of the project is appropriate to the character of the area?
This requires the description outlined in (iii) to be evaluated against the existing
character of the area. This character may have already been described in other
Council documents such as the Precinct studies and District Plan, or may require
advice from the UDU to establish.
The "character" of an area, as defined in the Precinct Plans refers to: "Those
qualities - social, cultural, physical and economic - that individually or collectively
distinguish it from its wider surroundings".
v.
Is the project on a site of significance to the tangata whenua? Wherever a
site of significance to the tangata whenua is affected by a project, visual
representation of the significance should be included in any works.
vi.
How does the project recognise the cultural identity of the area? This
question implies that this has been previously described. If this is not the case,
the appropriate advice from suitable sources will be required.
vii.
What measures have been taken to ensure all those affected by the
project will experience or perceive a safer environment? This covers all
aspects from the design of the layout to ensure potential secluded crime scenes
are not being created, to minimising the conflict between different users such as
pedestrians and vehicles, to the use of materials which provide surfaces
appropriate for their use in all conditions.
viii.
How does the project improve and/or extend public access (people and
vehicles)? Apart from the direct answer to this question, it also requires an
assessment of how any improvements may impact on the level of use adjacent
properties (public and private) may receive. If access is not an issue for this
project this will, of course, become obvious.
ix.
How will the project affect the way people use the spaces included in the
project? This needs an assessment of peoples' existing patterns of movement
and use and how these might change - for better or worse. If the latter, there will
need to be a proposal to counter any anticipated adverse effects. The advice of
the Urban Design Unit will be particularly required to assist with this assessment.
x.
What level of design quality does this project embody? This includes a
description of the involvement of new creative ideas and technologies to address
the design issues, and implies the involvement of appropriate design skill to
supply this need. It also requires a description of the quality of the detailing and
materials to respond to the brief.
xi.
Is it appropriate for the detail and materials to be consistent with other
projects in the city? This will require an understanding of how the Urban Design
Strategy is addressing the ideas of consistency and variety throughout the city.
The guidance of the Urban Design Unit will be required here.
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Making The Best Use of Council Resources
As evidenced by most of the Initiatives, in order to achieve satisfactory outcomes in
terms of achieving urban design aims, a co-operative approach is necessary between
Council Divisions. In most cases, implementing projects involves more than one division
and the need therefore exists to balance the objectives of each Division to ensure a
satisfactory outcome for the city. Certainly the criteria outlined above are a "catch-all",
for Council projects, but improving the way we work inter-divisionally, should address
these issues as a matter of course ensuring that all possible related matters have been
dealt with. This relies on the project manager involving all interested parties in a project
at the initial scoping stage and identifying relevant issues. This multi-disciplinary
approach to project management is used in some projects which retain the support and
ownership of the divisions involved. In other projects that do not take the same
approach, conflict interdivisionally has resulted and the outcome on the ground, has not
been satisfactory. The most commonly cited example of this is the demise of the
umbrella in Umbrella Park - its purpose as weather protection was made somewhat
redundant following kerb widening.
In working with outside agencies, the Council needs to look at how we can maximise the
opportunities available to us. By assessing where it may have some leverage in any
situation of negotiation, the Council has an opportunity to achieve more from its actions
than the direct outcome it is seeking. This can be in several ways:
Council as Catalyst
The Council can simply appeal to a party's self-interest. For example, in the Lombard
Carparking Initiative, one of Council's goals is to achieve a better connected and safer
piece of public space.
In order to achieve this it needs the cooperation of the other parties with property in the
immediate area. What they gain is access onto well designed public space which, in
giving them another frontage, enables them to maximise the exposure and access to
their businesses. It also gives them the opportunity to use the public space as an
extension of their business, particularly valuable where it is a cafe or restaurant where
the space can be used for outside seating. In this way of negotiating, Council needs the
co-operation of private land owners to achieve public goals and can offer better individual
conditions to them in exchange.
Seed Money
The Council can improve the public environment by helping "kick start" specific projects
that contribute to achieving public goals. For example, it offers and encourages owners of
earthquake risk and heritage buildings to accept seed money to strengthen and conserve
their buildings. It is not a significant contribution financially, in most cases, but is
frequently sufficient to start building owners considering this as an option at no initial
cost to them. Council achieves its heritage goals and incrementally changes attitudes to
heritage buildings and their re-use.
Land Swap.
Where there is a specific piece of land the Council doesn't own, but it needs in order to
achieve a particular public goal, it may consider swapping another piece of land that
meets the needs of the owner of the land it wants. It may even be of more value but the
Council may be prepared to accept this cost as a cost of achieving its goal. An example of
this is seen in the Lombard Carparking Building Initiative where the Council purchase of
the Umbrella Park site would facilitate the opening up of a public route through the area.
Page 21
Example
Council can lead by example and does so to a certain extent with the refurbishment of its
own heritage buildings. It has also led in urban design with the Civic Centre. In creating
this public space it has demonstrated its commitment to quality in design and materials
and illustrated the kind of city it wants. This shows a pride in the city that is
communicated to private developers with an expectation that the same quality is sought
in their developments.
Roles of Council Divisions
The strategies for implementing the Initiatives outline various roles for Council Divisions.
Drawing these together, the special skills available within divisions that contribute to
achieving urban design objectives can be seen. There are budgetary considerations that
will need to be addressed as part of adopting the strategy where there are financial
implications for divisions taking on additional work and new projects. Implications for
Council's Capital Expenditure programme are addressed below:
Capital Development Agency
CDA already operate in an entrepreneurial manner being responsible for Council's
property development. They have experience in negotiating deals and it is here that the
use of leverage can be best exercised. This division should be responsible for acting as
Council agent where Council is acting as a catalyst in achieving its goals. There is a need
for property development skills that go beyond consideration of the specific site and that
see the opportunities available in the area.
CDA is also responsible for the marketing of the city, and there are many opportunities in
the strategy to extend this work in collaboration with the Urban Design Unit.
Environment
The Environment Division has a role as regulator of development of private land to have
regard to the contribution private development makes to the public environment. It is
guided in this by the District Plan and design guidelines which address this issue. There
may be instances where the Urban Design Unit negotiates with developers of a large site
to achieve some public space and the regulatory arm must remain removed at this stage
in order to carry out its function fairly.
The Division also undertakes, through the District, the development of Precinct Plans for
parts of the City - these identify the special character of each area and make provision
for private development's impact on public space. This work is not complete and should
continue in liaison with the Urban Design Unit.
The Survey Department has an important role in advising on land ownership issues which
arise when liaising and negotiating with either be initiated by Cityworks where there is a
perceived need to improve an operational aspect of the street or by the Unit through an
opportunity to enhance the public environment.
Housing & Community Development
Working with communities more effectively so that they can achieve improvements in
their environment is an important part of improving the way we operate and in achieving
effective environmental improvements. There are some good examples of where Council
has worked well with communities in this regard, most recently, Blair & Allen Streets
Street improvements in these streets will be achieved in the 1994/95 financial year
following a year of community and Council working together to achieve improvements.
Mainstreet programmes are a similar instance where both parties benefit from early
consultation and cooperation. The community development skills available within this
Division could be applied to facilitating better community involvement in these projects.
Page 22
The Wellington Emergency Management Office (WEMO) has a role in advising and liaising
with the Unit on hazard mitigation and emergency management issues.
In the pre-event stage WEMO and the Unit must consider how urban design can enhance
disaster preparedness. Furthermore, the Unit must ensure that the urban design strategy
is not contributing to the hazardousness or vulnerability of the city.
WEMO can assist the Unit in identifying the opportunities and constraints that will arise in
the post-disaster restoration and redevelopment stages. In this way the principles of
emergency management and urban design can be integrated and mutually supportive.
Culture & Recreation
As major asset managers, Culture and Recreation play a significant role in the provision
and management of public space. How this is managed has significant implications for
urban design, and close liaison with the Unit is therefore important.
Improving Design in the City
Throughout the strategy there is a common thread of seeking to improve the quality of
design in the City in both public and private endeavours. Council has demonstrated its
commitment to achieving a high level of design in the City by the establishment of the
Urban Design Unit, by the inclusion of extensive design guidelines in the proposed
District Plan, and by the development of the Civic Centre and buildings, acclaimed as
achieving excellence in the design of public space and buildings. This was achieved by
bringing together a consortium of architects and designers to ensure a high level of
design.
Using design as a promotional device raises the level of interest and public expectation in
the design of the City. In particular, the design of public buildings should involve the
public, not least because it entails the expenditure of public funds and public use. In
order to promote good design, Council needs to take a leading role to demonstrate the
standards required of designers in the City.
This can be achieved in a number of ways from appointing a well respected designer to
design a public building or space, to running a design competition.
A design competition was used for the design of the new Museum of New Zealand for
these reasons, and Council has itself recognised the value of competitions when it ran the
Eco-house competition. This also demonstrated the educative role the process has in
raising the awareness of design and in this case, environmental issues in design.
Competitions or selection of designers can also be used to address the design of a part of
a project. For example, an artwork to be included as part of a building, or public space, a
structure to cover a public space or the design of public space within a larger project.
Clearly it would be inappropriate to use this approach for all Council work, particularly
where it involves alterations to existing buildings or spaces. However, it would also be
inappropriate to specify exactly (such as a dollar value) when a competition would be
most appropriate. The critical variable is the degree of public interest in the proposed
building or space, which can only be determined on a case by case basis at the Project
Brief stage of the Project Management Process. The extent of public interest can be
assessed at this early stage and the implications for the Project Management Process
addressed.
While the management of the project would be the Project Manager's responsibility, the
brief for the competition or selection process should be undertaken by the Urban Design
Unit as it is responsible for establishing the context for the design of public space. In
addition to the brief this includes organising and participating in the judging and retaining
an advisory role throughout the development of the project. Guidelines for running
Page 23
competitions - time, costs, prizes can also be drawn up based on available existing
competition guidelines.
There are currently or possibly several opportunities for achieving a high quality of
design of public space:-
1 The stadium and surrounding area.
2 New ferry terminal for the smaller alternative ferry.
3 Road/Rail Interchange.
While all of these involve public and private interests, the design of these facilities must
attract a high degree of public interest and involvement. The planning and
redevelopment of the Stadium and the new ferry service has already attracted wide
interest and the continued public enthusiasm for these projects should be encouraged.
Specific Areas of Design Improvement
The initiatives provide examples of particular situations where improvements to the
public environment can be achieved. Part of this is process, how the Council can achieve
this, and part of it is results. (what are the aspects of the development that need
addressing in order to deliver on the qualities that will provide for an enhanced public
environment).
Streets
Initiatives involving streets and the way we move around the city are based on improving
the environment for pedestrians and vehicles to make the total experience of using
streets safer and more enjoyable. Traffic management in the city has frequently resulted
in the creation of one-way systems or parts of streets one-way. This has the effect of re-
orienting people's perception of how they get around the city and altering the sequential
experience of city journeys. This deals with the in-and-outs of a route, arrivals, glimpses,
risings, fallings, turns and views, as approaches, progressions or foretellings of things to
come. A good example of this is the inability to drive along the Golden Mile - the
backbone of the city. The experience of driving along an original shoreline and the main
retail street of the city has been removed, and the sense of travelling from one end to
the other on a continuum has gone.
An urban design consideration in improving the street systems in the city is therefore to
enhance the sequential experience of city journeys in addition to improving safety and
accessibility for pedestrians and motorists.
Opportunity for mid-block space
Three initiatives - National Mutual Arcade, Marion Street, and the Lombard Street Parking
Building - demonstrate how to achieve mid-block public space.
The opportunity for achieving this sort of public space predominantly occurs in the "big
grid" part of the city - Te Aro. In this area the street pattern is such that there needs to
be access to the middle of the blocks for servicing and parking. In the small grid city
there is no room for mid-block space, and buildings are built boundary to boundary with
parking provided internally. While these 3 examples centre on Council owned properties
and demonstrate the process of Council acting as catalyst, the ability to achieve mid-
block space should also be exercised in any big site development. For example, when
development of the Wakefield Centre site occurs, the Urban Design Unit should liaise with
developers to enhance the quality of the development and the public environment by
seeking opportunities for public space.
Page 24
Design of carparking buildings
The Lombard Parking Building Initiative also demonstrates a way of designing carparking
buildings in the future, to improve safety and security for its users, and to improve
Council's economic return from the investment.
To achieve this, design of carparks should make provision for:
°
car related services at ground level that have a requirement for extended hours to
increase activity and light in the building;
°
open, light and visible lobbies and stairways with public toilets accessed from ground
level uses;
°
connections to adjacent buildings;
°
encouraging adjacent landowners to gain access from any potentially shared space,
and enhancing this as mid-block public space;
°
improved lighting, signposting;
°
promotional marketing of building, eg. special rates and conditions.
Design against crime
The District Plan refers developers to its Guidelines for Design Against Crime. Most of the
strategy's initiatives have implications for personal safety and security and the advice of
the Police and Crime Prevention Office should be sought in all redesign of public space.
Visual representation of Maori significance
On Council owned land, where there is a site of significance to the tangata whenua,
visual representation of the significance should be investigated. Consultation with the
tangata whenua will be necessary.
Public space between and around buildings
The MONZ initiative came about as individual buildings and development within a large
public area gave rise to the need to co-ordinate space between, to avoid disconnected
pockets of space or the creation of a no-man's land.
In another example of "lost space", the podiums on The Terrace towers created through
encouragement in the District Plan, have resulted in a series of disconnected and
underused space. There is potential to connect these spaces and encourage public use,
and this urban design consideration and approach can be applied in situations where
there is an opportunity to enhance this type of space. In addition, in anticipation of the
creation of such space, the principles outlined in these strategies should be applied to
avoid the creation of such space that requires reclaiming for public use at a later stage.
Celebrating the city
Every opportunity to celebrate and highlight the life of the city should be explored. The
Civic Circuit and Event initiatives are examples of ways of doing this - enhancing and
connecting existing attractions and creating new opportunities to celebrate the city.
Culturally it is not something that New Zealanders do particularly well, unless the
celebration is connected with a sporting event, but in terms of enhancing the qualities of
the city and raising awareness and pride in the city, Council should encourage more
promotion and celebration.
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City identity
As well as cementing the city's identity through celebration, the design of city furniture
and detail creates an identity for the city and with variation, identity of particular areas
within it. The opportunity to use city furniture and detail in all Council projects should be
taken. Private development should also be encouraged to incorporate it in the design of
its buildings.
Role of Urban Design Unit
In addition to adopting urban design objectives into the way we work, and physically
improving aspects of the built city, the city is always changing, and opportunities for
enhancing the public environment appearing. Council needs to be able to respond to
these opportunities in the context of the Framework Plan, and to be able to seek out new
opportunities for improving the quality of the public environment.
The urban design strategy cannot sit on a shelf and gather dust. While the process by
which Council operates may change through the Project Management Process and the
adoption of urban design criteria, implementing the initiatives and responding to and
seeking opportunities, requires an on-going commitment to urban design and
implementation of the strategy.
The role of an urban design unit will be the subject of debate, as there are several forms
it could take.
1 Production of the strategy and disbandment.
2 As part of a large group within Council. This is a strictly operational role with no
advisory capacity.
3 Advisory and policy development - advising Council divisions on urban design matters
through the Project Management Process, and encouraging implementation of the
strategy. No design capacity.
4 Advisory and policy development with some design capacity. Acting in an advisory
capacity as above but also leading by example and prototype in some situations.
Leading on implementation of some initiatives.
The successful on-going role of the Unit would involve a combination of policy
development, advice and some design capacity. The latter is important for illustrative
purposes, to develop prototypes and to demonstrate how urban design considerations
can be incorporated. Some of the initiatives are also most appropriately initiated by the
Unit as they deal directly with the design and co-ordination of public space. Some
research is also necessary, to expand and refine some of the strategy's assumptions.
This can be done by carrying out an image survey that provides City users' mental maps
of the City. This is particularly valuable for understanding how different groups use and
perceive the City.
There will also be a need to monitor the implementation of the strategy and to develop
new policy as different opportunities arise for enhancement of the public environment. In
terms of advice, there will be a need for working closely with other divisions where a
project has significant urban design implications, and in the early stages of adopting
urban design criteria into Council work practice.