WINTER 2016
11
STAGE 1 : AUCKLAND ’ S Wynyard Quarter begins to take shape . Everything seems to be just right : the design quality , the pedestrianisation , the water edges ; but , when compared to similar port conversions around the world , it ’ s quite obvious that Wynyard Quarter takes Auckland to where places such as Amsterdam were some 20 years ago . It is great in the New Zealand context but not really out there at world scale .
I miss a breeze of explorative courage . Everything has been played safely : trusted developers hiring hand-picked panel-architects , which together figure out what degree of modest novelty might be acceptable for our marketplace – assumed being conservative .
Nevertheless I ’ m sure Wynyard Quarter will be a huge success for the investors , buyers , and strolling Aucklanders , but will it still stir the blood of the next generation ? Does it respond to the demands of a swiftly changing planet or is it just pleasing our sense for contemporary urban décor ?
STAGE 2 : Since Ports of Auckland crashed with the arrogant attempt to reclaim half of the Waitemata Harbour , there is a constant undercurrent aiming for the relocation of port activities from Auckland altogether , except for a decent cruise terminal .
I think this suggested move of port functions to places with ample space — such as Whangerei and Tauranga — plus proper transport corridors needs a serious , unbiased , and transparent assessment through multi-disciplinary consultants independent from Auckland Council .
The time is ripe for leaving old-school parochialism behind ; cross-boundary planning is the call of today !
However , before the real estate industry keeps on applying the same old approach to this 77 hectares of prime land as well , there needs to be some deep thinking about the relevant parameters for this urban workbench of coming decades to get it right this time . The initiative Stop Stealing Our Harbour wants a “ globally iconic waterfront ”, which is well-meant yet only scratches the surface of the task .
STAGE 3 : Before developing a brief there should be a discourse about current planning tools in general . Do our methods align with city life in the progressing 21st century ? I don ’ t think so . They basically stem from the 1950s and fail to keep up even with today ’ s lifestyle .
One of my students mined social media data to find out how people actually use the city . Mapping the results ( illustration ) he documented that people ’ s behaviour is utmost fluid and unpredictable . Even during the course of a day there are various surges of motion across the city : grabbing a coffee , meetings , gym workouts , luncheons , shopping , home office , picking up the kids etc . Everyone is moving , yet our district plans cater for a nine-to-five lockdown of life . The only group interested in this is the real estate industry . Developers want “ planning security ”. The time to liberate our vivacity is now .
STAGE 4 : More homework for the next Auckland . Architects have to envisage new typologies for living nowness . A major challenge for a coastal site is the impact of climate change .
How will sea-level rise and storm surge affect the place ? How to transform former berths into resilient coastal landscapes ?
Also , will the complete port conversion signpost a change in Auckland ’ s growth pattern : turning inwardly instead of sprawling out ? Will we build as true custodians of nature or cling to the Green Building Council ’ s commercial occupation of sustainability ?
I ’ m sure Wynyard Quarter will be a huge success for investors , buyers , and strolling Aucklanders , but will it still stir the blood of the next generation ?
There are so many questions , and so many opportunities for Auckland to finally leave a dent in the urban universe . Given that we tend to talk for a decade or two before action is taken , there should be enough time to push the envelope .
And if the old boys won ’ t move , just go to Unity Books , buy Micah White ’ s “ The End of Protest ” and learn about new ways to enforce overdue change . �