Upgrades at Fort Street

As promised here are some photos of the street scape upgrades along Fort Street

 

                     Photo Cred: Hannah Good 2011

Schools Kill Creativity?

This video has been inspiring to me. Children truly are our future, and this talk has really captured our society today and highlights how we can change. Encouraging creativity through education can have major advantages for our future. Maybe that child who is opened up to his talents in painting will be inspired to make a living out of it - instead of feeling like he has no purpose in life and turning to a negative pathway of life?

I think this video helps to highlight the fact that we can work on community development, we can work on our economy, we can work on our environment, but to suppress our future leaders of their creative opportunities is criminal. We do not know what our future holds, so we have no right to dictate out children's lives and prepare them for a future which we are not even sure of ourselves.

A lasting thought... “Above all, we are coming to understand that the arts incarnate the creativity of a free people. When the creative impulse cannot flourish, when it cannot freely select its methods and objects, when it is deprived of spontaneity, then society severs” John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Civilisation Starter Kit?

I came across this video from TED Talks about DIY machines. New Zealand as an agricultural country could benefit from this a lot I think

Please post with any ideas on this remarkable technology

Go You Good Thing!

Auckland has yet again played the right cards.

In the past, connectedness in the city has been some what of a fail. Our once continuous harbour side was chopped up and built to provide ship access during the America's Cup rage. Sometime during this re-development, we lost site of our most important asset - People.

Now, this asset has once again been realised, and with the formation of "Waterfront Auckland", the city has once again become more connected.

The development I speak of is the new Wynyard Crossing in Auckland Viaduct.

                   Photo Cred: Waterfront Auckland 2011

The crossing (shown above) now allows pedestrian and cycle access from Wynyard Quarter to the heart of the Viaduct Basin. This is such a big advantage as now there are direct routes from both those areas to the main city street. With the future redevelopment of the Auckland Waterfront this connection will be a huge part of its success. Auckland wants to market themselves to tourists, then making its most important feature accessible, straight forward, and eye catching will be a huge attraction to future tourists.

Key Facts

•    Bridge length 100m
•    Bridge width 5m
•    Bridge weight
•    Bridge construction cost $2.8m
•    Bridge time to build 6 months
•    Bridge materials mainly structural steel
•    24 hour Bridge Operation: Time to open 1.5 minutes and 1 minute to shut

I will add further real life photos of this and other developments as they occur. Currently this bridge is still under construction but the deadline is very soon.

To read more information on this bridge follow this link: http://www.waterfrontauckland.co.nz/News/Waterfront-News/Our-Bridge-Is-Up.aspx

Auckland You Beauty You!

Finally Auckland has done something for the pedestrian!!

I stumbled across another Herald article today which made me SO happy. There is finally going to be a ton of redevelopment which focuses on making streets more pedestrian friendly. These changes will be managed by the Auckland Councils' Senior Urban Designer - Ludo Campbell

Redevelopments include Queen Street (Going from a 4 lane highway to a 2 lane highway with wide footpaths) and Aotea Square which has been fully redeveloped into an iconic open space in the heart of the city.
Other small developments which I have noticed from my wanderings in town include new paving along Fort street. This whole area is insanely busy during the night so not only is this area more aesthetically pleasing, it is also far safer for the large number of crowds that walk it.

I will update this blog with photos of streets that have been repaved later this week as I cannot get to them at this point in time. 

These redevelopments have said to have gone underway due to the vision for Auckland City to be a World Class City. They are not wrong. Comparing Auckland to cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver, Paris, London and New York might be a stretch, but it is important to look at what those cities do well - and duplicate it. I sadly must report I have not been to any of these cities, but from what I know, these places are very pedestrian friendly in their main city centres.

To summarise, I wanted to give Auckland some praise for this brilliant step forward to being a World Class City. There is still a long way to go - especially with the World Cup coming up, but this, is definitely a great priority.

To read the article for yourself follow : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10730431

Under-used, Under-invested, Under-estimated

Open space really is the Beez Neez, Am I right?

How many people look at space and think "this is definitely open space right here"?

Too many people see the cement and the buildings and forget that open space can be found almost anywhere, you just need to look for it. In Auckland, there is actually a lot of potential for this change in attitude. Take a look at Britomart Square - Downtown.

                           Photo Cred: Google 2011

How many people looked at that space and envisioned a concert of epic proportions to be held there? Laneway in 2010 was the beginning -  I believe - to this change in attitude. If you were not there, then words will not do it justice, but the music, the setting, and the environment was life changing. Just because it has a cement carpet does not mean it is not open space.

                         Photo Cred: Google 2010

Indie music is an expression of the creative soul, it was born in the back alley streets and garages of the most famous cities, where else would one express this as a culture? Downtown of course!

So far i have talked about music, but what about art? Follow this link to check out the video of Jun Arita and his art for Red Bull Stereopticon.
http://sideroom.com/magazine/2010/08/red-bull-stereopticon-auckland-video/

Jun Arita's art was displayed on an overhead projector for all the public to see in the very same square. This highlights how spaces can be used for different avenues of creativity. It would not have been the same without the downtown-esc backdrop.

Let us move to Aotea Square. This is another prime example of an open space with a cement carpet. Although Aotea will take the cake for being a larger permanent open space. This is another opportunity where the creative mind can be displayed. Since its redevelopment, Aotea square has hosted Laneway 2011, The Arts and Crafts Market, Cultural Festivals, Art Festivals and more!..

                         Photo Cred: Google 2011

I wish to make it clear that open space can be found in many different forms, before I did planning, I did not see it this way. I figured "if it doesn't have trees or grass - it ain't public space".. Oh how wrong I was. From only these two examples you can see what I'm talking about! My challenge for all my blog followers is to find a unique open space in and around Auckland City, snap a few shots of it, and post it here. It's time to get these places out there for all to enjoy!

Its All the Rage

A recent Herald article about teen drinking caught my eye, and too put it bluntly.. I was horrified!!!
The article states that:

"Children as young as nine are among hundreds of people under 16 being treated by specialist clinics for alcoholics and drug addicts in greater Auckland"

What has caused this horrific trend?

According to Catherine Spooner of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre in Australia one of the causes of alcohol abuse in young people is there attitude. She states that a low sense of social responsibility, high tolerance of deviance and lack of sufficient ties to community groups such as family, school and churches can seriously affect adolescents attitudes. So what can we do?

I think - from a planning perspective - we have to look to community development and land use.


Community Development: If there is a lack of sense of community and place, then we are fighting an upwards battle. We need to create areas that focus on the demographic. We need to invest time and money into creating facilities that support young children such as youth groups, sports groups and the like. Children need a sense of social responsibility, without it they could turn to even worse things that acceptance through alcohol.
Broken families are often a major cause of adolescents rebelling - so focusing on strong family support groups is also something that can help the cause.

Land Use: Well according to a report by Robert Reynolds, Harold Holder and Paul Gruenewald of California Prevention Research Centre, alcohol availability in a community has a serious affect on the under age drinking trend. It has said that there is generally a better trend if alcohol retailers are further away from playgrounds and school facilities.

This is an example of land use planning in Bikenhead where there is serious fail

                  Photo Cred: Hannah Good 2011

As you can see the photo, there is an alcohol shop to the left directly across the road from Birkenhead primary school. To me this is a massive problem. Especially since the alcohol shop is open at 3pm when kids are let out of school.

Although this is just on example, mistakes like this can be the difference between an adolescent making a mistake and turning towards alcohol abuse, and a child growing up with a sense for social responsibility.

There is a lot more involved in this issue, but in my opinion, simple planning steps like land use and community development can play a huge role in a child's life.


To read more on the herald article follow this link: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10715367

To read more about common causes of alcohol abuse follow: http://informahealthcare.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/doi/pdf/10.1080/09595239996329
To read more on community development and land use measures follow: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/doi/10.1046/j.1360-0443.92.6s1.8.x/pdf

Lets get Topical

Just a small post today. So recently there have been alot of news reports on the protesting by Greenpeace on the deep sea oil exploration. After reading the article, there were various comments that struck a chord with me and I would like to share them with you and hear your throughts on the topic

                    Photo Credit: New Zealand Herald

"Environmental campaigners disrupting oil exploration off the East Cape are standing in the way of "better jobs and better incomes" for New Zealanders, says Prime Minister John Key" (John Key)

"I think that we should look at tapping our natural resources like coal, gas and oil in a way which minimises any damage to the enviroment (farming probably causes more enivornmental damage!). Althought oil exploration could create jobs on the rigs and associated jobs and industry on the mainland, how much of this new generated wealth will actually flow out of NZ" (User Comments)

"Why shouldn't the new oil be used to run our own cars and industry at cheaper prices rather than be sold on the international market where we have to compete in a spot price market. And will any compensation be given to the local iwi and local community" (User Comments)

"The value to NZ in this is very minimal short term gain. I note National have commented that the mining of this area is "worth the risk", most likely referring to BP's recent diaster in the US. Key has been told by Crosby Textor to use the line that they (Greenpeace) are standing in the way of jobs for New Zealanders. The group that Key is referring to is a very small number of job oppurtunities, who will be paid NZ rates, which according to English are 30% lower than Aussie and that's good for business.The real issue is a continual lack of NZ production and initiative by the Key Government to create production. Handing out an exploration licence for a minimal fee is lazy government. Giving away a precious resource to a foreign owned interest is criminal" (User Comments)

I personally believe we should be investing in more sustainable energy, what are your thoughts??

To read the full article and comments follow:
Debate: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10718567
Article about protesters and government: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10718679

Short Sited Auckland

Just like a person who cannot see into the distance, Auckland transport are not looking to the future in terms of population growth and what this means for our roads. As most of you have noticed, there are extensive construction works happening in the viaduct motorway in Auckland City. This project includes building a north bound tunnel with 3 lanes and then opening up ALL 4 viaduct lanes for south bound traffic (Auckland Motorways 2011). The tunnel will greatly improve the flow of traffic from both southbound and northbound directions during peak times.

               Proposed result (Auckland Motorway, 2011)

So what is wrong with this you ask?
Well, there are several things actually. By failing to invest in southbound tunnel which would enable a demolition of the viaduct overpass lanes, the following points show what is wrong with this.


1. Missed opportunities for enhancing the space in front of historic birdcage building which connects with Victoria Park market and Victoria Park. By not grasping this opportunity, we have yet again failed to improve the connections within Auckland City. 

2. Failure to provide infrastructure for future growth in Auckland. By 2030, the proposed population of Auckland is to be around 2 million. Auckland Motorways have stated that the reason they have not built a southbound tunnel at the same time as the current tunnel is because of funding. I know that I am speaking as an outsider, but to me, it makes a lot more sense to spend that much more today and have a job done that will inevitable need to be done in the future. If they had done it now, then they would have saved time and money that could be better spent on other sectors (such as the health sector) as the workers would already be digging up that area. Now, when this tunnel needs to be built, they will have to spend hard earned taxes on re-digging up the same area.


Now i must admit that another main reason for not building the southbound tunnel now is because they are looking to tie it in with the proposed harbour crossing. Although this looks great for the future, these investments needed to be made years ago. And surely they can still build the tunnel now and then tie it in with the new harbour crossing???

      Proposed Harbour Crossing (Auckland Motorway, 2011)

If you would like to read more on this project and the proposed harbour crossing then follow these links:
Victoria Park Tunnel: http://www.aucklandmotorways.co.nz/northern/victoriaviaduct.php
Auckland harbour Crossing: http://www.aucklandmotorways.co.nz/northern/ahc.php
What are your thoughts with this? I'm keen to hear.

Enough is Enough

How many of you have experienced the shock fear when a car speeds past you while on a quiet street or footpath, doesn't see you on the pedestrian crossing, or even runs a red while your waiting to cross?

It's safe to say that I think the majority of Aucklanders' have experienced this feeling. This my friend, is a serious planning issue that EVERYONE can relate to. As a planner, we aim to develop the roads so that the pedestrian and cyclist are catered for before any private cars. Unfortunately this aim has not been implemented effectively enough.

                   Google: Picture of traffic in New York

Although this picture is From New York, it still symbolizes the speed of traffic to pedestrians.
 
To sum it up... there are far too many cars on the road, and the drivers in these cars do not have the right attitude. We can't just keep building roads to accommodate the growth. We must invest in pubic transportation systems, we must integrate land use and transport networks more effectively so as to increase the safety "shield" between car and pedestrian, but more importantly.. we must improve the attitudes of these drivers.

"The significance of pedestrian injury in the road safety picture increases for urban areas. From 1993-1997, on urban roads (i.e. those with speed limits of 70 km/ph or less), pedestrians accounted for 28% of road fatalities, 12% of reported injury crashes and 18.6% of the social cost of injury crashes" (NZ Transport Agency, 2000).

Another important issue is the number of accidents that involve a private car and a cyclist. In 2007 there were 12 reported cyclists killed, 181 seriously injured and a further 699 with minor injuries (can you imagine the number of unreported injuries??) (Transport, 2007). I can only assume that this number has increased over the past 4 years.

So there you have the facts.. It is disturbing to think that this number is to increase unless we change our driving attitude and the whole transport system perspective. I personally have lost a friend who was crossing at a set of lights when a car ran a red. He is now a statistic along with hundreds of others. This must stop.

We must improve our traveling behaviors. They say that "safety in numbers" in terms of pedestrian and cycling is effective for improving safety measures but how do we get to that point where more people are confident enough to travel that way. We can look at Amsterdam as an example. Amsterdam is labeled the bike capital of the world - and for good reason.They have 40% of their traffic movement by bike. Follow this link to read about how they have created this image for themselves.
http://www.virgin-vacations.com/11-most-bike-friendly-cities.aspx

Imagine how these effects help traffic? Less on street parking, more room for the pedestrian, and these effects will continue to be positive. Check out this video about the traffic in Amsterdam

 If you would like to read more information on the pedestrian and cyclists statistics you can follow these links:
Cyclist: http://www.transport.govt.nz/research/documents/cyclist-crash-factsheet.pdf
Pedestrian: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/nz-pedestrian-profile/6.html

Interesting side note

Today in my governance and planning lecture, our lecturer Bruce Hucker was describing New Zealands recession problem. He was telling us about how the ones that have some responsibility in this financial struggle at the moment are actually in higher power today. He then went on to say that these guardians of power need guardianship... "who are the guardians of the guardians!"

When he said this, i thought of a rather amusing book series called "The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy". In one of the books the main characters are searching for the guardian of the universe. When they find him they see that he is a simple, down to earth man living in a shack who does not even know the responsibility that he holds.

I know this probably isn't making much sense, but I had a moment in class when I just day dreamed about this situation and laughed to myself thinking how different our country would be if we had a simple, down to earth person safeguarding our future. 

Climate Change

Although this isn't solely a New Zealand issue, I think this video is brilliant and really makes you think about what we should be doing now to ensure a healthy future in terms of climate change. Take a look. 4.5 million views do not lie!

I hope this is helpful...

Hey.

Welcome to my blog. :) This blog is meant to aid readers in discovering all about the planning world. If your anything like me, you have/had no idea of what it is (until you take planning at uni not knowing what to expect). Bascially, over my 3 years of studying it, I have come to really enjoy planning and all that it involves.

I can never make up my mind when it comes to choosing an issue because quite frankly, there are so many problems in the world that I feel they all need to be covered. But lets be realistic.. I can't talk about all of them so I'll just have to stick to the ones that are the most important to me and the reader.

So to sum up, this blog is here to aid those who don't have any idea about planning and urban design. It will cover many issues from transportation to the environment. I hope to convey it in a way that gives readers faith in Auckland and its future planning system. Because Auckland is a great place, even with all its problems.

I would just like to add that I have never blogged before (long time reader first time do-er as they say) so cut me a bit of slack if I'm constantly changing ideas and going off on different tangents :P

Any who.. best be off to investigate some issues eh? :P