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Green Infrastructure Plan for Tamaki River Catchment
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GREEN INFRASTRUCTRE GROWTH PLANUpper Tamaki River - Grange, Papatoetoe
Scale 1:50,000@A3
Given the close proximity to central Auckland, the Tamaki River edge provides opportunities to test future urban development scenarios for the region. In order to explore and propose strategic landscape and urban design interventions, it is necessary to understand environmental, socio-cultural and economic implications. Contemporary landscape theory concerning urban growth also enhances understanding, providing a theoretical framework and precedent in which to ground design proposals. Stemming from speculative outcomes of group research themes (heritage and transport), design and development turns the focus towards the Tamaki River as an entity. Given the strategic importance and long-standing human use of the area, the River serves as a cultural, social, transportation and environmental heritage feature. There are many issues arising from the past and potential future population growth of Auckland that this project seeks to address in this design proposal.
Piecemeal expansion of the city in the past has lead to community severance, both social and ecological, in the process disconnecting people from the environment. Vital infrastructure networks that have appeared over time have sliced up the city, creating pockets of urban isolation. What was once industrial land has now been engulfed by suburbia, leading to areas of fragmented urban fabric, created by outdated planning zone rules. As the urban environment has grown, so too has the volume of storm water run-off. Vast quantities of untreated stormwater and litter enter the Tamaki River, particularly from stormwater drains, giving the River one of the poorest ecological ratings in the Auckland area. If the amount of impervious surface areas increase with anticipated development in the catchment (e.g. AMETI, housing), the volume of run-off directly entering the River will be set increase. In conjunction with
are engaged, educated and made more aware of the River and the unique social and ecological values that it has to offer. Mangrove ecosystems are taken for granted and at times much maligned. However, they play a key role in stabilising coastline sediment run-
that compliment this role, while improving water quality and taking into account the social needs of the current and future population.
LAND7226 Studio 6Heather Docherty
1345281
Tamaki River edge: the green infrastructure spine of sustainable development in south-east Auckland
Regional Context: Auckland Spatial Plan How do we accomodate future growth of Auckland sustainably? the problem
draft Auckland spatial plan
sustainable urban development to create the world’s most liveable city
Sustainable urban development is not only about using environmental resources responsibility, it also involves enhancing social conditions for people, now and for future generations. As the population of Auckland increases, further pressure is placed on already overburdened natural systems. The vision of Auckland Council is to create the world’s most liveable city. In a planning seminar in August 2011, Mayor Len Brown and storm water experts discussed ways to ensure that planning is intelligent, and takes into account the need to manage storm water, working with nature, and not against it.Water is integral to Auckland’s identity, and will become more so as the work of the city’s storm water engineers improve its quality and enables Aucklanders to enjoy it even more.
Storm water management is high on the priority list in the Auckland Spatial Plan, with $1.62 billion allocated to improving wastewater services. Auckland Council will be taking a more strategic approach to storm water management, and key to this is the priority given to water sensitive planning in development and redevelopment. This project speculates that the reaches of the Upper Tamaki River could provide the backbone of a green infrastructure network for the southeast of Auckland. By doing so, issues around historically poor water quality and generally low biodiversity of the catchment could potentially improve, as well as social conditions of some of the lowest socioeconomic areas in the city.
Strategic Direction 8 of the Auckland Spatial Plan is to “create a stunning city centre, with well connected quality towns, villages and neighbourhoods. “It is noted that :
subdivision patterns, has degraded some parts of the urban environment andprevented opportunities for better development at higher densities. Poor quality design has also blighted partsof the city and, with the legacy of low-density development, these have shaped much of Auckland’s outer suburbs. Some areas of Auckland suffer from problems such as:
At a higher government level, water management is a key issue. The issue is important for landscape architecture, as pollution of waterways is a national problem that could be addressed by landscape-based strategies and interventions. The importance of water to New Zealand’s economy and way of life is in early stages of being recognised through the government’s Fresh Start for Fresh Water 2011 reforms that include the National Policy Statement on Fresh Water, amongst other initiatives. Research into breaking the urban contaminant transport chain is being undertaken in a pilot study by NIWA.“Urban stormwater carries elevated loads of total suspended solids (TSS, i.e., sediments) and contaminants such as metals (mainly zinc and copper) and hydrocarbons. A substantial part of stormwater is conveyed via roadside gutters and
catchpits (i.e., drain inlets) to the reticulated pipe network and on to streams, estuaries and harbours. Roadside gutters and catchpits therefore represent an obvious point at which to intercept and remove contaminants.
The way urban water is managed can have an impact on urban receiving waters at least as great as climate change. Urban change can both exacerbate and mitigate the potential impacts of climate change. The following are a few of the possible impacts of both urbanisation and increased winter storminess (projected for Auckland in NIWA climate change scenarios) and therefore stormwater reaching streams and receiving environments:
increased stream bank erosion and sediment transportincreased deposition of sediments in estuaries and harbours
Taken together, climate change can exacerbate the impacts of urbanisation and vice versa. However the trend towards low impact urban design and development could
A permanent water education and resource centre could build on the water exhibition currently on at Auckland Museum, highlighting the importance of natural water resources that Aucklanders often neglect.
We only need to look at the recent drinking water crisis in Tokelau and Tuvalu to realise how precious water is to us, yet it is something so utterly taken for granted. With pressures of global issues such as climate change, population expansion and increasing urbanisation, water will become a resource of even greater demand. The question is - how do we balance this?
census data analysisexisiting conditions
Scale 1:200,000@A3
social conditions
Social indicators were extrapolated from the 2006 census data for census area units that have the Tamaki River as a boundary. Whilst these are braod, sweeping assumptions made on data that is 5 years old, the method was used as
were that there were distinct areas with multiple signs of social problems, such as unemployment, multiple families living in one household and low household income, and that these areas are predominantly to the west and south of the river. Data was cross-referenced to extract the 10 areas with the ‘highest’ record of poor social indicators for each statistic. Whilst the set of conditions was broad, it indicated isolated pockets of low-socio economic areas that provided opportunity for further analysis.
Indicative GIS maps displayed from top left to bottom right:language spokenethnic groupnumber of people per householdnumber of bedrooms per householdpopulation age rangeemployment statushousehold structurehome ownership statustransport method to work
How can we responsibly intensify housing density when there are existing social issues?
sites with potential for social support interventionssocial conditions
Scale 1:50,000@A3
social improvement = potential growth
Scale 1:200,000@A3
Areas shaded green indicate low income areas, whilst shades of orange represent higher income areas. The map on the far left shows the location of the lowest 10
spatial distrbution + patternexisiting conditions
Scale 1:200,000@A3
natural + cultural land patterns
How can local people be reconnected to the Tamaki River by landscape architecture, whilst providing a range of socially,
drainage patternsexisiting conditions
Scale 1:200,000@A3
storm water management
possible to see the locations where storm water was entering directly from impervious surfaces and entering water bodies untreated. Each sub-catchment
directly entered the estuarine system, and how large the catchments for each of those devices is, in order to select sub-catchments with the greatest need for storm water treatment. In the process, it was discovered the great number of outfall devices discharge directly into riparian situations from surrounding roads, contributing to and compounding the poor water quality and ecological value of the River. Sub-catchments with the 10 poorest ratings, according to this process, where highlighted as potential areas for further investigation.
How effective is the existing infrastructure network in treating stormwater run-off?
Areas of Intrest
Social Issues + Stormwater Treatment Issues
Legend
Sub-Catchment
AU_NAME
East Tamaki
Otahuhu West
Glen Innes East
Otahuhu East
Otahuhu North
Fairburn
Otara East
Grange
Point England
pilot study site selectionrationale
Scale 1:50,000@A3
Grange, Papatoetoe
Selected Area of Intrest - Grange
Social Issues + Stormwater Treatment Issues
Legend
Sub-Catchment
Otara Creek
Upper Tamaki River
Suburb (Census AU)
Otahuhu West
Otahuhu East
Otahuhu North
Fairburn
Otara East
Grange
1:20,000
By overlaying the top 10 sub-catchment results with the top 10 social indicator results, it was three overlaps were recorded. Each of these overlaps were
cover an area not investigated by the rest of the class. Grange is representative of many suburbs around the Tamaki edge, such as Point England and Otara,
isolated by the shift of industry elsewhere. This raw methodology could also be relevant to areas of the Upper Waitemata harbour, in order to locate subsequent pilot study areas.
How do these layers of map relate to site selection?
contextpilot study
In terms of infrastructure, the area around Grange was highly used by both Maori and European settlers. One of the earliest European stores, Baird’s Wharf, was located within the site, serviced by a wharf that sizeable ships could reach. Mangrove growth has increased rapidly over the past 50 years, preventing access to the water. The main barrier to accessing the river is the development of major grey infrastructure, including State HIghway 1, the main potable water main pipeline from the Hunua Ranges to supply Auckland and the national power grid, serviced by the nearlby HIghbrook Power Station.
piecemeal grey infrastructure = community severance
River lost, along with cultural, social and environmental heritage ties to the water
community disconnection - social and ecologicalthe problem
issuesexisiting conditions
environmental + social issues
poor ecological health, low water quality, invasive weed species, poor socio-economic conditions, no access to open space, no direct connection to public transport
existing cultural land useexisiting conditions
Scale 1:5,000@A3
100m
roads and cul-de-sacs, bound by the Tamaki River along the north-west edge. From the south, only one road leads into the suburb from Otahuhu via Great South Road (GSR), while SH1 creates the eastern perimeter, adjacent to Highbrook Power Station. At roughly 500 metres at the widest point to 850 at the longest, the
Primary School, a dairy and a liquor store. At present, it is a 2km (25mins) walk to Otara, the nearest town centre and a 2.5km walk (30mins) to Papatoetoe.
This suburb is proposed as the testing ground to apply the theory that by providing opportunity for local communities to (re)engage with the Tamaki River, a range of
Grange
positive developmentcurrent plans
Otara/ Paptoetoe Local Board Draft Plan
TAMAKI ESTUARYWE WANT TO WORK WITH PARTNERS AND OTHER LOCAL BOARDS TO ACHIEVE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FORESHORE AND WATERWAYS WE SHARE.
MANUKAU HARBOUR FORESHORETHERE WILL BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO PROTECT, RESTORE AND REHABILITATE OUR COASTAL ENVIRONMENT AND PROVIDE FOR RECREATION BY DEVELOPING WALKWAYS.
This proposal ties in with existing local board budget allocation and project funding, such as the riparian revegetation project currently underway. The project could be used as a living resource centre to educate people about how the catchment works e.g. the storm water system, which could then lead to local action by community groups/ individual property owners, such as stream restoration on private land. Connecting with local business landowners provides an opportunity to form private-public partnerships to fund creation of green infrastructure network, such as rain gardens and wetlands, while creating interface with public space. Added
charters, and potential for brand enhancement. It could also be used as a gesture
creating areas for workers to also enjoy whilst on breaks. Proactive sustainability measures, environmental policy and sustainability charters are becoming more commonplace in business, and in some cases even mandatory
environmental groups) with riparian and estuarine management techniques e.g. stream restoration
e.g. NIWA, Waicare
sea grass
common human resource of water, using multilingual interpretation tailored for the local communities
centres
(esp. Fairburn)
fundingExisting positive elements in Grange that could be enhanced and tied in with this proposal include:
Habitat for Humanity
inaccessible in places)
water to connect to surroundings without having to experience high volume of
urban green infrastructure strategies: livable cities
urban green infrastructure plans case studies
London
East London Green Grid
As part of the development of East London on preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games, a sub-regional green infrastructure structure plan has been developed to connect the River Thames to its tributaries, creating a green and blue infrastructure network. The Lea Valley Regional Park is one such project that sits within the plan, with the main object to provide pedestrian connectivity while also managing storm water and enhancing biodiversity. As the Lea Valley was once the supply source for London’s power and water, and sewage treatment, the remnants of these infrastructures will be integrated into new areas of the park to celebrate the local industrial heritage. The aim is to “ overcome the
particularly relevant to Grange, given the string sense of infrastructural presence
acknowledging them as part of the urban realm, we could connect to processes that largely go ignored.
As a living network of open spaces, river and other corridors connecting urban areas to the river Thames, the Green Belt and beyond, the Green Grid will:
provide new and enhance existing public open spaces, reducing areas of
provide a range of formal and informal recreational uses and landscapes,
provide beautiful, diverse and managed green infrastructure to the highest standards for people and wildlife.
Sources:http://c1038.r38.cf3.rackcdn.com/group1/building4423/media/ELGG01.jpg
http://legacy.london.gov.uk/mayor/auu/green-grid.jsp
At present, green infrastructure-based urban renewal plans are being developed in major cities around the world. If the aspirations of Auckland to contend with these major urban players as the ‘most liveable’ city in the world are to be realised, it is vital that a formal green infrastructure plan becomes the driving document in the city’s growth.
Major global cities are realising major green infrastructure projects, capturing ecosystems services, achieving a range of environmental and social goals in the process. Common threads that ties these exemplar projects together are: Multifunctionality
Low-impact design used to integrate storm water management with urban development Overlays of green and grey infrastructure
References:Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Lower Don Lands Master Plan
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/our_waterfront_vision/our_future_is_green/healthy_environment http://imageshack.us/
Don River Waterfront NYC Green Infrastructure Plan
New York Toronto
urban green infrastructure plans case studies
Refernces:http://media.ourhudson.org/task-force-themes/land-use/moma-designing-climate-change-solutions/ NYCGreenInfrastructurePlan
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/nyc_green_infrastructure_plan.shtml
In the past year, New York City has released the NYC Green Infrastructure Plan, an ambitious US$2.4-billion project to improve water quality using green infrastructure through a multiplicity of innovative means, such as reactivating the
tax-payers money: by using green infrastructure the aim is to not only improve water and air quality, but lower energy consumption, increase green space, decrease the urban heat island effect and enhance property value. As noted in Topos September 2011, “New York City is at the forefront of a green urban age…[hoping ] to establish the methods, technologies, and projects that can serve as
This is relevant for Auckland, given the similar disconnection to the waterfront as what was once in New York.
This Green Infrastructure Plan presents an alternative approach to improving
roofs, with investments to optimize the existing system and to build targeted,
and adaptive approach to a complicated problem that will provide widespread,
strategy builds upon and reinforces the strong public and government support that will be necessary to make additional water quality investments. A critical goal of the green infrastructure component is to manage runoff from 10% of the impervious surfaces in combined sewer water- sheds through detention and Similarly, Toronto is also undertaking a massive green infrastructure program
number of public spaces have been created to enable local people to appreciate the Don River.
Waterfront Toronto’s integrated and holistic community building and urban planning model is creating smarter, healthier and more sustainable communities.
A key consideration for every Waterfront Toronto initiative is to do everything possible to ensure we contribute to creating a healthy environment. We also believe that proximity to nature, public green space, and pedestrian-friendly public spaces are all requirements for healthy urban living. To achieve our objectives, our approach to revitalization incorporates economic, social, cultural, and ecological sustainability criteria into all decision making. It will all add up to a lasting environmental legacy now and a revitalized waterfront that is the envy of the globe.
Waterfront Toronto is assigning a central role to parks, open spaces, bike paths, trails, trees and water. It’s dedicating 25 percent of the revitalized area to waterfront parks and public spaces, and planting about 34,000 trees.In addition to connecting people with the waterfront, we are striving to ensure that revitalization has a positive impact on water quality and conservation.
Laxon Ave, Grangepilot project
1:5000@A3
Upper Tamaki River Park Structure Plan
infrastructure follows infrastructure
Laxon Ave
Wymondley Road
SH1
Gt South Road
Bairds Road
According to Peter Latz (2007), successive transformations form the rich layering of a site contributes to the emergence of a unique community identity. Latz suggests that contemporary suburban development typically ‘erases’ past natural and human systems, leaving communities with shallow identities. He proposes an alternative Adaptive Design Process that enables communities to translate change and transformation over time into a coherent process, reinforcing features and identity of a site. Infrastructure is a key attribute of communities that is often disregarded in contributing to the evolving identity of a place. As the research group noted in Part 1 of this studio, Latz points out that city growth follows infrastructure - whether it be road, rail or river. He observes that “little attention
development is propose in keeping with this notion, whereby infrastructure, public space and private buildings are fused in innovative combinations to minimise the
use of space. Given the constraints of the motorway and the River, in conjunction with the dominating presence of the Otahuhu power station and the wastewater pumping station and the rich heritage of Otahuhu to draw from, the suburb of Grange has a lot of opportunity to integrate these assets into more useable and richly layered public space.
taking into account ecological principles. This text highlights concepts such as increasing urban/suburban biodiversity and reinstating or enhancing bio-geo-physical processes, such as storm water treatment, in order to bring human communities back to life. The authors take a strong stance that community education of these processes, through landscape design, is fundamental to ensure true sustainability, engraining a cultural appreciation in perpetuity. They suggest that by exposing people to processes that are hidden by infrastructure,
or recreation opportunities. This could be particularly applicable to this area of Otahuhu, as there is very little vegetation and a predominance of infrastructure. Very little residential vegetation exists, possibly due to the high proportion of Housing NZ rental properties in the suburb, which are being replaced with new higher density stock. Waterways are much degraded, populated by predominantly exotic species and copious amounts of rubbish. By increasing density of human
ecosystem for a range of purposes, such as recreation or transport.
Infrastructure follows infrastructure
By utililsing green infrastructure as the basis for an urban growth plan, it is
treat very poor water quality in upper reaches of harbour and increase access to open space. This concept is applicable not just to Tamaki, but could also apply to other inner harbour areas e.g. Waitemata, Kaipara, and to the region as a whole.
stage one location - Laxon Ave bridge
Laxon Ave pedestrian pipe bridgedesign development
infrastructure follows infrastructure
experimenting with design of bridge line to avoid foundation interfering with water mains pipeline, sensitive ecological areas, whilst maintaining direct pedestrian connectivity to Great South Road from Laxon Ave
model exploration of potential with pipe lines
concept sketches devloping pipe lines
Laxon Ave pedestrian pipe bridgestage one concept plan
100mScale 1:5,000@A3
salt swamp - mangrove management
salt marsh - revegetation
sustainable hardwood steps to jetty down to salt marsh
water mains pipe
bridge viewing platform
3m wide sustainable hardwood bridge with stainless steel detailing over pipes
permable paving 3-6m wide footpath
gathering plaza
3m wide sustainable hardwood boardwalks over vegetation
storm water treatment wetlands
coastal clay bank revegetation
amenity plantings
open space
Laxon Ave
P1
ecological restoration + enhancement
P2
storm water treatment wetlands + riparian revegetationperspectives
stormwater management + treatment
P1P2
improved pedestrain connectivity to open space, community services, transport centres and key economic growth areas of Otahuhu and Papatoetoe
view of storm water treatment wetlands from north looking south
view of bridge looking west from east bank towards Tip Top bread factory
east bankwest bank
water pipe bridge + storm water treatment wetlandssections
re-engagement with the Tamaki: stormwater management + education by design
integration of green + grey infrastructure
P4
P3 water pipe bridgeperspectives
community integration + connectivity
P4
P3
utilising existing infrastructure to integrate
view of bridge looking south from parallel north bank
view of bridge looking east from west bank towards viewing platform
esturine riparian revegetation + storm water treatment wetlandsplanting plan
native revegetationscale 1:200 @A1
exisiting vegetation proposed vegetation
Upper Tamaki Estuary - revegetation planting ecotone sequence
median high tide spring high tidemedian low tide
storm water treatment wetland
amenity plantingsamenity plantings coastal clay banksalt marshsalt swampsalt marshcoastal clay bank
General references
Latz, P. (2007) In Search of Identity Over Time. Suburban Transformations. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Auckland Councilwww.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/environment/Land_water/Pages/2011stormwaterseminar.aspx
Ministry for the Environment(http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/water/freshwater/fresh-start-for-fresh-water/index.html)
NIWA http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/freshwater/our-services/urban_aquatics/current_projects
One Drop Exhibitionwww.onedrop.org/en/projects/projects-overview/AquaNorthProject/Aqua/Experience.aspx
Tamaki - Papatoetoe Catchment Management Plan www.manukau.govt.nz/tec/catchment/tamaki_papatoetoe/tamaki_papatoetoe_index.htm
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