DEVELOPING A 21ST CENTURY AUCKLAND

Presentation Booklet to the presentation given at the Auckland Council Urban and Rural Development Committee on 28th November 2013

Presentation Booklet

Developing a 21st Century Auckland Presentation Booklet

Ben Ross Copyright 2013 http://voakl.net

All credits and references provided respectively through booklet Any photos taken by the author remain the property of that author

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland

Contents
1. Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides 2. Manukau Concept Drawings and 3d Sketch-Up Mock-up presentation slides 3. Talking Auckland reference posts: a. Brent Toderian and his Urban Design Presentation b. Preparing Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Presentation c. South Auckland The Rising Jewel in Aucklands Crown d. Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series Surburbia e. First Concept Manukau Drawings f. Manukau Interchange Redevelopment Mk3 and Incorporating Te Papa North 4. References and any final notes

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland

Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides

Ben Ross | Developing a 21st Century Auckland presentation slides

Manukau Concept Drawings and 3d Sketch-Up Mock-up presentation slides

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Ben Ross | Manukau Concept Drawings and 3d Sketch-Up Mock-up presentation slides

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Talking Auckland reference posts

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Brent Toderian and his Urban Design Presentation

Ben Ross - Talking Auckland / November 3, 2013

The Video Link to Brent Toderians Presentation

I had the privilege of attending the Auckland Conversation presentation on Urban Design with Brent Toderian as the guest speaker. While I am waiting for Auckland Council to post up the slides from the presentation (currently you get a 404 error when you trying and click on the PDF link) I will share the link to the video presentation. The video link (at 105 minutes long) can be found here: Design for Auckland.

For those wanting to listen to Richard Burton from Auckland 2040 go push his barrow with his same old question he has asked at most events around things like urban design, planning and population; fast forward to the 98:30 minute mark and allow it to be played it. Brents answers were pretty much well a slap down to Burtons (and Brent did it twice as well)barrow pushing. I know the left half of the room where I was sitting were chuckling at Burton pushing the barrow, followed by further chuckling after Brents answer. Seriously Richard give it up really the barrow pushing is becoming similar to flogging a well and truly dead horse. Yes the City does have its concerns with the Unitary Plan but not as you are perceiving. Let me run out some statistics for you:

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Mayor got back in on a 60:40 2-person preferred basis on the mayoral vote 9/14 Wards voted in majority of Mayor Len Brown 16/21 Local Boards voted in majority of Mayor Len Brown Council is sitting around a centrist-progressive position on most aspects including the Unitary Plan. There was no lurching over owing to anti-Unitary Plan sentiment including the North Shore Brent Toderians answers were quite sound and robust in reply to your questions Richard and Brent left behind a wealth of knowledge on how to progress Auckland very well and into the 21st Century Then the follow indicators in regards to population and the Unitary Plan remain in positive territory
View this document on Scribd

Once the slides are out I will run some posts of them. In particular I want to pick up on the middle section of Brents prese ntation where he was talking about our Metropolitan Centres. For about 15 minutes the group I was sitting with automatically picked up Brent was referring to Manukau. Because of this I will pick up on that section and run some extensive post-analysis on it.

A big thank you to Brent for coming out to Auckland and giving the presentation. The information was worth more than its weight in gold and I do hope the City and Council take on board as the City Building phase starts in earnest.

Thank you Brent Toderian

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Preparing Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Presentation

Ben Ross - Talking Auckland / 2 weeks ago

Aiming to Give Presentation to Council Urban/Rural Development Committee This Month

(Subject to Speaking Rights Granted by the Chair)

On November 28th the Council Urban/Rural Development Committee (successor to the previous Auckland Plan Committee in the previous term of Council) will meet for the first time. Most likely the Committee (of the Whole) will be outlining the next three years ahead which at a guess will be Unitary Plan submission and preparing for the Area Plans.

After both mainly positive and constructive feedback from the Manukau Interchange Redevelopment Mk3 and Incorporating Te Papa North post that was published yesterday, I am going to try my luck and see if I can rattle off a three prong presentation to the Committee. The main overarching theme of the hopeful presentation will be the fact we have entered the City Building Phase which most people and the wider Council have acknowledged. From the overarching theme three sub-themes (the prongs) will be spelt out to the Committee on where I things as I see them should go.

Prong One: Introduction and laying the challenge down on Area Plans
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Here I will be doing the introductions before laying the challenge down on the upcoming Area Plan timetable the Council is about to embark on. Remember that rather than six years to get all the Area Plans complete, the Mayor will be calling for all Area Plans to be complete by 2016 this current term. So a very compressed time frame.

The challenge I will be laying down is for Council to break conventional thinking with the Area Plans and embark on something more ambitious and outside the square. Conventional thinking by Council and the Planners is to: consult some stakeholders, draw up an Area Plan, take it out to consultation, tinker with the plan after the consultation, maybe send it back out to either stakeholders or the community, then publish for operation (and hopefully not appealed in the Environment Court). While I was involved in that particular process with the Unitary Plan it was not the best I could think of given all things that occurred post March 16.

Here are three Tweets from recent presenter in Auckland Brent Toderian: Brent Toderian @BrentToderian21h Better public engagement needs a broader general dialogue on city-making, rather than waiting until you have a plan or project to discuss. Brent Toderian @BrentToderian21h Successful engagement isnt necessarily indicated by the absence of controversy. The toughest city-making subjects can be the most important. Brent Toderian @BrentToderian21h Good public engagement is less of a checklist, more of a culture. Tone & respect can be more important than the specific tools & techniques. That first tweet on broader general dialogue rather than waiting until a plan or project to discuss I can not emphasis enough especially to Council. And this is where we need to break the conventional wisdom around planning as I mentioned above.

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So the challenge again to the Council will be to break our conventional style of planning and do something different and more bold. As honestly we do not need a repeat of hostilities seen with the Unitary Plan earlier this year when we come to the Area Plans (that have greater effects on our local communities).

Just to provide some clarification after some feedback on this original post.
In regards to this line: Conventional thinking by Council and the Planners is to: consult some stakeholders, draw up an Area Plan, take it out to consultation, tinker with the plan after the consultation, maybe send it back out to either stakeholders or the community, then publish for operation (and hopefully not appealed in the Environment Court). I am aware that the Civic Forums hosted by Council were held on what we would like to see in the Unitary Plan before the plan came out for general release. I was invited to Manukau Civic Forum and gave full in put there. This Youtube Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hbqNoc0D6MM gives highlights to what happened in the various Civic Forums around Auckland late last year. In my challenge to break conventional thinking (as mentioned above) I was thinking when it came to the Area Plans; yes do s ome Civic Forums again but also hold full open days like what we are seeing with the Unitary Plan right now (Reminder: Unitary Plan Open Days) to engage with an even wider public realm. The wider the engagement with the public realm, the more open the public are to a often complex planning exercise that will entail for their area. Both Civic Forums and Open Days prior to the Area Plans being released would assist greatly with the concept Brent Toderian has said in his first quoted tweet above (Better public engagement needs a broader general dialogue on city-making, rather than waiting until you have a plan or project to discuss.)

In regards to this line: While I was involved in that particular process with the Unitary Plan it was not the best I could think of given all things that occurred post March 16. This stirred a bit of feedback however, in my defence to the readers please remember that it was the Deputy Mayor (Penny Hulse) that said in a media conference after being asked by Bernard Orsman that the feedback period on the Unitary Plan earlier this year was rated a C (if not C-). Meaning a pass on the consultation period then but considered an ugly pass at that. So a pass folks not a fail. But in defence of the Council though after that feedback period which got a wide range of responses (and endless hours of running commentary this end) they have worked on making sure the consultation/engagement process in regards to the formal notification period of the Unitary Plan is very robust this time around. I would also take a safe bet that it would be the same for the Area Plans as well.

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Efforts are being made to ensure the communication and dialogue processes between Council and all media outlets (MSM and Bloggers) is healthy and robust for when the next round of engagements occur. Balanced communication and critiques allows for a robust debate. Having one skewer off (not naming names here with the particular media outlet) then the debate goes off the rails, loses focus, teeth gnashing occurs and we get no where. It also means triple time trying to get the debate back onto the rails. Hopefully that provides some clarification to where I say laying down a challenge.

Second Prong: Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland

This particular prong will be essentially drawing on my Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series Surburbia post, especially around these two bits: 1. 2. Wars are won and lost in Suburbia The Goal: A complete downtown (sustainable, resilient, lively, healthy and vibrant,); and a COMPLETE City!

Quoting the material that gives rise to the second bullet point: Thus a complete city is a city planned, designed and built for both its CBD heart and its suburbia body (Rural are the oxygen, food and water supplies for the city). This slide from Brent shows the levels needed in City Building to build a complete city:

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http://www.scribd.com/doc/181328881/Brent-Toderian-Presentation-At-Auckland-Aotea-Centre#page=20 Although I would adapt it slightly to the (South) Auckland context starting at the bottom; Site: House, Commercial, or Industrial building Community: Papakura City-wide: South Auckland Regional: Auckland

Another way of adapting it to the Auckland context would be: Site: My home located in Papakura, South Auckland, Auckland (these are all social identifiers) Community Hub: Papakura Town Centre South Auckland Hub: Manukau City Centre (a (Super) Metropolitan Centre) Auckland Hub: The Central Business District

If I was to adapt this across Auckland to different areas your City Wide would be split into: South(ern) Auckland Isthmus/West Auckland North Shore/Rodney

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Note it was not designed to be moulded along the old pre Super City legacy Council boundaries and areas. Basically I will be calling the Council with the order of completing Area Plans to start with the two second-tier centres (the Super Metropolitan Centres): Manukau and Albany, before going down to the other Metro Centres then the Town and if needed Local Centres after that.

Yes that means Orakei Local Board gets shunted to around third on the list of the Area Plan priorities. And if they bring up about market attractiveness well sorry the CBD and its fringes (which already has the City Centre Master Plan in effect), South Auckland ( South Auckland The Rising Jewel in Aucklands Crown ) and (if the North Shore is ready) Albany are more market attractive and actually ready to go looking at the growth figures ( Strong Growth in Auckland). Investors and growth favour those more flexible towards them something the central isthmus zoning is not at the moment).

The Third and Final Prong: Redeveloping Manukau for the 21st Century
After the positive and constructive feedback for my Manukau Interchange Redevelopment Mk3 and Incorporating Te Papa North post yesterday I will be carrying this particular post as the final part of the presentation to the Committee. I am aware of current designs and concepts around things like the Manukau Interchange by Auckland Transport etc, however, as noted in Transport Blog and Talking Auckland feedback as well the concepts are very underwhelming and do nothing in bringing Manukau to the 21st Century. So the MK3 (current) version of the macro-urban design mock-up I am doing on the proposed interchange site blends in a multi-use complex that accommodates: Complex occupies entire existing Council car-park site (1.77 hectares) Mix of Commercial Office, Commercial Service (retail and hospitality), Residential and the Te Papa North Facility Underground car parking provided Bus interchange built-in on Putney Way. Capacity for between 10-22 buses depending on layout and use). It is a linear concept used in New Lynn Transport Interchange Green Space and Plazas provided with Plazas covered by archway glass giving the arcade effect

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Arcade corridor provided that allows thoroughfare pedestrian traffic and also housing retail/hospitality facilities Te Papa North Facility on large block opposite MIT building 18 storey resident apartment tower on north-eastern side opposite Manukau Civic Complex Utility access provided from Manukau Station Road

Thus saving Hayman Park as a green space while getting maximum bang for buck out of the proposed interchange site with a full multi-use complex. Bold and visionary I say for the area. And it could also be the very spark to kick off wider urban renewal for the Manukau area.

The MK3 Redevelopment of the Interchange site and as I wind up the presentation from here will illustrate a start to the necessary wider redevelopment of the Manukau (Super) Metropolitan Centre. Pencil drawings of the Manukau Westfield Mall site will be also displayed as well (got to get better use out of that sea car park space). Of course this will be all subject to speaking rights granted by the Committee Chair who is also our Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse. The overarching theme is City Building, the point being lets break conventional planning wisdom and go for the bold and visionary. Brent Toderian showed how Vancouver pulled it off, hopefully I can give an example of how we can pull it off. And the examples for the South can be very easily translated for all other areas of Auckland as well, just need the locals to take the baton for their area

Will keep everyone posted as we approach the November 28th date

Related articles Strong Growth in Auckland (voakl.net)

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South Auckland The Rising Jewel in Aucklands Crown

Ben Ross - Talking Auckland / September 29, 2013

Wave of Positive News for an Area that often gets downtrodden on by other parts of the City
I picked up this real nugget of a gem this evening on South Auckland from the NZ Herald. Yes it did make me smile too. From the Herald on Sunday

Reinventing South Auckland

By Joanna Mathers; 11:49 AM Sunday Sep 29, 2013 Long seen as poor and crime-ridden, South Auckland is reinventing itself as a vibrant business centre. To the alarm of some in Central Auckland, Manukau is even being spoken of as a second CBD. Joanna Mathers takes a look around

At 9.40am on Thursday, a masked man holding a sawn-off shotgun walked into the Manurewa branch of pawn broker and second-hand trader Dollar Dealers. He fired at a display cabinet, shattering the glass, then removed a few items before running outside where an accomplice was waiting at the wheel of a stolen silver Nissan.

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The car sped from the scene and was dumped a few streets away. The pair fled on foot. [Note from Admin; err didn't hear a story of this recently crop up so not quite sure there]

It sounds a familiar story of South Auckland, which is often seen as the citys badlands. Frequent reports of baby -bashing, drug busts and violent crime have given parts of the former Manukau City an unenviable reputation for poverty and deprivation.

But there are cheering signs that times are changing. Soaring Auckland property prices have made the area popular with first-home buyers and people keen to escape the isthmus; office space is keenly sought after; chic cafes are sprouting among the sandwich bars and Asian restaurants; the arts scene is booming.

One contestant for the mayoralty in next months local body election is touting Manukau as Aucklands second CBD. And, withou t wishing to put the mockers on next weekends defence, the local rugby team has successfully defended the Ranfurly Shield, which has proved rather difficult this season.

The old South Auckland stereotypes are looking more threadbare with every passing week.
You can read the rest over at the Herald site which goes into the points above in more detail.

The article though coupled with the one I commented on earlier this weekend (Papakura The Place to Be For First Home Buyers) shows that South Auckland IS reinventing itself and is fast becoming the jewel in Aucklands Crown.

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It is honestly great to see positive stories out of an area that not only houses 38% of Aucklands population (and growing) but was also treated as the poor shunned cousin to the rest of Auckland.

Yes Manukau and South Auckland is my home as I reside in Papakura (and was brought up in the South for most of life). So of course I am going to be protective and want the absolute best for the area In saying that I have been saying for a while now (since 2010 when I wrote my submission to the Auckland Plan on Manukau) that:

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Click for full resolution

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Further commentary on Manukau in Talking Auckland can also be found by keeping tabs on this link: http://voakl.net/category/planning/urban-planning-anddesign/manukau/ And of course this:

Looking at that Herald piece both Manukau is open for Business and South Auckland is just screaming A warm welcome to your new home. South Auckland does have its rough edges but all cities do. The main point is that the South is striving its best with what it has got (not often a lot AND we get treated like a political football most days on the way out) and the place is reinventing itself I see it also with my own eyes!

So South Auckland while it has its rough edges, is the rising and often hidden jewe l in Aucklands Crown. And why shouldnt it be. Taking the entry line from the Herald article Long seen as poor and crime-ridden, South Auckland is reinventing itself as a vibrant business centre. To the alarm of some in Central Auckland, Manukau is even being spoken of as a second CBD. Joanna Mathers takes a look around

Already heard that alarm and criticism when it was announced that Te Papa North was coming to Manukau and notWynyard Quarter. You should have heard some of the attacks which were nothing less than elitist attacks against the South. I have noted that Metro Magazine have released a good Editorial on why Te Papa North should be located in Manukau. I shall get myself a copy and take a look at it. I also warned the Isthmus they risk bottling themselves with the amount of NIMBY controls they were trying to include into the Unitary Plan. These controls were designed to protect THEIR way of living. Well that could come back and hurt the Isthmus rather badly as I noted here: I warned the Isthmus that it would be bottling itself with all the NIMBY controls put into place in the Unitary Plan for that particular area of Auckland. That warning was served here:http://voakl.net/2013/09/03/a-new-battle-plan/ It now seems that warning is coming true as population, economic and investment drivers begin focusing more intensely to the South of the City as mentioned in the Reinventing South Auckland article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11131749

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Investment will always flow where the controls are more liberal, the market more free, and people are able to exercise choice and logic in a freer manner. I can believe South Auckland is the rising Jewel in Aucklands Crown

As I noted above and as was in the Herald as well, people and investment (business) are fleeing the Isthmus and heading to the more relaxed South. Why wouldnt you if you can get a better return (socially, economically and monetary) in an area that is more attractive to your investment. Rebekka and I invested here and we have our first home which we live in here in Papakura. Most of our business is conducted locally if not Manukau. It is home and becoming home to a lot more people and businesses.

Of course this will bring pressure as any sustained large-scale growth and investment pattern will bring. This means Government and Council will need to be keeping up very quickly with social, civic and physical infrastructure provisions. Get these wrong and South Auckland will be hamstrung rather quickly and badly.

In the end though and as a concluding remark, despite the growth along most fronts happening in the South this is still The Long Game/War. Change wont be noticed overnight but will happen (like the Mainland Cheese analogy).

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Southern Metro Auckland

Related articles Jubilation in Auckland after Shield win (3news.co.nz) Te Papa in Manukau (voakl.net) Lets Try This with Manukau (voakl.net) South respect (nzherald.co.nz)

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Papakura The Place to Be For First Home Buyers (voakl.net) Why Te Papa North Should be In Manukau NOT Wynyard Quarter (voakl.net) Ranfurly Shield parades through Counties Manukau (3news.co.nz)

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Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series Surburbia

Ben Ross - Talking Auckland / November 6, 2013

Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series #1 Wars are won and lost in Suburbia

Auckland is about to begin on a massive city building phase. From 2010-2013 the City was going through the amalgamation phase with the creation of the Super City and Auckland Council. Time was spent bedding down the Council and the bureaucracy while a lot of time (as the Councillors and Local Boards would attest to) writing the big Auckland and Unitary Plans. But now from 2013 we have moved into the City Building Phase. Yes the Unitary Plan still needs to become operative (around 2016) however, the foundations via the Area Plans and various transport plans for the City Building Phase can begin right now. The catch is with this City Building Phase we have two paths Auckland can go down. We either contin ue the same path we have been going down since the 1950s, or we go down a new path that is bold and does bring us out of auto-dependency and into the 21st Century.

Just a note: auto-dependency is not a choice it is an enslavement from lack of choice. Cities should aim for auto-choice; where one is not overtly penalised by wanting and taking a choice between car, active or mass transit. Auckland does not currently provide that auto-choice as the City is an auto-dependent city. In simple terms how can you have choice when that dependency eliminates all and any other options.

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As I mentioned in my previous post Coming Up Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland I will be referring to Brent Toderians recent presentation he gave in Auckland. You can see the PDF version HERE and the video presentation HERE.

Wars are won and lost in Suburbia

While Brent did mention about City Building in regards to CBDs I want go outside of that well versed topic and look at where the war is won or lost: suburbia. Again for your benefit this post I will be referring from pages 16 to 40 of the PDF version or from 47:30mins to 55:00mins of the video presentation (links are above). The tendency at the moment with Council and its Planners (as well as some activists) is that a lot of time (and money) had been flooded into Auckland CBD and the Waterfront. That is nice but exposes the City as a whole as the rest of the City (suburbia (and also Rural)) towards neglect.

Quoting Brent Toderian: The Goal: A complete downtown (sustainable, resilient, lively, healthy and vibrant,); and a COMPLETE City! I need not remind Council that there is the general feeling amongst the wider populace that there is the perception too much attention has gone to the CBD and Waterfront. Thus a complete city is a city planned, designed and built for both its CBD heart and its suburbia body (Rural are the oxygen, food and water supplies for the city). This slide from Brent shows the levels needed in City Building to build a complete city:

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http://www.scribd.com/doc/181328881/Brent-Toderian-Presentation-At-Auckland-Aotea-Centre#page=20 Although I would adapt it slightly to the (South) Auckland context starting at the bottom; Site: House, Commercial, or Industrial building Community: Papakura City-wide: South Auckland Regional: Auckland

Another way of adapting it to the Auckland context would be: Site: My home located in Papakura, South Auckland, Auckland (these are all social identifiers) Community Hub: Papakura Town Centre South Auckland Hub: Manukau City Centre (a (Super) Metropolitan Centre) Auckland Hub: The Central Business District

If I was to adapt this across Auckland to different areas your City Wide would be split into: South(ern) Auckland

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Isthmus/West Auckland North Shore/Rodney

Note it was not designed to be moulded along the old pre Super City legacy Council boundaries and areas.

The CBD is now left behind and we are heading in suburbia in particular Southern Auckland. Remember battles will be won or lost in the suburbs and Southern Auckland (everything south of Portage Road Otahuhu and Tamaki Estuary) holds roughly 38% of Aucklands population currently. To win the War on Developing a 21st Century Auckland with the suburbs of Southern Auckland attention on City Building needs to look at the entire area. Especially and I mean especially as South Auckland The Rising Jewel in Aucklands Crown is under way. Now we know Area Plans are coming in this current term of Council under a compressed time frame (for more on Area Plans check this Auckland Council Link HERE ). These Area Plans will essentially guide the City Building to a set area within Auckland. Thus these Area Plans is the prime time to get the final foundation down before physical City Build will commence and run for the next 30 years.

As I am focusing on Southern Auckland lets take a look at how I would run City Building in Southern Auckland first. We know Manukau City Centre is the recognised beating heart of Southern Auckland and is readily identified by the southern populous as such. We also know pre Super City says Manukau was designed and built to be an auto-friendly, auto-dependent, independent City Centre to the main Auckland CBD. However, things have changed significantly since Manukau was born and the planning needs to change with it. While Manukau is no longer an independent city centre post 2010 amalgamation it is still recognised (although at second tier level) as a smaller CBD by the local population. I have written extensively on Manukau as such and also presented to Auckland Council on Manukau as a Super Metropolitan Centre. You can read up on the PDF version of that presentation (also used in my Unitary Plan initial feedback) HERE. Still if you listen to Brent Toderian speaking about the war being won or lost in the suburbs (pages 16 to 40 of the PDF version or from 47:30mins to 55:00mins of the video presentation) attention focused on our Metropolitan Centres. Although as I mentioned before Brent was implying Manukau in that seven minute segment and the group I sat with also concurred as well.

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In my next post using Brents material as well as my own to draw up a recommended strategy for Manukaus 21st Century development and how that should be undertaken. Once Manukau is under way we move to the next City Building Phase which is developing Botany and Papakura Metropolitan Centres (I am focusing on the South here) before working on the respective Town Centres. The logic I am using of starting at the top with the Super and normal Metropolitan Centres then working down towards the town centres before finally hitting suburbia en-mass is that our Metro Centres act has anchor points to the populations they serve along economic and social lines. If you do the smaller town centres and suburbs first before the larger anchor points (Metro Centres) then the risk is being run of not only ad-hoc development but what is the goal or focus there is simply none. With Manukau City Centre as the anchor point you have a dual economic and social focus in play when developing wider Southern Auckland. Economically Manukau is flanked and supported by heavy industry in: Wiri, Highbrook, the Airport, East Tamaki, Takanini, Drury and Glenbrook as well as the rural sector in the deep south. You also have the Botany and Papakura Metropolitan Centres while smaller still serve large areas respectively. Finally you have the Town and Local Centres that serve the more immediate areas and their communities. At the end of the day they are part of the cogs of the machine that are rallied around a central nexus point Manukau. And Manukau is the larger cog that turns and supports the main Auckland nexus point the CBD. Population wise there is a strong Maori, Pasifika, Indian and Asian mix as well as Europoean. So urban design of Manukau followed by the rest should cater to the needs of those demographics accordingly rather than the pro-Euro-Centric style Auckland has been doing since 1950. This piece from a speech Brent gave yesterday is rather apt: Brent Toderian @BrentToderian21h Better public engagement needs a broader general dialogue on city-making, rather than waiting until you have a plan or project to discuss.

So before we even BEGIN looking at drawing up Area Plans for Manukau and the South then going out to consult on them which is too late, Council needs to have that general dialogue with the South first to see what the natives would like to see in their centres and suburbs. After that di alogue (notice dialogue not MONOlogue) then the Area Plans can be drawn up in partnership with the population. Which brings me to Brents next two points: Brent Toderian @BrentToderian21h

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Successful engagement isnt necessarily indicated by the absence of controversy. The toughest city-making subjects can be the most important. Brent Toderian @BrentToderian21h Good public engagement is less of a checklist, more of a culture. Tone & respect can be more important than the specific tools & techniques.

Heck Council have a tonne to learn here.

There is still plenty to cover in Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland and I have not even begun to scratch the surf ace yet. My next post will look at specifically developing Manukau into the 21st Century and ways it can be done. After that I will start looking at Botany and Papakura before moving into the wider Southern Auckland area. I leave you though with this slide from Brents presentation last week on a large-scale urban renewal project that is planned in Brentwood Town Centre, Burnaby, Vancouver:

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http://www.scribd.com/doc/181328881/Brent-Toderian-Presentation-At-Auckland-Aotea-Centre#page=29 Reference and Credit to Toderian Urban Works

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Click to open larger map

The before picture remind you of this closer to home?

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Manukau City Centre Area

We have our work cut out folks we really do

Credit and References to Brent Toderian and Toderian Urban Works.

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Related articles Manukau as the Second CBD of Auckland (voakl.net) Manukau as the Second CBD A Clarification (voakl.net) Why Te Papa North Should be In Manukau NOT Wynyard Quarter (voakl.net) Manukau City Centre Potential Future Development (voakl.net)

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First Concept Manukau Drawings

Ben Ross - Talking Auckland / 5 days ago

Concept Mk1 Base Drawings for 21st Century Manukau Part of the Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series
At the moment I have zoned in on Manukau as the centre point of the Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland series. While Manukau is my home hub owing to the fact I reside in Southern Auckland, the wider development strategy is part of both Developing a 21st Century Auckland AND the fact that battles will be won or lost in the suburbs. For recaps please see the following posts: Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series Surburbia Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series Drawing Up Next Post Manukau Interchange Redevelopment Mk3 and Incorporating Te Papa North Preparing Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Presentation

At the moment before I switch over to Sketchup I have drawn up two concept drawings using old-fashioned pencil and tracing paper. Some days using the old-fashioned methods especially for working drawings works better than a PC as it is both portable, cheap and the eraser comes in handy too. Once the concept drawings complete and finalised, they will be both uploaded into the computer and translated intoSketch Up for 3D mock-ups. Already one set of concepts have been translated into a full 3D mock-up the Manukau Redevelopment MK3 which also incorporated Te Papa North into the complex (saving Hayman Park).

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Manukau Redevelopment Concept Mk1

In the Manukaus 21st Century Development post I had shown two concept pencil drawings with two base photos: Note: Graphics removed from this document but they can be seen here: http://voakl.net/2013/11/17/first-concept-manukau-drawings/

Sure pencil drawings can be crude compared to using SketchUp but at the end of the day if I was to present (as I am going to request) to the Urban/Rural Development Committee or even say Design Champion Ludo Campbell-Reid and hisurban design team showing just a finished product will not cut it. They (whoever it is) will just sit there and nod and go thats nice. What needs to be shown to sell an idea or project is the methodology you used to get to the final and finished product. That means going right back to the issue, the idea, and finally the works going lead up to the final product. Already that can be seen with the Manukau Interchange Mk3 project that I have pretty much completed for now. If I decide to do an Mk4 it will be most likely be adding a Sky Train with stations along Manukau Station Road.

Moving along Over the last couple days I have been evaluating the current situation of 1960s auto -dependent Manukau City Centre (listed as a Metropolitan Centre by the Unitary Plan, or Super Metropolitan Centre by myself) and drafting up some concept drawings on current infrastructure and where connectio ns (urban stitching) need to occur to get best utilisation for a pro-people 21st Century Manukau. Just a note: auto-dependency is not a choice it is an enslavement from lack of choice. Cities should aim for auto-choice; where one is not overtly penalised by wanting and taking a choice between car, active or mass transit. Auckland does not currently provide that auto-choice as the City is an auto-dependent city. In simple terms how can you have choice if you are the dependency eliminates all and any other options. Source: http://voakl.net/2013/11/06/looking-at-developing-a-21st-century-auckland-series-surburbia/

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Manukau Connection Concepts Mk1

Manukau Redevelopment Context Annotated MK1 The base drawing to this can be seen in the gallery above for comparison

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At the moment both Manukau (the residential area located south of Manukau City Centre) and Manukau City Centre suffer from dis-connectivity between each-other and within themselves. Whether be bad road/footpath layouts (cul-de-sac road layouts kill connectivity) or wide 4-6 lane roads with generous centre medians and maybe on-street parking, Manukau and Manukau City Centre are basically islands of residential and commercial areas that do not make pedestrian access (nor public transport access) rather easy. It is a classic 1950s and 1960s auto -dependent styled urban area where the only real access to these urban islands is the car. The good news is that the wide roads and open spaces (often from inefficient land use) can be easily retrofitted to allow stitching up the urban islands into one pro-pedestrian, pro-cycling, pro-public transport interconnected urban fabric that still allows efficient access to key areas by car (as I do believe in choice across the modes).

Manukau Mall Redevelopment Context MK1

Thus the first concept drawing above is an outline of the Manukau area with the islands that need to be stitched up to get that interconnected urban fabric. Essentially when it comes down to more detailed work like the Manukau Interchange Mk3 piece that I have been working on, the above concept drawing (whether it be Mk1 or Mk5) acts as a road-map a guide. Once the wider-concept drawings are drawn up (like above) then we move on to the closer detail concept drawings such as below:

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Manukau Mall Redevelopment Context MK1

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Again you can see the base photo further back up the page or open the base photo in a separate tab (recommended)

The Manukau Mall Redevelopment Context MK1 drawing is the next tier level down from the wider-context drawing that was shown further back up the post. The next tier after the Manukau Mall Redevelopment Context MK1 drawings is dividing that particular piece up and begin working on 3D-Sketch Up mock-ups like the Manukau Interchange MK3 piece (gallery below). With the Manukau Mall Redevelopment Context MK1 drawing the first more closer-in attempts at stitching up the current fragmented urban islands is listed out. Remembering we are trying to get all these fragmented and disconnected urban islands reconnected and stitched back up for a more people friendly inter-connected urban fabric. Westfield Manukau Mall was chosen as it is the main focus point for the Manukau City Centre area at the moment. Rally and build around the main commercial retail and entertainment area and the flow on effects carry over to the rest of the area. Other aspects drawn up on the Mk1 drawing are: Share space locations Primary Access or Thoroughfare locations Pedestrian Malls True multi-modal Boulevards Underground car parking entrances (all car parks within the Manukau Mall area are moved underground with buildings or open spaces built over the top Proposed building (activity) areas like the Town Centre, Office Complex and mixed use areas A possible Sky Train replacing the planned Botany (heavy rail) Line Open spaces whether they be green spaces or urban plazas

After some evaluation the Mk2 drawings will be drawn up and the first Google Sketch Up mock ups of individual areas (such as the Manukau S uper Metropolitan Town Centre) will begin. Once I am happy with the final drawings and Sketch Up mock ups (usually around the Mk4 s) the individual pieces of the puzzle will be themselves stitched together into one grand scheme.

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From there it will be a case of presentation and selling the grand concept with its individual parts to which it falls to Council (and/or the private sector) to decide where from there.

The Manukau Interchange Mk3 mock up

Manukau MK3 from central acrade to MIT

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Manukau MK3 looking into Arcade complex

Before I log off from this post I have noticed a large piece on urban design this morning from Rod Oram in the Sunday Star Times thanks to Councillor Cathy Casey. Once it goes online (if it does) (note: it just did:http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/9405157/Aucklands-waterfront-plan-will-not-deliver) I will take a look and run commentary on it either this evening or tomorrow morning.

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But what it does show is that yes someone like Ludo Campbell-Reid is pushing very hard for 21st Century Auckland (Outlining a 21st Century Auckland)in urban design however, it seems the Council still has quite a way to go.

Related articles Manukaus 21st Century Development (voakl.net) Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series Surburbia (voakl.net) Strong Growth in Auckland (voakl.net) Outlining a 21st Century Auckland (voakl.net) Manukau Interchange Redevelopment Mk3 and Incorporating Te Papa North (voakl.net) Latest Transport Updates (voakl.net)

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Manukau Interchange Redevelopment Mk3 and Incorporating Te Papa North

Ben Ross - Talking Auckland / 2 weeks ago

Incorporating Te Papa North into a working design

While I continue to work on the Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series post that will drawing up a recommended strategy for Manukaus 21st Century development and how that should be undertaken I was going back over a Sketch Up piece and realised something. I could incorporate Te Papa North that is planned to be built on Hayman Park (Manukau) into the Manukau Interchange Mk2 development and we get to keep a large bit of green space. To give a brief context on both Auckland Transports plans for the Manukau Interchange and Te Papa North being proposed by Government and Council I will run a brief recap first.

Te Papa North

Te Papa in Manukau
Ben Ross Talking Auckland / September 11, 2013 What Might This Mean With the Unitary Plan now set for formal notification and the Special Housing Areas also now being prepared, attention can go back focus on other aspects of Auckland. In the weekend it was announced that Te Papa (our National Museum) had entered a partnership with various groups and is to build an outpost in Manukau City Centre. I make mention of this here: Te Papa Coming to Manukau Auckland and recommend reading it first to bring yourself up to speed if you have not already done so

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For easier reference this is where the outpost is possibly going to be located:

As you can see it is on the west fringe of the Manukau (Super) Metropolitan Centre area and is easily accessible by road, bus and rail (relatively so). The facility will not more than 450 metres away is both the Westfield Mall and Rainbows End theme park. The MIT campus is right next door (as is the Manukau Train Station and Bus Interchange) with the AUT campus at the north-eastern end (Corner of Te Irirangi Drive and Great South Road). The airport is 15 mins away by road and we have the surrounding population which contributes to around 38% of Aucklands total population. Te Papa coming to Manukau rather than Wynyard Quarter is very good news not only for Auckland but also for Southern Auckland as well. Thus I am going to take a high level look at Te Papa in Manukau now that Mankau is well and truly OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Source: http://voakl.net/2013/09/11/te-papa-in-manukau/ .

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For the Manukau Interchange Proposal by Auckland Transport:

Manukau bus interchange details emerge

By Patrick Reynolds, on August 12th, 2013 There has been a lot of talk about a bus interchange at Manukau to complement the rail station in recent months and years, but not much detail. It seems that behind the scenes quite a lot of work has been going on to sort out the details, and at the Councils Auckland Plan committee meeting this coming Tuesday, important steps to making the interchange a reality will be taken. A report on the interchange highlights the progress that has been made in terms of developing a master plan for Lot 59 the site it will be built on. The interchange is to be located on the site thats currently a surface level parking lot (like most of Manukau) between the new train station and the main Council building. This is shown in the map below:

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This is a good location for the interchange because it will act as a useful bridge linking MIT and the train station with the shopping centre and the current heart of Manukau city centre further to the east. It is a pity that the former Manukau City Council couldnt stump up with a little bit of extra money to have extended the rail line through to this site but perhaps the bus interchange will go some way to gloss over that past mistake, especially if it brings new development with it: Essentially moving the centre towards the new transport infrastructure that is its best hope of adding vitality to this poorly conceived place. So its great to see that looking in a bit closer we can see that the plan clearly isnt to just build a bus interchange on the site but for that interchange to be part of a broader redevelopment of what is a fairly key cornerstone site for the whole of Manukau City:

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It looks like the goal is to turn Putney Way the street on the northern side of the site into something resembling a shared space. This is excellent as it would reinforce Putney Way as the key retail pedestrian focused street within Manukau City and give the centre something of an east/west spine. Slowly looks like Manukau City could at last develop some real place quality. Careful phasing of the traffic signals at the northwest corner of the site will be important to enable easy bus-train transfers, as well as making sure we dont r epeat the mistakes of the Newmarket train station and effectively hide the bus interchange behind a row of shops.

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Clearly visible above is that the more compact sawtooth station layout has been selected for this site. This certainly make s for a concentrated and therefore highly legible place to find your bus, but because of the need for buses to reverse out to continue their routes it does add an inefficient time delay to each service. This is a design typology that is generally more appropriate to inter-city terminus type stations rather than intra-city through routing stations. Below is the Manukau City section of the New Network, clearly showing the through routing of the services that will use the station. Source: Transport Blog http://transportblog.co.nz/2013/08/12/manukau-bus-interchange-details-emerge/ If you read the full Transport Blog post on the interchange reaction to what was drawn up drew a mainly negative response especially to the sawtooth design. I also gave a negative reaction towards the concept drawings Auckland Transport drew up as well in a subsequent post.

Incorporating Manukau Interchange Mk2 and Te Papa North together

With both the AT and Government/Council respective projects in the concept stages and both getting negative comments one way or the other (either location or it being impractical and underwhelming) (although positive for the initial ideas), I had a brain storm over how to eliminate the negative and enhance the positive attributes of both projects. Enter my Manukau Redevelopment Mk2 work that you can see here (as of August): Update on Manukau Interchange. What I have done to bring the redevelopment into its Mk3 stage (the most current stage as of now) was to bring Te Papa North over into the complex mock-up that I produced in the Mk2 version and add some more refining pieces to give a bit more detail. That said I am a macro-urban designer not a micro-urban designer. Meaning I work on the large-scale stuff and prefer to leave the fine detail someone more equipped and experienced than I am. That is why you dont see th ings like trees, benches and streetlighting. However, I wont particularly mind going into partnership with a micro specialist to give the mock-up some life.

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Here is the Manukau Interchange Redevelopment Mk3

Note: Graphics removed from this document but can be found here: http://voakl.net/2013/11/09/manukau-interchange-redevelopment-mk3-and-incorporating-te-papa-north/

Attributes
Complex occupies entire existing Council car-park site (1.77 hectares) Mix of Commercial Office, Commercial Service (retail and hospitality), Residential and the Te Papa North Facility Underground car parking provided Bus interchange built in on Putney Way. Capacity for between 10-22 buses depending on layout and use) Green Space and Plazas provided with Plazas covered by archway glass giving the arcade effect Arcade corridor provided that allows thoroughfare pedestrian traffic and also housing retail/hospitality facilities Te Papa North Facility on large block opposite MIT building 18 storey resident apartment tower on north-eastern side opposite Manukau Civic Complex Utility access provided from Manukau Station Road

The Mk3 Redevelopment is part of a wider Manukau (Super) Metropolitan Centre renewal project I am drawing up currently which includes downgrade the pro-car streetscape into a more people friendly street -scape and utilising the land better than what it is now.

The Mk3 work and the wider M(S)MC work will hopefully be presented to the Council Urban/Rural Development Committee on November 28. Lets try for something that is not underwhelming but bold, and something that is also affordable as the proposal calls for private-sector led development over public-sector led development.

More on the Manukau Interchange Mk3 Development on Monday

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Related articles Strong Growth in Auckland (voakl.net) Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series Surburbia (voakl.net) Census 2013 and What it means for Auckland (voakl.net) Museum boss supports Manukau site for Te Papa North (radionz.co.nz)

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References
Brent Toderian and his Urban Design Presentation http://voakl.net/2013/11/03/brent-toderian-and-his-urban-design-presentation/ http://www.scribd.com/doc/181328881/Brent-Toderian-Presentation-At-Auckland-Aotea-Centre Preparing Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Presentation

http://voakl.net/2013/11/10/preparing-looking-at-developing-a-21st-century-auckland-presentation/ South Auckland The Rising Jewel in Aucklands Crown

http://voakl.net/2013/09/29/south-auckland-the-rising-jewel-in-aucklands-crown/ Looking at Developing a 21st Century Auckland Series Surburbia

http://voakl.net/2013/11/06/looking-at-developing-a-21st-century-auckland-series-surburbia/ First Concept Manukau Drawings

http://voakl.net/2013/11/17/first-concept-manukau-drawings/ Manukau Interchange Redevelopment Mk3 and Incorporating Te Papa North

http://voakl.net/2013/11/09/manukau-interchange-redevelopment-mk3-and-incorporating-te-papa-north/ Powerpoint Presentations in PDF mode o http://www.scribd.com/doc/186122455/21st-Century-Auckland-Presentation-PDF-Mode o http://www.scribd.com/doc/186121901/21st-Century-Auckland-Presentation-PDF-Mode

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