Planning for Auckland Planning

The Planning School at University of Auckland gave me the job this year of teaching Resource Management Act District Plan writing to Year 2 Bachelors in Planning students. The images here show the first slides of the main lectures I prepared for the course. This was an interesting experience. It made me reflect on the work that planners actually do - especially in councils - and it required me to critically consider how the university is preparing students for that task. During the first studio session almost all students indicated they expected their first job would be in a Council....

The approach I took to begin with, was a bottom up approach. The house next door was a good place to start - mainly because I was aware that none of my students actually owned property. Most lived at home. Hard to engage them on issues of concern to home owners, let alone property developers, and let alone what the RMA is all about...

I should confess here, that in parallel with my teaching, I was also studying as a final year student for my Masters in Planning Practice degree. I was taking the Plan 725 Course. This is a studio course where students build chapters for a District Plan for a fictitious Ponsonby & Grey Lynn Borough Council. The same studio exercise is used for B Plan students in their final year....

Consistent with my grassroots approach to teaching RMA planning, I took students through the economics and logistics of three water planning in an urban environment, and showed where the RMA has a regulatory impact. Students have no idea how much water costs, where wastewater goes, what happens to stormwater. No criticism intended here. But I think practical planning requires an understanding of material basics.

The same for transport. I was able to use chunks of North Shore City Council's District Plan to show how it provides for minimum standards for transport infrastructure when land is subdivided. It was also an opportunity to explore my hobby horse of pavements vs road crossings, and show how Wellington City Council deals with that conflict with an Urban Design guideline approach to RMA infrastructure planning...

Auckland's waterfront development is rich in examples that demonstrate how - despite great words and intentions - Auckland can get a Princes Wharf type disaster under the RMA. But get fairly good outcomes at Wynyard Quarter through a good RMA process.

This lecture enabled me to explore - with students - how RMA planning in Christchurch had somehow managed to bypass, minimise, and essentially ignore seismic realities. A great example of where garbage into a plan has resulted in garbage planning outcomes.

Auckland's experience with medium density housing, intensification, and how District Plans provide for good amenity - or not - is illuminating for students. It is where more sophisticated planning approaches that include "plans for what you want" must sit alongside "plans for what you don't want".

The Long Bay Structure Plan is a rich case study for explaining how difficult it is - under the market knows best RMA approach - to deliver a District Plan that can be assured of delivering good public realm outcomes as well as good private amenity outcomes. In the back of my mind - as I prepared these lectures - I am keenly aware that the Government has essentially parked the RMA on the sidelines by requiring Auckland Council to build a Spatial Plan. To plan for what it wants... The jury is very much out how that will integrate with a Unitary District Plan for Auckland...

The great thing about the RMA and District Plan writing of course, is that, provided you accept unquestioningly the RMA's premise that the market will deliver all that's great and good, then there is a wonderful logic to the RMA. The cascade of Issues, Objectives, Policies, Methods and Environmental Results Expected. Great to teach because it's all so logical. But many students are aware that the RMA operates in a sort of policy silo.... that there are an increasing number of examples of where the market is failing...

The ultimate in RMA planning logic though is the s.32 analysis. Within the silo this is great, satisfying, rigorous in appearance. However I find it disturbing that the educational crescendo of BPlan and MPlan degrees is the preparation of District Plan chapters for a fictional Ponsonby & Grey Lynn Borough Council. Especially when other planning instruments - particularly the Long Term Council Plan, the Spatial Plan (incorporating Waterfront Development Plan, Transport Plan, Economic Development Plan) are so important. Perhaps this tendency will change with the shift in emphasis that is indicated in the change from "Masters in Planning Practice" to the new "Masters in Urban Planning". That change in name suggests a change in the University's educational emphasis from RMA planning-to-avoid-what-we-don't-want, to a more integrated and rounded approach, one which is less driven by market forces and more driven by quadruple bottom line outcomes and processes.

As my lectures developed, and I heard more from students in the studio, I became aware of their hunger for practical understanding and knowledge of how development occurs, who pays, where the money comes from, what Councils actually do to stimulate development, and how Councils can function to drive the delivery of community outcomes as well as environmental outcomes. This hunger signals the desire for an Urban Planning education, not just the narrow tick the resource consent application boxes education. And if you've got this far, and you are involved in Auckland planning, look around your office, and ask yourself this: "how many of the senior planners and senior policy people received their planning education at Auckland University?"

Queens Wharf = Queens Park

This TV3 picture tells quite a story.... which I suspect some will want to forget.... the red gates holding them back.... The main point of this posting is to underline what Auckland learned about its waterfront during the Rugby World Cup. We learned that Aucklanders will flock to their waterfront when they are invited. Over one million visits to Queens Wharf during the RWC event.

But we are Third World in our waterfront public planning. Planning emphasis is either the cruise ship economy (cruise ships barely visited during the RWC - they gave cruise tickets away toward the end) or the Port Company or Real Estate. Pretty much what you expect in Third World ports.

We have learned that Aucklanders will celebrate their waterfront, come and spend money at their waterfront, come and have fun at the waterfront, become attractions in themselves on the waterfront. Someone said to me on RWC opening night, "I didn't know there were so many Tongans living in Auckland...." We don't see our Tongan population in Auckland Central much because we don't prioritise their needs. We talk about vibrant pacific culture in the words in our visions, but we don't match those words with actions on the streets. Queens Wharf's RWC use should give us a few ideas. (Auckland's Tongan population is about 40,000 people, Samoan 100,000)

On Sunday 12th September 2010 a couple of Chinese warships came to visit Auckland. They tied up at Queens Wharf and I was amazed at the level of interest from the local community. Queues all the way back to the Red Gates. For a couple of days. There were big crowds when a pair of Korean warships came around the same time. These happenings give an inkling of what could happen on Auckland's international waterfront. If only Auckland's planners and councillors could be persuaded to see what is happening around them. And to share the waterfront love.

Even this New Zealand Car Rally event. Very colourful and interesting while it was happening...

This family from Samoa loved its time on Queens Wharf. With the recent uncelebrated Greenpeace history of Marsden Wharf, its own history, and the history of Auckland itself, Queens Wharf is Auckland's Queens Park. But not a terminal. Not another loss of public amenity and public opportunity to private interests. Not compromised by cruise ship infrastructure, but supported by infrastructure for visiting events, and for visiting ships. Queens Park is a city central waterfront park for Auckland.

Sapporo Stadium Space Dome

The Sapporo Dome is a stadium located in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan, and is primarily used for baseball and football. It is the home field of the baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the football club Consadole Sapporo. BTW - note the green rectangle...

The Sapporo Dome opened in 2001 with 41,580 seats. In late 2009, renovations increasing the capacity to 67,400 were finished. These renovations also included space for more food outlets, an extra video screen, two extra changing rooms (to accommodate matches in the NFL World Series) and further media area as part of new office buildings attached to the stadium.

The Dome is interesting in that it switches between two entirely different surfaces. Baseball games are played on an artificial turf field, while football games are held on a grass pitch that slides into and out of the stadium as needed (get that!).

This is one of the public spaces or urban parks that form part of the perimeter of the stadium. I quite like that little chrome replica sculpture you can see here.

There was a major baseball tournament underway.

What really strikes you is the quality of the design and archietcture. A fabulous amenity for Sapporo.

The detail goes right down to the ivy climbing the concrete, and all sorts of other details. Let alone the sound proofing...

I'm sure these ventilation structures have some echo with past built forms. Very interesting to walk around...

Not sure about this little viewing platform. Must have a purpose.

This pic gives some sense of scale. They wouldn't even let me take my bike up round here. Pedestrian environment absolutely...

The design and attention to detail is breath-taking.

A stadium to be in awe of.

Highway Sound Insulation

Driving on the motorway, through Chiba Prefecture in Japan (on my way to the Highway Conference in Kuala Lumpur) I couldn't help noticing the structures used there to insulate surrounding buildings from the noise of motorway traffic...

The exceptions were the industrial areas. They had no sound insulation....

But this sort of treatment was common. Solid barriers for sound waves, with some added greenery to soften the visual impact (for traffic), and also along the top in many places to soften the visual effects from buildings...

In areas of denser residential development the sound insulation barriers curve inward - like this - to further direct sound waves vertically and to protect residential dwellings from transport noise.

This treatment must have used heavy glass blocks to get the sound insulation level needed, but also provided for reduced visual effects - both from the point of view of vehicles and buildings.

Energy Saving and Insulation

It's not surprising that other countries are discovering the benefits of conservation and energy efficiency. But I was a bit surprised by this advertisement in Malaysia's The Star newspaper.

The text runs like this:

Cooling costs are no small matter for buildings and homes in tropical countries. The excessive use of air-conditioners for cooling are a huge energy drain, and are a major contributor ro high CO2 emissions and global warming. Recognising this, the Malaysian Government has recently instructed all its officers' air-conditioning systems to be set no lower than 24 degrees centigrade, in a bid to reduce the amount of energy used....

The advertisment advocates mineral wool insulation, citing a study suggesting that Malaysia "can potentially save a total of 1,483 GWh annually - corresponding to the capacity of a 242 MW power plant."

Interesting. See: www.mimg.org.my

Sabotaging Parnell Station

Rumour has it that I am being charged with sabotage of the proposed Parnell Railway Station. Cllr George Wood is facing similar accusations. Apparently because he has written to the Auditor General expressing concerns about the way the Parnell Railway Station project is being gerry-mandered through Auckland Councillors and through Auckland Council processes.

A couple of weeks ago I did write to NZ Herald:

"So. Auckland Council and KiwiRail are full steam ahead with a railway station at Parnell which is in conflict with Auckland Spatial Plan criteria for prioritising infrastructure projects, and before consulting the public.

Not only that but Auckland Council and Kiwi Rail plan to shut down a crucial section of Auckland's rail network to railroad this project through before Christmas. It is hard to understand why Auckland Council would allow this abuse of process. The chosen site was ranked at the bottom of three Parnell Station options assessed by Auckland Regional Council last year.

This manipulation and speed has all the hallmarks of the political interference that foisted the costly Helensville rail service failure on Auckland three years ago. Don't let it happen, Auckland Council unless due process has been followed."

Sabotage? far from it. The truth of the matter is that I DO support a railway station at Parnell, but NOT the option that is being pushed through by certain Auckland Councillors.

I have provided the background to this project in previous blogs, and quoted from Auckland Regional Council reports which quite clearly DID NOT support the option that is now being pushed inside Auckland Council (ie the Cheshire Street option). In particular the ARC report stated:

One key consideration is the potential for transit oriented development around the station in the medium to longer term.

From the analysis completed by the Auckland Regional Transport Authority and ACC to date it is apparent that a station at Carlaw Park would support the business node, university, Vector Arena and provide reasonable access to the Parnell centre, irrespective of any future land use changes in the vicinity of the station.

A station at Cheshire Street will be reliant on significant redevelopment in the area as part of comprehensive masterplan. The KiwiRail site is strategically important, close to Parnell, offers wide views and amenity, overlooking the open space of the Domain, likely to have high land values (assist redevelopment), enable growth of Parnell without affecting the heritage character of the main street, etc.

If a significant redevelopment can be delivered in conjunction with station development, then this location for a future station should be supported.

If the future use of the Cheshire Street site is not transit supportive (i.e. it provides for few residents or employees, is not designed to support walking and PT use and is designed for vehicles) then the location of the station should not be supported.

And this is the critical point. There is no evidence that intensification to justify a station can occur at this location. Those who advocate for the Cheshire option do it for the wrong reasons. They want to support the heritage buildings there - by building the Parnell Railway Station in the wrong place. I support heritage buildings. But they should not by themselves force Auckland Rail development nor the location of stations.

When you build railway station infrastructure you catalyse the transformation and development of a piece of city. Such as at Newmarket and New Lynn and Britomart. The Cheshire Street option can never be that. And its construction will undermine and sabotage the best option for Parnell and Auckland.

I would like to remind Auckland Councillors of its own Draft Auckland Plan. It states at s.197: "Critical infrastructure underpins Auckland's development...". And at s.198: "Investment must connect with the sequencing of development in the identified priority areas...". One of those priority areas is the City Centre - which doesn't include Parnell. So how does any Parnell Station jump that hurdle? And s.191 underlines that infrastructure investment policies: "...include optimising investment and ensuring that it delivers the greatest return...".

But the big policy commitment about railway stations is set out at s.172: "Intensification is encouraged around these stations as it will maximise infrastructure investments."

So. Councillors. Why push on with a Parnell Railway station option that will undermine this policy (because its location is not conducive to the scale of intensification and supportive land uses offered by other options)? Why push on with an option that will sabotage the possibility of a more appropriately located Parnell Station?

I support a railway station at Parnell. One that is consistent with Auckland Council's own Spatial Plan. That is why I hope to successfully sabotage the option currently lined up for Auckland Council endorsement. Before its hasty implementation sabotages the future development of Auckland Rail and land use in Parnell.

Talking Earthquakes & Fission in Japan

This would be one of the more unusual presentations I have every given. It was to Japanese students learning English, and it was with my daughter and a class she works with as a JET in Sapporo in Japan. The brief was - as you can see - Nuclear Power, earthquakes, New Zealand and Japan. Managed to weave into this a YouTube clip with the All Blacks haka before they played Japan....

There is a tall poppy thing that goes on in the classroom. No matter how hard you try it's quite hard to get a student to say anything - or even ask anything - though one student did ask me what my hobbies were and how old I was. My daughter had encouraged me to bring some chocolate rewards. In fact I found some chocolate coins wrapped in All Black silver paper from the Warehouse. Very popular.

This is a little extract from my presentation. After explaining nuclear power (and that our very own Sir Ernest Rutherford was the first to split the atom), my job was to explain that water cooling is a critical part of a nuclear power station, and that when tsunami knock that out, you rapidly go into a nuclear melt-down. It was interesting. Believe me... And afterwards the students wrote their reactions - in English - and I thought you would enjoy them as much as I did: - I could know how to make power from an atom. Also, I could know about New Zealand and Auckland! I want to go there someday! - Tatsuki Eto - When I heard that Scarlet's father comes, I didn't expect what kind of father comes. In this class, he teached us very simply, so we understood easily. I didn't know that he was a teacher, so I didn't know why a ordinary father knew a lot of things about scients. I enjoyed very much! - The video of athletes dancing a strange dance was very interesting. I could learn about nuclear energy - Yusuke Sawada. - This class was interesting for me. The pictures of Scarlet were cool. I was suprised at height of nuclear power plant. I guess it was difficult to cool down its reactor because it was too big. New Zealand is nice country because they use clean energy. We have to learn from New Zealand but it is difficult for us to clean energy because our population is too large. - Thank you for speeching. I didn't know about system of nuclear power plant well honestly, but I could understand it very much. I wish I had more opportunity to study interesting subject such as this lecture. - Masato Tanaka - Today, I could understand what nuclear power is. I don't agree to use nuclear power generation so I think New Zealand is very nice country. I'd like to stop it in Japan too. - The lecture was very interesting for me. At first, I could see a lot of pictures of city and region in NZ. These picture were unique, so I had more interest in NZ. Next topic was nuclear power. I have examined about the accident in Tohoku area, so I had much information, but your explanation was easier to understand than the internet. Thank you very much! - I felt interesting this class. I learned more earthquack and nuclear. Also this teacher teaches very well. Japanese teacher should learn his teaching style. - I can learned about New Zealand and electric power. Especially I was interested in that hydraulic power is main power generation in New Zealand. I thought that Japanese had to try saving electric power more. I think I missed my calling.

Port Plans Will Cut Views

This map shows part of the inner Waitemata Harbour. Devonport is to the North - and you can make out the Mt Victoria and North Head volcanic cones. You can also make out Queens Wharf and Princes Wharf - and more particularly the Port. The Waterfront Development Agency, with the support of Auckland Council, recommends that the Port be almost doubled in size...

The Auckland Council Master Plan, and the Auckland Waterfront Development Agency plans show a huge expansion of the Port through reclamation. If you don't support such huge expansion - then you need to put in a submission about this - if nothing else. Does it matter? Yes it does....

This picture is from the end of Queens Wharf looking out to the Harbour entrance. You can see Mt Victoria and North Head to the left. A signature view from Auckland's public waterfront.

The arrow indicates the view line from the end of Queens Wharf. Other view corridors in Auckland have protection in the Regional Policy Statement. Why is this view not protected? Because - for expedient reasons - neither Council nor Central Government (which own Queens Wharf) have sought a Plan Change for the new activities that now happen on Queens Wharf. So this great view is not protected in the public interest.

This image shows how that view will change after the reclamation. In fact it is likely to be even worse because Ports want to stack containers very high on their newly reclaimed land to cope with an almost doubling of container volumes. These volumes will cause serious congestion on surrounding streets also. Isn't about time there was some collaboration with Ports of Tauranga?

But it could get worse than containers. We had three cruise ships in for the semi-finals on Friday. Quite festive and fun if it only happens when there's a big event, and downtown parking and accommodation is at a premium...

The closer you get, the bigger they become...

You can see how the Pacific Dawn totally dominates Queens Wharf, and blocks the morning sunshine and public views. Shed 10 is almost lost alongside the ship - which isn't even the biggest ship to visit Auckland.

This is the Queen Mary II. (This is another of my computer models - all to scale). In fact Queen Mary II has never berthed alongside Queens Wharf because the ship is too long. That's why there are proposals to put a "dolphin" - a support structure off the end of Queens Wharf - to moor the ship. Docked there it will block views from Queens Wharf totally - without any help from Ports reclamation. If you want to protect Queens Wharf so it can be used as Queens Park (not a cruise ship park), then you need to put in a submission about that too.

Serious Public Space Provision

Here's my daughter and a view from the Sapporo Tower, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. You can see Odori Park stretching into the distance. It is located in the heart of the city. Odori Park is about 100 metres wide and 1600 metres long. It is a fantastic public space. An example for Auckland to consider. Sapporo is a new city by Japanese standards. Building started around 1850. Population now is approaching 2 million.

This google image shows the streetscape where Odori Park is located. The street layout is notable - classic grid pattern.

Yellow oblong indicates the outline of Odori Park. The area of this space is about 160,000 square metres. By way of comparison Queens Wharf is 25,000 square metres in area, and the section of Quay Street closed off for Rugby World Cup celebrations was 16,600 square metres. Odori Park is full at certain times of the year in Sapporo for regular events.

This sequence of photos was taken as I walked from one end of Odori Park to the other on a recent Sunday morning. Early, so not many people about yet. It was autumn, but the flowers were out...

People were out walking their dogs and admiring the gardens and generally promenading.

This urban park is intersected by streets which cross it an intervals. Families were out for a walk and breakfast.

There's nothing quite like a fountain. Auckland's waterfront needs a water feature. WindTree is a start. In the background of this photo you can see the Eiffel Tower imitation where I took the distant shot of Odori Park

Behind this pic of the fountain you can see an example of the sculpture that decorates and embellishes this city park.

Great background for those family shots as the kids grow up...

Places for memorials too, and places for activities of all sorts and shapes and sizes...

...activities like this unusual video project where random people stood against a fluttering background and addressed the camera... very Japanese...

Parts of the park are leafy and shaded.

This part contains a stage and theatre with seating for casual audiences. All sorts of seasonal events and festivals are scheduled in this wonderful people place. And I mustn't forget to mention the very good public toilets.

Paved open spaces for more exhuberant running around too - and apparently the making of snow statues in winter...

....and more of the same... no retail outlets demanding money, no cars parked in sight (but great public transport connections just outside the park)... it's an urban park...

There were many quiet corners with bronzes and other artwork for the explorer, and the curious...

And great places just to chill, read the paper, and plug in the IPOD...

Walking a bit further we come to the children's playgrounds to die for (not to be built on at a later date...). This was a very popular slide. An artwork in its own right.

It was colocated with another sort of slide. Almost ceramic material. Long lasting. Very slippery. A challenge for kids and parents. Popular...

As you can see...

Traditional playground equipment had its place also...

Lots of people come by bike to enjoy this park. How about this family machine - a 3 seater - each with a helmet...

I quite liked the old ladies. All gardners. Admiring the plants. And there were some unusual gardens and plants. All nicely signposted...

Remember - all these photos are in the same Odori Park. Sapporo. This is special bit of wood and forest. Quiet and still in the city...

And every now and then you get reminded of the long Japanese history and culture...

OK. Now for something a little different. This map shows Odori Park. But it also shows another feature of Sapporo. That's the river that runs through the middle. Sapporo is not a "waterfront city", but it's got a wonderful river waterfront. You can see a bit of it on the right of this Google Earth shot. These last few pics take you there...

OK. So here's my daughter on her bike. Leading us to the river park...

Along the pavement, across the crossing. This is the Munich Bridge by the way - sister city....

Through the bike gate over the flood stop banks and down into the river bed...

Great cycle paths down there by the way. Super smooth...

It's an amazing park. Slap bang in the middle of the city. Steps on either side which can be used any day it's not flooding...

Interesting concrete finishes on the river banks in some sections. But mostly great swathes of seating. This bunch - in the distance - having a BBQ Japanese style...

See what I mean....

You can really get lost down by the river. But so much informal surveillance from the river bank. One of the safest cities in the world...

Great places to sit and watch the river....

The group I was destined to meet with my daughter set up their BBQs in the middle distance...

Very sociable. In the middle of the city...

And a good time was had by all. Father bonding with daughter over Japan style BBQ...

And then home again on the bike. I was keen on these bronze fishes. So were the Japanese. They were even fishing in this river. I've put this blog up because it shows what a city the size of Auckland can do if it commits to central city public space commensurate with its population. We have the opportunity in Auckland of providing this kind of "World Class" public space on our CBD Waterfront. Or we can fill it up with buildings and cruise ships. I know what I'd like to see.

So. Here's our waterfront. The Quay Street Park - Auckland's equivalent of Sapporo's Odori Park - is shown here in the yellow rectangle. To just past Captain Cook wharf it's about 1500 metres long. But only about 30 metres wide (the width of Quay Street). A total area of 4.5 hectares. We need to make the most of this space. And not enclose parts of it into a canyon of buildings. Give Auckland a sense of space. And it needs to be connected to a Queens Wharf Park (area 2.5 hectares) that is an addition to Quay Park. Quay Park and Queens Park and Wynyard Park. That would show class, and commitment to a quality public park on Auckland's waterfront.