Auckland City’s Know How Can Do

Posted by Jon C in Auckland CityFeb 9th, 2010 | no responses

As we consider more new designs for Queens Wharf, it feels that at least the Auckland City’s rethink of inner-city’s critical central space, is going to be right this time.

And if the talk, led by a new council buzzword, turns into action, we’re in for an exciting surprise.

This area has so much potential

The makeover of the once cold concrete Aotea Square will be finished this year as part of a 10-year revitalisation of the so – called Aotea Quarter, the area bounded by Mayoral Drive, Wellesley Street, Lorne Street and Khartoum Place.

That plan for the whole area is now half -way through and the current stages being worked on include the development of the Auckland Art Gallery, Q Theatre and preliminary work on the second stage of the Lorne Street upgrade.

With the council’s Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee now endorsing that next 5 year action plan , we learn the council’s latest buzzword: Placemaking.

Councillor Greg Moyle, chairperson of the committee says that “a placemaking approach to developing and managing the area over the next five years is the key driver of the action plan.

“This has been informed by research and stakeholder engagement and is based on international best practice of the management of cultural precincts.”

There's hope the re-building of Aotea will deliver

So what is Placemaking?

It sounds like sponsorship from a company we go for tools if we want to tinker ourself with a bit of DIY handywork. Thankfully it’s not.

He says: “The council has been working in partnership with local stakeholders who all share the vision of the quarter as the cultural heart of the city, a place where people know they can come to experience quality arts and entertainment. Placemaking aims to create active, vibrant public places by uniting the needs of community, business and the environment, by weaving together community engagement, urban design, local economic development, and cultural value.”

According to Wikipedia it’s something that was fashionable back in the 1970s:

Placemaking is a term that began to be used in the 1970s by architects and planners to describe the process of creating squares, plazas, parks, streets and waterfronts that will attract people because they are pleasurable or interesting. Landscape often plays an important role in the design process.

But before you start fearing the return of any ugly sterile 1970s landscape returning, check this definition from the New York Public for Public Spaces group, which spells out exactly what the Aotea area needs:

“Placemaking is not just the act of building or fixing up a space, but a whole process that fosters the creation of vital public destinations: the kind of places where people feel a strong stake in their communities and a commitment to making things better.

“Simply put, Placemaking capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, ultimately creating good public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well being. As our survey responses suggest, this process is essential–even sacred–to people who truly care about the places in their lives.”

Here it is in action in Seattle where the Seattle Civic Square project, completes the final phase of a ten-year civic masterplan,.

The “placemaking” aim by architects Foster+Partners was to provide a vital new focus for Seattle’s civic life, reinvigorating the south downtown area for the whole city’s benefit. nation in downtown Seattle for people to live, work and play.

Seattle's new civic square design|Used with permission Foster+Partners

The explanation of the design:
“The public plaza is sculpted to accommodate a range of activities and scales, from personal conversations, to events of a civic nature. An amphitheatre embeds the Civic Square into the city, forming a visual link between City Hall, 4th Avenue and the new People’s Pavilion diagonally opposite.

“At the heart of the scheme is a large public plaza, flanked by a landmark 400ft tower designed to achieve LEED Platinum, which will be an exemplary model of sustainable development for Seattle. The base of the tower meets the ground with a series of permeable urban rooms that contribute to the vibrancy of the district, integrating connections with the surrounding streetscape and the new light rail connection under the site.

“Here, sustainable strategies will be displayed for the benefit of the entire city, with storm water management measures integrated into Civic Square landscaping. Rivulets, fountains and a dramatic cascade animate the entrance to the square from the light rail below, creating a dynamic focus for this key civic forum.”

Wow. And I love some of the definitions people on this site have suggested placemaking means:

…. opening your heart to the beauty of a community

… feeling like you belong here

… taking back the public realm to create memorable, beautiful, vibrant places where people want to gather and participate in the community

… capturing the soul of a neighbourhood

.. a great tool for building communities from the bottom up, using places where the community can come together, build consensus and learn civic engagement.”

This is exactly what the area is missing.

If the plan can really create some soul for the community, it will be wonderful.

Good on Mr Moyle for taking this approach.