landscape architecture department: South-West Auckland Green Infrastructure Network

Third Year Studio Bachelor of Landscape Architecture 2014 – collaboration with Boffa Miskell Auckland

(Post by Peter Griffiths)

In semester two of 2014 Unitec third year landscape architecture students engaged in a project co taught by Pete Griffiths from Unitec and Heather Docherty from Boffa Miskell, Auckland. Boffa Miskell has a research focus on strengthening the relationship between the built environment and ecological systems; particularly how to ensure landscapes which have been enhanced, restored or implemented as part of mitigation packages for works undertaken can provide long-lasting values to the communities which it serves. As part of this research focus the firm is interested in developing ideas around green infrastructure becoming a central and driving force behind major roading, community, public works and expansion projects.

Boffa Miskell is heavily involved in a number of large-scale publicly funded projects, which are currently being planned, are consented or being undertaken as the link between the south and west regions of Auckland is developed. Central to this development is the $1.4 billion Waterview Connection project, the largest roading project ever undertaken in New Zealand. It involves construction of 4.8km of six-lane motorway to link State Highways 16 and 20, completing the Western Ring Route (WRR) first proposed in the 1950’s.

Concurrently, there is desire from within local communities and advocacy groups to create networks across the city that are not dependent on the use of private motor vehicles. The Greenways Project was established to lobby Auckland Council to improve safe and pleasant cycling and walking by evaluating, mapping and protecting the network of green spaces across Auckland. Several Local Boards have taken up initiatives to achieve this vision.

While the final piece of the WRR is progressive for a grey infrastructure project, incorporating cycle ways, public amenity and ecological enhancement, these aspects which benefit non-road users are provided largely as mitigation for the community severance and disturbance that the project creates.

The investment in these mitigation works could have been maximised further had there been a cohesive catchment-wide green infrastructure strategy and plan, which addresses the area from the Upper Manukau Harbour to Waterview.

If there was a strategic Green Infrastructure Plan for Auckland, how would the outcomes of these projects change? How can we best connect these major works, which all have potential benefits to share across the region if they were safely and easily accessible? In what way could these links contribute towards a better-connected Auckland for all social, cultural and ecological communities?

Students were asked to develop a series of drawings that communicate and display strategic thinking at a large scale, based on data and information gathered. This strategy would then be then interpreted into a formal and spatial concept for a site along the state highway 20 route.

Students delivered projects ranging from bee pollination corridors to predator proof fenced public spaces for the growing of endangered plants. Other strategies included, bringing back historical swamps to the area and developing comprehensive urban agriculture networks.

Boffa Miskell kindly invited students to present their work on Friday 5^th September over drinks and nibble at the Auckland Office. Students were able to explain their work to ecologists, urban designers and landscape architects.