scholarly journals The Gateway to the South: Enhancing Connectivity between Port and Town

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Angela Melville

<p>This thesis explores how issues that have arisen from large scale ferry ports and industrial developments have resulted in disrupting the connectivity to neighbouring townships. It proposes a novel architecturally resolved terminal and ferry port, with a speculative siting in Picton to re-establish a relationship between port and township through connectivity and synergy.  Rapid change, growth and master planning within the ferry industry all play a vital role in anticipating land and infrastructural needs. A key interface between a roro (roll-on roll-off) vessel and the shore is essential to ensure optimum traffic flow for fast operation. Due the ferry’s roro service of transporting and carrying vehicles it is common for the main highways to and from the port to bypass a neighbouring township, resulting in fewer tourists visiting the neighbouring town centre. Railway tracks also play a similar role in creating boundaries of segregation between the port and town. In towns where the port is disproportionately large in relation to township, such as Dover in South-East England, Ballygillane, Rosslare Ireland and Picton New Zealand, infrastructural pressures have resulted in an imbalance in hierarchy between the ferry port and the township. It is important to re-establish a relationship between ferry ports and their neighbouring towns to rehabilitate the small township to ensure its place for future use.  The thesis investigates architecture’s role in reconciling a large scale ferry terminal with a small township. It asks how architecture, urban design and infrastructure can be applied to a township to enforce connectivity between ferry port and town. This thesis explores the question by proposing a case study design in Picton New Zealand. The relationship that roro ferry terminals have to their local context is impeded by train tracks, rail yards, car parking and marshalling yards. To analyse this large land-use component, the design uses three key functioning scales; Urban, Infrastructure and Architectural. i) Urban: The Urban Design reinforces the connection of the land to the sea. This was achieved by excavating a large portion of reclaimed land. This acknowledges the towns past and history, both topographically and culturally. This was developed into a new marina, bringing the sea edge closer to the township acting as a connection to the terminal and port.  (ii) Infrastructure: Functionality and layout is critical, Port infrastructure layouts were studied to determine the most beneficial arrangement. The rail marshalling yards were pushed away from the town centre to eliminate segregation of the township, and the vehicle stacking yards were moved closer to the town to encourage movement between the town and port.  (iii) Architectural : The architectural design of the Ferry Terminal uses inspiration from historic narratives and case study analysis from iconic ferry terminals around the world such as Naoshima ferry terminal, White Bay Cruise terminal and Vancouver Cruise terminal. The architectural scale also consists of three other key design elements that enhance the journey from terminal to town a drawbridge, a designed town edge and a redevelopment of the Edwin fox museum. These three structures are positioned on key pathways for community and social interaction. The three scales above identify individual key drivers of each scale in the design. The thesis argues that the introduction of a “new” ferry terminal coupled with a new urban design framework could improve connectivity between the ferry and the township transforming Picton into a more dynamic, economically viable township.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Angela Melville

<p>This thesis explores how issues that have arisen from large scale ferry ports and industrial developments have resulted in disrupting the connectivity to neighbouring townships. It proposes a novel architecturally resolved terminal and ferry port, with a speculative siting in Picton to re-establish a relationship between port and township through connectivity and synergy.  Rapid change, growth and master planning within the ferry industry all play a vital role in anticipating land and infrastructural needs. A key interface between a roro (roll-on roll-off) vessel and the shore is essential to ensure optimum traffic flow for fast operation. Due the ferry’s roro service of transporting and carrying vehicles it is common for the main highways to and from the port to bypass a neighbouring township, resulting in fewer tourists visiting the neighbouring town centre. Railway tracks also play a similar role in creating boundaries of segregation between the port and town. In towns where the port is disproportionately large in relation to township, such as Dover in South-East England, Ballygillane, Rosslare Ireland and Picton New Zealand, infrastructural pressures have resulted in an imbalance in hierarchy between the ferry port and the township. It is important to re-establish a relationship between ferry ports and their neighbouring towns to rehabilitate the small township to ensure its place for future use.  The thesis investigates architecture’s role in reconciling a large scale ferry terminal with a small township. It asks how architecture, urban design and infrastructure can be applied to a township to enforce connectivity between ferry port and town. This thesis explores the question by proposing a case study design in Picton New Zealand. The relationship that roro ferry terminals have to their local context is impeded by train tracks, rail yards, car parking and marshalling yards. To analyse this large land-use component, the design uses three key functioning scales; Urban, Infrastructure and Architectural. i) Urban: The Urban Design reinforces the connection of the land to the sea. This was achieved by excavating a large portion of reclaimed land. This acknowledges the towns past and history, both topographically and culturally. This was developed into a new marina, bringing the sea edge closer to the township acting as a connection to the terminal and port.  (ii) Infrastructure: Functionality and layout is critical, Port infrastructure layouts were studied to determine the most beneficial arrangement. The rail marshalling yards were pushed away from the town centre to eliminate segregation of the township, and the vehicle stacking yards were moved closer to the town to encourage movement between the town and port.  (iii) Architectural : The architectural design of the Ferry Terminal uses inspiration from historic narratives and case study analysis from iconic ferry terminals around the world such as Naoshima ferry terminal, White Bay Cruise terminal and Vancouver Cruise terminal. The architectural scale also consists of three other key design elements that enhance the journey from terminal to town a drawbridge, a designed town edge and a redevelopment of the Edwin fox museum. These three structures are positioned on key pathways for community and social interaction. The three scales above identify individual key drivers of each scale in the design. The thesis argues that the introduction of a “new” ferry terminal coupled with a new urban design framework could improve connectivity between the ferry and the township transforming Picton into a more dynamic, economically viable township.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Philippa Dalgety

<p>This research explores an approach for adaptive reuse to enhance livability and greater connection to place within provincial towns of New Zealand. There are existing buildings which are often left in disrepair or considered too expensive to refurbish or strengthen. They are often demolished with little consideration to the building’s significance, therefore adaptive reuse has become a missed opportunity in New Zealand.  Many of our provincial cities have uninhabited large-scale buildings, which need upgrading due to being outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Seismic upgrading is a key factor in why these buildings are left uninhabited. One of the urban areas which this is prevalent is Whanganui. Whanganui has the opportunity to blend the old and the new built form to create a revitalized and timeless street appearance.   The regeneration of Whanganui can be achieved through adaptive reuse to enhance the crafted beauty of the town through its architecture. The revitalization of Whanganui can give guidance to other provincial cities in New Zealand while enhancing the quality of life within the town.  An in-depth analysis of the history of Whanganui, will allow for heritage significance to play a major role in the redesign. This design will be developed at three different scales to demonstrate how the built form can enhance connection to place and livability. These scales are at an urban, a built and a detailed scale.   The main cross roads linking the city of Whanganui to its river is surrounded by character and historical buildings. It will be used as a key area illustrating Whanganui’s past to better inform the future.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nina Helen Finigan

<p>Environmental sustainability is becoming an increasingly essential component of modern life. The contemporary museums’ role as public educators, and as guardians of tangible and intangible culture, places them in a unique position to address the various issues surrounding environmental sustainability, from climate change, to bio-diversity loss, to conservation. There is increasing momentum behind the idea that museums should not only engage with environmental sustainability, but that they indeed have a responsibility to. Although museums throughout New Zealand are addressing environmental sustainability, there is currently no thorough examination of how they are doing this. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was so find out the current state of environmental sustainability in New Zealand museums, and specifically how staff are approaching it. Through engaging in a case study of Te Manawa Museum, Gallery and Science Centre, Palmerston North, and specifically the environmentally themed exhibition Te Awa/The River: Heart of the Manawatu, this dissertation analyses and discusses the realities of addressing institutional environmental sustainability. While the previous literature surrounding this topic has addressed the many reasons why museums should engage with environmental sustainability, this dissertation has expanded on this by analysing and discussing the realities of addressing environmental sustainability from a staff perspective. Through interviews with five Te Manawa staff members, this dissertation has revealed that while museum professionals agree that engagement with environmental sustainability should become part of bottom line holistic sustainable development, the status of museums as trusted democratic institutions can place them in a conflicted space ‘in-between’ when dealing with polarising issues such as the environment. This is particularly relevant to the discussion around new-museological theory, and the importance of local context and reflexive community engagement, where the community essentially help drive museological direction and content.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Verna May Smith

<p>England and New Zealand introduced pay-for-performance schemes in their primary health care systems, with incentives for general practitioners to achieve improved population-based health outcomes, between 2001 and 2007. These schemes were part of health reforms to change the relationship between the state and the medical profession, giving the state increased influence over the quality and allocation of publicly funded health care. Two schemes of differing size, scope and impact were implemented. This research takes a comparative approach to exploring each policymaking process, utilising quasi-natural experimental conditions in these two Westminster governing systems to test the relevance of Kingdon’s multi-theoretic Multiple Streams Framework and other theoretical approaches to explain policy variation and change.  The research documented and analysed the agenda-setting, alternative selection and implementation phases in the two policymaking processes and identified the key drivers of policymaking in each case study. A qualitative methodology, based upon documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with 26 decision-makers, leaders and participants, was used to develop the two case studies, providing rich descriptive details and rare insights into closed policymaking approaches as seen by the participants. From this case study evidence, themes were drawn out and reviewed for consistency with Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework as it has been interpreted and adapted by Zahariadis. The case study evidence and themes were considered in a framework of comparative analysis where patterns of similarity and difference were established. The utility of Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework in interpreting the case study evidence was assessed.  This analysis demonstrated that Kingdon’s Framework, as interpreted by Zahariadis, had high descriptive power for both case studies but failed to predict the patterns of non-incremental change observed or the importance of institutional factors such as ownership and governance arrangements for public services, interest group structure and historical antecedents seen in the two policymaking processes.  The research finds that the use of bargaining in England and not in New Zealand is the reason for major differences in speed, scope and outcomes of the two pay-for-performance schemes. Institutional structures in the general practice sub-system are therefore the primary driver of policy change and variation. These acted as enablers of non-incremental change in the English case study, providing incentives for actors individually and collectively to design and rapidly to implement a large-scale pay-for-performance scheme. The institutional features of the general practice sub-system in New Zealand acted as a constraint to the development of a large-scale scheme although non-incremental change was achieved. Phased approaches to implementation in New Zealand were necessary and slowed the delivery of outcomes from the scheme.  With respect to other drivers of policy change and variation, the role of individual actors as policy and institutional entrepreneurs was important in facilitating policy design in each country, with different types of entrepreneurs with different skills being observed at different stages of the process. These entrepreneurs were appointed and working within the bureaucracy to the direction of decision-makers in both countries. England and New Zealand shared ideas about the benefits of New Public Management approaches to public policymaking, including support for pay-for-performance approaches, and there was a shared positive socio-economic climate for increased investment in health services.  The research provides evidence that Westminster governing systems are capable of purposeful and orderly non-incremental health policy change and that Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework, which theorises policy formation in conditions of ambiguity, needs to be enhanced to improve its relevance for such jurisdictions. Recommendations for its enhancement are made.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nina Helen Finigan

<p>Environmental sustainability is becoming an increasingly essential component of modern life. The contemporary museums’ role as public educators, and as guardians of tangible and intangible culture, places them in a unique position to address the various issues surrounding environmental sustainability, from climate change, to bio-diversity loss, to conservation. There is increasing momentum behind the idea that museums should not only engage with environmental sustainability, but that they indeed have a responsibility to. Although museums throughout New Zealand are addressing environmental sustainability, there is currently no thorough examination of how they are doing this. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was so find out the current state of environmental sustainability in New Zealand museums, and specifically how staff are approaching it. Through engaging in a case study of Te Manawa Museum, Gallery and Science Centre, Palmerston North, and specifically the environmentally themed exhibition Te Awa/The River: Heart of the Manawatu, this dissertation analyses and discusses the realities of addressing institutional environmental sustainability. While the previous literature surrounding this topic has addressed the many reasons why museums should engage with environmental sustainability, this dissertation has expanded on this by analysing and discussing the realities of addressing environmental sustainability from a staff perspective. Through interviews with five Te Manawa staff members, this dissertation has revealed that while museum professionals agree that engagement with environmental sustainability should become part of bottom line holistic sustainable development, the status of museums as trusted democratic institutions can place them in a conflicted space ‘in-between’ when dealing with polarising issues such as the environment. This is particularly relevant to the discussion around new-museological theory, and the importance of local context and reflexive community engagement, where the community essentially help drive museological direction and content.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Erin Shillington

<p>New Zealanders have a proud tradition of living close to nature (clean and green). This high interface with nature in traditional New Zealand dwellings is referred to as the “quarter-acre dream” by Mitchell (1972). However, the recent intensification of New Zealand cities has resulted in higher-density, multi-unit dwellings that have little interface with nature. As Auckland alone is expected to require an additional 400,000 homes within the next 30 years, a medium-density housing model that has a high nature-dwelling interface is potentially useful in reducing urban sprawl.  In contrast, many Japanese houses are effectively integrated with nature. The number of case studies available through books, journals and on websites suggests that it is possible to group these dwellings under the heading “garden houses”. For the purpose of this research, the term “Japanese Garden House” refers to Japanese houses in which the garden is an integral part of the architecture, as opposed to a separate spatial entity.  New Zealand walk-up apartments are analysed to show how this New Zealand housing model relates to nature in addition to revealing typical design elements. Thereafter, the adaptation of the Japanese Garden House for the New Zealand context is proposed as a mechanism to further connect urban dwellings with nature, thus increasing the interface between nature and inhabited space. The significant benefits this mechanism provides, including a positive effect on psychological and physiological wellbeing, are discussed. In order to adapt the features of Japanese Garden Houses to the New Zealand context, a detailed analysis of Japanese Garden Houses is undertaken to reveal design principles and strategies that characterise this type of dwelling. The analysis is limited to houses built in the last 15 years.  An investigation, through design, is carried out to determine whether the Japanese Garden House models could be used to reconnect walk-up apartments with nature. The investigation is tested on a typical Auckland site. In a case study design, principles and strategies discovered through analysis of Japanese Garden Houses are applied and, adapted to fit walk-up apartments and the New Zealand context. The outcome is a valuable new New Zealand housing model and a set of guidelines presented as a matrix including key principles, strategies and a menu of solutions with the potential to be applied more broadly by other architects, developers and city councils.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (11) ◽  
pp. 1200-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Håkansson ◽  
Madelen Lagin ◽  
Johanna Wennström

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate if, and how, different stakeholders perceive property owners (PO) have changed their activities in a town centre after increased competition, and if this has led to a different perception of the PO’ stakeholder group. Design/methodology/approach A comparative follow-up case study is conducted through semi-structured interviews on changes in the town centre management (TCM) stakeholders’ perceptions of the role, benefit, and contribution of PO. The interviews are carried out before and after the establishment of a big-box retailer, which makes it possible to analyse possible changes in the perceptions in relation to the overall role of the PO when retail competition increases. Findings A limited number of PO and local authorities have started working more strategically and proactively by creating a time-restricted alliance that goes beyond the work of the TCM organisation. Although the activities of the PO have increased, this is not fully understood by everyone in the town centre, especially the retailers. Research limitations/implications In comparison with other studies, this study clearly indicates that the property owner plays a key strategic role in enabling town centre development. This role is broader than what the original TCM literature suggests and is based on the aspects of resource coordination and distribution. Practical implications In order to create the opportunity to develop a town centre in the long run, it is of strategic importance that the PO are in agreement with the development plans. In addition, it is necessary to consider those members who should be part of the strategic alliance. Originality/value By conducting a comparative follow-up case study, the authors are able to contribute with a deeper understanding of how stakeholders’ perceptions change over time. The authors extend the current literature by showing that the PO are a key stakeholder due to their organisational resources and their ability to facilitate town centre development.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Philippa Dalgety

<p>This research explores an approach for adaptive reuse to enhance livability and greater connection to place within provincial towns of New Zealand. There are existing buildings which are often left in disrepair or considered too expensive to refurbish or strengthen. They are often demolished with little consideration to the building’s significance, therefore adaptive reuse has become a missed opportunity in New Zealand.  Many of our provincial cities have uninhabited large-scale buildings, which need upgrading due to being outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Seismic upgrading is a key factor in why these buildings are left uninhabited. One of the urban areas which this is prevalent is Whanganui. Whanganui has the opportunity to blend the old and the new built form to create a revitalized and timeless street appearance.   The regeneration of Whanganui can be achieved through adaptive reuse to enhance the crafted beauty of the town through its architecture. The revitalization of Whanganui can give guidance to other provincial cities in New Zealand while enhancing the quality of life within the town.  An in-depth analysis of the history of Whanganui, will allow for heritage significance to play a major role in the redesign. This design will be developed at three different scales to demonstrate how the built form can enhance connection to place and livability. These scales are at an urban, a built and a detailed scale.   The main cross roads linking the city of Whanganui to its river is surrounded by character and historical buildings. It will be used as a key area illustrating Whanganui’s past to better inform the future.</p>


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