Rejuvenation in rural Ireland in response to the COVID-19 induced urban-to-rural migration phenomenon

The aim of this paper is to discuss the paradigm shift in residential choices induced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Firstly, the resilience of the rural regions belonging to the Northern Periphery and Arctic Program will be explored—the challenges brought about by COVID-19 within their tourism sectors, and the opportunities for rural revival generated by the current shifts in workplace mobility. The paper will then delve deeper into the case study of Ireland. The pre-existing issue of Ireland’s one-off housing and suburban sprawl will be explored, and the extent to which the regional plan “Our Rural Future” will tackle these issues by optimizing building density and dwelling typology in the post-COVID-19 era.

Re-imagining Suburban Living in Residual Urban Space

<p>The attraction of the suburban lifestyle for many, is the comforting uniformity and lack of density, the desire to own your own little patch of land to use however you please. However, the lack of diversity this lifestyle offers is also a key reason as to why certain demographics are choosing to relocate back to urban centres. A significant number of young adults are rethinking where they want to live, work and play, and they are choosing the city. They are revitalising entire neighbourhoods, making urban living fun and safe for all ages. In choosing the city, they have begun to dream something different to the lifestyle defined as the traditional “Suburban Dream” (Breen & Rigby, 2004). As the population continues to increase, available land for development decreases, resulting in suburban sprawl. The consequences of this pattern of suburban sprawl include social issues such as a lack of human contact and a declining sense of community. As people are having to spend longer travelling to and from work in the city, they therefore tend to stay in their homes once they return at the end of a long day. Other key consequences include increased traffic congestion and the resultant environmental problems such as increased petrol consumption, reduced air quality and farmland destruction (Breen & Rigby, 2004). In contrast, the urban neighbourhood has a sense of community about it, many features are within walking distance and the footpaths and walkways promote a friendly, social environment, which may be lacking or hard to access in the sprawling suburbs. This research portfolio aims to develop and present an alternative approach to living in inner city New Zealand. A new strategy that will bridge the gap between the typology of the spacious suburban home and over developed, inner city apartment blocks by adapting unused or underutilised sites already existing within the urban fabric. Often people are reluctant to downsize from the commodious suburban homes that they have grown accustomed to. Therefore, this proposed housing must take the fundamentals of suburban housing and condense it into a compact model suitable for the urban environment while also meeting the needs and expectations of the intended occupants. The objective is to create compact homes that will beautify and give new purpose to unused spaces in the urban environment. As a way of reducing urban sprawl by adapting vacant spaces which already exist within the urban fabric. Learning from, and developing upon successful infill strategies already employed throughout the world dealing with the issue of underutilised urban space. These homes should not detract, but rather add to the appearance of the present streetscape for current residents. Repurposing vacant sites and spaces into condensed, compact, comfortable housing solutions to encourage those looking to relocate from suburban to urban therefore reducing the suburban sprawl.</p>

Re-imagining Suburban Living in Residual Urban Space

<p>The attraction of the suburban lifestyle for many, is the comforting uniformity and lack of density, the desire to own your own little patch of land to use however you please. However, the lack of diversity this lifestyle offers is also a key reason as to why certain demographics are choosing to relocate back to urban centres. A significant number of young adults are rethinking where they want to live, work and play, and they are choosing the city. They are revitalising entire neighbourhoods, making urban living fun and safe for all ages. In choosing the city, they have begun to dream something different to the lifestyle defined as the traditional “Suburban Dream” (Breen & Rigby, 2004). As the population continues to increase, available land for development decreases, resulting in suburban sprawl. The consequences of this pattern of suburban sprawl include social issues such as a lack of human contact and a declining sense of community. As people are having to spend longer travelling to and from work in the city, they therefore tend to stay in their homes once they return at the end of a long day. Other key consequences include increased traffic congestion and the resultant environmental problems such as increased petrol consumption, reduced air quality and farmland destruction (Breen & Rigby, 2004). In contrast, the urban neighbourhood has a sense of community about it, many features are within walking distance and the footpaths and walkways promote a friendly, social environment, which may be lacking or hard to access in the sprawling suburbs. This research portfolio aims to develop and present an alternative approach to living in inner city New Zealand. A new strategy that will bridge the gap between the typology of the spacious suburban home and over developed, inner city apartment blocks by adapting unused or underutilised sites already existing within the urban fabric. Often people are reluctant to downsize from the commodious suburban homes that they have grown accustomed to. Therefore, this proposed housing must take the fundamentals of suburban housing and condense it into a compact model suitable for the urban environment while also meeting the needs and expectations of the intended occupants. The objective is to create compact homes that will beautify and give new purpose to unused spaces in the urban environment. As a way of reducing urban sprawl by adapting vacant spaces which already exist within the urban fabric. Learning from, and developing upon successful infill strategies already employed throughout the world dealing with the issue of underutilised urban space. These homes should not detract, but rather add to the appearance of the present streetscape for current residents. Repurposing vacant sites and spaces into condensed, compact, comfortable housing solutions to encourage those looking to relocate from suburban to urban therefore reducing the suburban sprawl.</p>

Midblock: Reimagining the role of the underutilized suburban midblock section

<p>Our society’s inclination towards larger homes upon individually owned land titles has produced vast suburban sprawl, attributing a great deal of societal division and infrastructural strain. A feature exacerbating the situation in Papamoa’s suburban development is the inadvertent creation of midblock sections, primarily due to a lack of development foresight. Due to the rapid conversion of certain rural plots’ land-use from orchards to residential development and the stagnation of others, a mismatch of land sizes, shapes and orientations were left to be developed upon. These underutilised spaces often remain as untenanted interstitial spaces despite a dramatic regional population growth, a record low national home ownership and growing demand for housing from the Auckland market. This thesis examines the complexities of the midblock and the difficult New Zealand social and historical contexts that disrupt their development. It investigates how architects can use these conditions, as well as the spatial contexts of their locale, to inform design principles that can be used to integrate midblock designs into the suburban grain. Design within this research, thus, seeks to test these strategies as well as the development potential of these sites through investigating the efficacy of various alternative programmes. Furthermore, this research explores the potential of small scale public participatory consultation with local residents as a catalyst for architectural processes and design evaluation in analysing the appropriateness of midblock development strategies. It argues that participatory design consultation is a substantial tool for architects in both aligning development with local communities and critically analysing the effectiveness of design within the context of the midblock.</p>

Midblock: Reimagining the role of the underutilized suburban midblock section

<p>Our society’s inclination towards larger homes upon individually owned land titles has produced vast suburban sprawl, attributing a great deal of societal division and infrastructural strain. A feature exacerbating the situation in Papamoa’s suburban development is the inadvertent creation of midblock sections, primarily due to a lack of development foresight. Due to the rapid conversion of certain rural plots’ land-use from orchards to residential development and the stagnation of others, a mismatch of land sizes, shapes and orientations were left to be developed upon. These underutilised spaces often remain as untenanted interstitial spaces despite a dramatic regional population growth, a record low national home ownership and growing demand for housing from the Auckland market. This thesis examines the complexities of the midblock and the difficult New Zealand social and historical contexts that disrupt their development. It investigates how architects can use these conditions, as well as the spatial contexts of their locale, to inform design principles that can be used to integrate midblock designs into the suburban grain. Design within this research, thus, seeks to test these strategies as well as the development potential of these sites through investigating the efficacy of various alternative programmes. Furthermore, this research explores the potential of small scale public participatory consultation with local residents as a catalyst for architectural processes and design evaluation in analysing the appropriateness of midblock development strategies. It argues that participatory design consultation is a substantial tool for architects in both aligning development with local communities and critically analysing the effectiveness of design within the context of the midblock.</p>

Half a Good House: Flexible Housing For Wellington Home Buyers

<p>Increasing population and changing family demographics are driving the need for new and more sustainable housing solutions. Medium-density housing is recognised as a sustainable approach to accommodate future growth within urban centres, challenging suburban sprawl and creating efficient, affordable dwelling. This thesis explores a process to generate a more progressive approach to medium density housing, favouring individual personalisation over inflexible environments that package the occupier. Through the review of precedents, successful principles were used in a series of design studies that examined the potential for gridded spaces to satisfy flexibility and variation, opportunities for community interaction and integration beyond the site. The design resolution was reached through applying those principles on a residential site in Wellington New Zealand. The final design proposes a new approach to housing through the ‘half a good house’ mantra where the bounds of the home are defined volumetrically (the first half), but the internal spaces and walls are free for the occupier to continually adapt depending on their unique and changing needs. The general principles of the design can be applied to other Wellington sites and contexts. They can also be applied in other cities with similar urban housing problems in New Zealand and Australia. If successful, the principles could be developed into a viable solution to the varying and changing needs in future housing.</p>

Half a Good House: Flexible Housing For Wellington Home Buyers

<p>Increasing population and changing family demographics are driving the need for new and more sustainable housing solutions. Medium-density housing is recognised as a sustainable approach to accommodate future growth within urban centres, challenging suburban sprawl and creating efficient, affordable dwelling. This thesis explores a process to generate a more progressive approach to medium density housing, favouring individual personalisation over inflexible environments that package the occupier. Through the review of precedents, successful principles were used in a series of design studies that examined the potential for gridded spaces to satisfy flexibility and variation, opportunities for community interaction and integration beyond the site. The design resolution was reached through applying those principles on a residential site in Wellington New Zealand. The final design proposes a new approach to housing through the ‘half a good house’ mantra where the bounds of the home are defined volumetrically (the first half), but the internal spaces and walls are free for the occupier to continually adapt depending on their unique and changing needs. The general principles of the design can be applied to other Wellington sites and contexts. They can also be applied in other cities with similar urban housing problems in New Zealand and Australia. If successful, the principles could be developed into a viable solution to the varying and changing needs in future housing.</p>

A Sordid Chronicle of Outer Suburbia

<p>A reflection on worldly trends arouses the question as to what new attributes our Earth will manifest in the next 85 years by 2100. What effects have we wrought in a lifetime of procreation, consumption and production? With the continual expansion of our population, the sprawling and polluting, reports are depicting a negative future as the climate continues to alter. The effects of this change is most critical for those bound by coastal edges as the sea rises to claim what is now usable land. This thesis looks at one such area, Wellington, New Zealand. The city is dictated by the sea and sprawl inland is not a resolute solution. This thesis proposes that a sea-based kinetic suburb can improve upon the sordid living conditions predicted for 2100 through adaptive and responsive design. By exploring a vision of the year 2100 that has been defined by the implications of excessive suburban sprawl, in alignment with extreme environmental conditions, this thesis proposes how coastal bound communities can survive in anthropogenic aftermath. It argues that with mobile apartment towers suited to the ocean, socialisation and connectivity within a suburban area can be increased whilst still resisting new climatic demands. This research offers informed insight into the future evolution of living in considering both past and present trends; defining a new chapter for suburbia and a typology that is more flexible and convivial.</p>

Revitalising the Heart: Addressing the vacant CBD of Rotorua

<p>The issue of abandoned retail stores is one that is evident throughout the country and at different scales throughout the world. The appearance leaves main streets and central business districts’ looking tired and run down and does little to benefit the local economy. The rise and demand of international retail corporations in provincial cities, has transformed inner city infrastructure. This combined with suburban sprawl has resulted in high building vacancies and poor community moral. Looking to new theories around Urban Interior Architecture, this research explores the boundary between internal and external design methods and pushes for a merger of the design disciplines to create a coherent spatial context. In order to repopulate the city, human focused design methods are explored to encourage social interactions, commercial activity and habitation of the many vacant sites. Through the use of site-specific design, Rotorua will be investigated to understand the reasoning for the abandoned stores and will look to the urban context to identify potential remedies to solve the neglect. The identity of Rotorua its Placemaking and Cultural Heritage of its people will inform the design response to bring the community back into the heart of the central city.</p>