intensifying Rurban System Whitford Valley Development

WHITFORD VALLEYHIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT

Jessie Huston

CONTENTS

CONTEXT - AUCKLAND - EXTENDED MUL

FOCUSED ANALYSIS - VEGETATION - ASPECT - SLOPE - HYDROLOGY - NON-BUILDABLE

APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT -STAGE 1 -STAGE 2 -STAGE 3

FINAL GROWTH STRATEGY PLANS - MASTER PLAN - WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN - PLANTING PLAN

3D VIEWS

3-534-5

6-156-78-910-1112-1314-15

16-2116-1718-1920-21

22-2522-2324-2524-25

26-32

CONTEXT AUCKLAND REGION

New Zealand is full of history dating back to before 1130AD. To this day there are approximately 4.3 million people living in this country who are all from around the globe. There is a vast array of cultures which makes New Zealand a big tourist attraction and a popular country to live in.Auckland is known as the largest capital city in New Zealand. It currently houses approximately 1.5 million people.The Auckland region is full of potential with it’s rich volcanic soils, wide variety of plant species and its beautiful harbours and coastal beaches. The aim for Auckland is to make it one of the most livable cities in the world.

For this to happen there are strict measures that need to be dealt with:- population growth - keeping rural areas for particular Auckland residents - thinking about quality not quantity - creating the least amount of disturbances for ecosystem patches - making it easy for Auckland residents to travel throughout the city - keeping pollution to a minimum as there may be more cars in the future

By 2050, Auckland’s population will increase from 1.5 million to 2.5 million therefore doubling the amount of residents living in the city. This creates a series of issues as the Auckland City Council will need to decide where the people are going to live in the city. Our brief for the LAND6225 - Studio 5 paper is to find ways of designing a growth strategy for the Whitford, Clevedon and Brookby areas to fit 250,000 new resi-dents. We analysed the main landscape factors, elements, processes and patterns within this region, and decided to extend the MUL from its current location into the whitford valley.

Some reasons for this are:- it’s easier to extend the MUL to intensify our area - a compact city is the way to as it’s easier for residents to go into the city for work and/or leisure - it has large potential for different ways of living (this includes high, medium, low, commercial, and mixed development)- it has a variety of land form, which enables the range of developments mentioned above- even with at least 20% retired land (thats not even considered for development), there is enough space to accomodate the excess of Auckland’s population growth in the next 30years

Whitford is located towards the southern east area of Auckland central. It currently populates around 2000 residents. Majority of the area contains lifestyle blocks which have a value of $600,000 - $8,000,000.There are very few shops and the closest school in the area is in Clevedon which educates students from years 1-8.Our development will dramatically change these features, while increasing the natural environment and also following LIUDD principles making sure that the stormwater in this area is properly maintained and the EIS (effective impervious surface) is less than 15%

CONTEXT NEW MUL

density types

0 1 2 3 40.5Kilometers

buildable areadensity_type

low density residential

mixed schools and low density res

medium density residential

mixed commercial and med/high density res

high density residential

revegetated land

existing MUL

new_MUL

0 1.5 3 4.5 60.75Kilometers

context of site

existing MUL

new_MUL

focused extent

buildable areadensity_type

low density residential

mixed schools and low density res

medium density residential

mixed commercial and med/high density res

high density residential

revegetated land

FOCUSED ANALYSIS VEGETATION

There are a few native vegetation patches that are located in this area.These are broadleaf indigenous hardwoods, and open canopy pine forest.They are located on the slopes of the hills in this area.These small patches of vegetation, will be protected, and areas around them revegetated into native forest

0 0.15 0.3 0.45 0.60.075Kilometers

vegetation

Broadleaved Indigenous Hardwoods

Deciduous Hardwoods

Forest Harvested

Indigenous Forest

Manuka and or Kanuka

Other Exotic Forest

Pine Forest - Closed Canopy

Pine Forest - Open Canopy

focused extent

FOCUSED ANALYSIS ASPECT

In order to create a desirable place or residence for the people living here, aspect was taken into consideration.Any south facing slopes (as shown here in red) were to be retired, as they did not allow for sun onto the appartments, which would mean that many apartments would be in shade a lot of the time, and this was not something that i believe would entice those moving to Auckland to live here.

0 0.15 0.3 0.45 0.60.075Kilometers

south facing slope

focused extent

south facing slope

FOCUSED ANALYSIS SLOPE

For this area, the focus was using relatively steep, and elevated alopes to build on in order to create views for the site, so that every resident had amazing views into the valleys below, and out across the whitford area to the harbour.The red areas show the slopes that are over 25°, i decided that this was too steep to accomodate for easily acess to apartments via roads and walkways, so this land will be retired, and revegetated

0 0.15 0.3 0.45 0.60.075Kilometers

slope over 25 degrees

focused extent

slope over 25 degrees

FOCUSED ANALYSIS HYDROLOGY

This map, shows that this partivular site is located mostly in the Mangemangeroa Creek, and very slightly in the Turanga Creek catchments.It also shows that main waterflows over the site. in order to protect there areas from erosion, and to create a habitat for wildlife, these areas will be given a generous buffer, and will be revegetated into wetlands.This will protect these areas from erosion, and also allow for stormwater management of the site.

0 1.5 3 4.5 60.75Kilometers

hydrology

catchmentMangemangeroa Creek

Turanga Creek

hydrology

focused extent

FOCUSED ANALYSIS NON-BUILDABLE

This is a map showing the three levels of development potential of this site. The green areas are an accumulation of the non-buildable areas mentioned above (native vegetation, slop over 25 degrees, south facing aspect, and waterways.The orange areas, show what land is neither good nor bad, and is able to be built on if neccesssary, but it does not hav preferance.The yellow areas show the land that has good view, and is not affected by the features (mentioned above) that restrict development.The green areas will be used as wetlands, or native forest.The yellow areas will be built on.

non-buildable and viewnon-buildable

ok

good view0 250 500 750 1,000125

Meters

DEVELOPMENT STAGE 1 - INITIAL APARTMENT FOOTPRINT

From the above map, I developed this map, which shows the apartment footprints, which were created from the contours of the land here.This was to create organic looking apartments that flow with the land, and don’t distract from the environment, but rather enhance it.They are also positioned on steep slopes with varying elevation, in order to create a variety of views, without any building blocking the views of any other building.

5m contours

new, modified and existing roads

building footprintcar-parking

apartment housing

¬

0 250 500 750 1,000125Meters

5m contours



apartment housing

¬

0 250 500 750 1,000125Meters

DEVELOPMENT STAGE 2 - HYDROLOGY INFLUENCED APARTMENT FOOTPRINT

From the above map, I developed this map, which shows the apartment footprints, which have been adapted to allow for river/stream buffers of 20m either side.This was to create an environment that enhanced the view for the residents, and also to create a habitat for New Zealand wildlife, and native plants.The wetlands areas will also be used to treat stromwater run-off from the apartment blocks and roads.


car-parking

apartment housing

hydrology

0 250 500 750 1,000125Meters

DEVELOPMENT STAGE 3 - VIEW INFLUENCED APARTMENT FOOTPRINT

From the above map, I developed this map, which shows the apartment footprints, which have been adapted and I have removed the parts of the apartments that had little or no view.Any areas that were facing towards the south, or were looking back at the slope they were situated on, were removed.This was to create an environment that enhanced the view for the residents.



apartment housing

bad_view

0 250 500 750 1,000125Meters

This is my final MasterPlan of my site.

CYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS - 4m wide pathways designed to be used by pedestrians and cyclists and will also be suitable for use by horses, as Whitford has a large industry in all things equestrian. These paths run all through the site, linking roads to buildings and to wetland & native forest areas.ROADS - 3 new roads hav been created joining the existing roads with the apartment buildings, and one road has been modified, from a large driveway into a road with 2 lanes for cars, and space for cyclists/pedestrians/hors-es.APARTMENT FOOTPRINTS - these show the general layout of the apartment building proposed for this site. Each apartment building is split in half, the southern half being devoted to car parking for residents, and will be 4-5 floors high, and con-tain at least 2 carparks per apartment. the residential part of the apartment is located on the north facing side, so it gets full sun during the day, and is also in the prime site for amazing views out to the valley wetlands, and in the more elevated apartments, out into the harbour. The height of these apartments will be 7 floors, except for the building in the southwest corner of the site, which is only 6 floors. They have a combined footprint of over 6.5ha, and with 6-7floors, can house just under 11000people. The segmented apartments are connected by glass walkways, which allow for more views for the residents.NATIVE VEGETATION - combination of native trees, shrubs, ferns and flax.WETLANDS/RIPARIAN - combination of various grasses, reeds, flax and ferns

FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS MASTERPLAN

UNCHANGED LAND

WETLAND/RIPARIAN PLANTING

ROADS

NATIVE VEGETATION

APARTMENT FOOTPRINTS

CYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS

FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, AND PLANTING PLAN

The EIS (Effective Impervious Surface) of this site will be reduced to well below the required 15%, as the less than 8ha of impervious surface from the roads, walkways, and buildings, is more than catered for in the 80or so ha of native forest, and wetland.the native forest planting will be made up of a mixture of - Dacrycarpus ustulatus (kahikatea) - Cordyline australis (cabbage tree) - Laurelia novae-zelandie (pukatea) - Leptospermum scoparium (tea tree, manuka) - Agathis australis (kauri) - Alectyon excelsus (titoki) - kunzea ericoides (kanuka) - Meryta sinclairii (puka)and the wetland/riparian planting will be made up of a mixture of - Apsdasmia similis (jointed rush, oioi) - Baumea articulata (jointed twig rush) - Bolboschoenus fluviatilis (marsh clubrush) - Carex germinata (cutty grass) - Coprosma robusta (karamu) - Cortaderia fluvida (toetoe) - Elatostema rugosum (paratawha) - Elocharis acuta (spike rush) - Leptospermum scoparium (tea tree, manuka) - Melicytus ramiflorus (mahoe) - Leptospermum scoparium (Tea tree, Manuka) - Melicytus ramiflorus (Whiteywood, Mahoe) - Phormium tenax (NZ Flax, Harakere) - Schefflera digitata (Pate)

wetlands

native vegetation

new_pathways



apartment housing

0 250 500 750 1,000125Meters

3D VIEWS over view of site - looking from the north end

Whitford Valley Mix Development Stratergy LAND6225 studio5


IntroductionThe main proposal for the selected area is to be developed as a mixture of commercial and residential use. The chosen site is on the top area of the highlighted zone to illustrate the proposed development for the site. Whitford Park Road that leads to Brookby is to be developed for mainly commercial use that has buildings that range around two to five stories. The aim is to create more job opportunities to accommodate the future population in this area.


Site Selectionthe site boundaries are defined by the existing cadastral and the previous boundary line of the development plan.


Site Analysis

despite that Whitford has a range of existing commercial use such as real estate, accountant, dentist, service station, res-taurant, gift shop and furniture restoration its commercial and retail development is still considered largely absent.

Ayrlies Garden, one of New Zealand’s best-known gardens is located near Whitford and also Whitford Park Golf Club

The area has an enclosed transitional landscape ranging from flat to low lying coastal plains to steeply incised hill country which are part of the views of the countryside in the area.

Whitford Valley Mix Development Stratergy LAND6225 studio5 TopographySlopes of greater than 15 degrees occur through almost the whole site especially areas in the in both north west and south west corner and the flatter areas largely occur around the east corner. Hydrology3 main tributaries that feed into the Turanga Creek collect most of the site water runoff.

Existing Networkroads that run through the site are Whitford Road (connects to the life style blocks area)Whitford Wharf RoadWhitford Maraetai RoadWhitford Park Road (connects to Brookby)Sandstone Road (connects to the High density Apartments)

the area is less then 20min drive away from manukau and the nearest airport is Ardmore Airport which is 15min away while the International airport is 30min away.

Existing public transportNearest ferry service is 12min drive away and the only bus stop located on site goes to Botany Town Centre.


Retired and Potential areaThe plan shows the potential development area which is 61% of the whole site which is 117 ha is the bright green shade while the other shade is retired area which will be integrated into the strategy.


Retired land strategy in order to prevent further erosion, slopes greater than 15 de-grees will be revegetated with native forest planting and inte-grated as public amenities for recreational park.

Riparian BuffersTo avoid further erosion and sediment control, vegetation will be planted on ephemeral streams and water catchment gullies with the width of 20m and 10m.

Plantings Plan plants that are selected for riparian planting will be chosen from riparian planting guide given by the ARC (Auckland Regional Coun-cil).

Pioneers plants exampleFlax leaved sedge (Carex)Rautahi Flax Cabbage treeLace bark Kowhai RimuMahoeRewarewa


Potential Development Strategy

Chosen area consists of a mixture of commercial and resi-dent development.

Site development is planned in the order to sustain popu-lation growth in the area and to provide more job opportu-nities for people who lives around the site.

The development plan is divided into 5 different develop-ment zones

the south east area of the site will be reserved for educa-tional purposes such as schools and libraries etc.

the centre area near Whitford Park road will be for com-mercial and mix retail residential apartment buildings that range from 2 to 5 stories.

some area is reserved for local market development.


Housing Density

the terrace housing zone on the north west corner are planned for medium density living, 8 ha of the whole site consist of 364 housing dwellings.

High density zone on the south west corner are allocated on higher ground which is around 9ha contains tall apartment building around 4 to 5 stories to hold up to 100 dwellings in each building.


Revegetation

Green open space, which will be reserved for rec-reational use, are scattered around the develop-ment area to provide the residents with a quality lifestyle. integrated with native forest regenera-tion planting which is on slopes greater then 15 degrees will provide better amenity view for the area and benefit the ecological condition of the site which forms corridor linkage to native and exotic forest patches in other areas.


Network Circulation intensificationmore new roads are will be included into the site to accommodate the circulation development.

The main access route of the area which is Whitford Park road will be development to a wider width if 20-25m to accommondate more buses while the rest of the streets range around 6m to 15m depending on developed area to accommodate street parking, pe-destrian and cycle way.

Sandstone road will be extent to the width of 10-15m for the use of apartment residents for easy access into the commercial zonePublic transport hub will be placed in the commercial development area and bus route will be increased to suit current density development to provide better public transport facility.


commercial development

native forest revegetationrecreational park

retire and revegetation

terrace housing

20m/10m riparian planting

high density apartmenteducation development

walkway + cycleway

public transport hub

mix retail residential building development

Master Plan

- Buffer waterways and ephemeral streams- Retired slopes over 15% and revegetate to prevent erosion- Create public open space network for people to enjoy quality and rich ecological value amenity living - Invigorate local business and provide job opportunities.


Contents The Wider Context

To this day there are approximately 4.3 million people living in this country who are all from around the globe. There is a vast array of cultures which makes New Zealand a big tourist attraction and a popular country to live in.

Auckland is known as the largest capital city in New Zealand. It currently houses approximately 1.5 mil-lion people1.

The Auckland region is full of potential with it’s rich volcanic soils, wide variety of plant species and its beautiful harbours and coastal beaches. The aim for Auckland is to make it one of the most livable cities in the world.

For this to happen there are strict measures that need to be dealt with:

- population growth- keeping rural areas for particular Auckland residents- thinking about quality not quantity- creating the least amount of disturbances for ecosystem patches- making it easy for Auckland residents to travel throughout the city- keeping pollution to a minimum as there may be more cars in the future

The Wider Context Page 3

Introduction

Density types Page 4-5

My Development Site Page 6-7

Analysis

River, Riparian and Road Buffers Page 8-9

Slopes >8%, South Facing Slopes and Native Forest Page 10-11

Potential Buildable vs. Non- Buildable Land Page 12-13

Development Riparian Land Page 14-15

Revegetated Land Page 16-17

Retired Land Page 18-19

Circulation Network Page 20-21

Housing Lots Page 22-23

Final

Master Plan Page 24-25

Stormwater Management and 3D Perspectives Page 26-27

Introduction

The last project consisted of five unique density types. High, mixed commercial with medium-high, medium, mixed schools and low and low lifestyle density. The thought process for the revegetated areas came from slopes that were higher than 15% as well as existing native forest. Our group’s idea was to extend the current MUL into the Whitford valley and to intensify it with different residential areas. We chose this idea because it was more practi-cal to extend the MUL rather than creating a satellite town i.e. Clevedon and Brookby. This provided a close network with central Auckland as well as other large networks like Manukau and East Tamaki, which allows a close proximity for those who work outside of our area. However, our aim is to pro-vide our area with commercial densities such as schools and super markets which created jobs for those living in the Whitford valley.

Project 1 Density Types

Jasmine's, May's and Jessie's Sites ±

0 1 2 3 40.5Kilometers

Introduction To Low Residential Site

My site will contain low density, life style blocks in the Whitford valley. My aim is to provide an ecological environment integrated with the residen-tial area and to find ways on how they can connect to each other. Although the life style blocks are much smaller than the original ones currently in the Whitford valley, I want to provide a sense of richness and quality in the area. I would like there to be a reasonal amount of open space so provide amenity for the residents. It will be interconnected with the commercial density so it will be easier for the residents to travel for purchasing needs. This can be done by walking, driving and/or cycling.

Integration of Low, Commercial and medium - high, and high

Analysis

The first step I took with my analysis was to find the existing rivers, roads and riparian areas. There are three main rivers with run along the edge of my site in which I created a 40m buffer, 20m each side. This is provides the rivers with clean water as the riparian planting filters the water before it goes into the sea. It also creates amenity for residents living in the area. The main roads are about 16m wide which provides walkways on either side. The northern and eastern sides of my site run alongside a catchment. With this area I planted another buffer of about 30m to provide a filter for any water runoff that runs through.

River, Riparian and Road Buffers

0 500 1,000250Meters

Legend10m Road Buffer

30m Riparian Buffer

River

40m River Buffer

±

River, Riparian and Road Buffers

This map consists of slopes that are greater than 8% as well as south facing slopes and native forests. The central and northern area is relatively flat which provides me with a buildable area. There is very little native forest on site with a small amount of south facing slopes. About half of the site has slopes greater than 8% which can be shown in red.

Native Forest

South Facing Slopes

Slopes >8%

Analysis

Slope >8%, South Facing Slopes and Native Forest

Analysis

After combining the six maps, I was able to see my buildable vs. non-buildable land. The overall site was 144ha with 100ha of buildable land and 44ha of non buildable but this will dramatically change after I retire more land. At the time this only included slopes greater than 15% rather than 8%. The red area looks to be more than half of the site which will be considered as non- buildable. The riparian, river buffers, slopes greater than 8% and south facing slopes will all be retired and/or revegetated. These would be the protected areas. The green area is the potential buildable area.

Potential Buildable vs. Non- Buildable Land

Development

When the river and riparian buffers were identified, I revegetated all the small gullies that run into the residential area to create a integration of na-ture and housing. The main river buffers were kept as 40m to provide a filtering system for water runoff. The small gullies that run into the middle of the site have a buffer of 30m, 15m each side in order to protect them. The dark green patch south of the site is of a steep hill which could create visual amenity. The overall riparian land could provide educational values well as well ecological corridors into other areas. The riparian land decreases the chances of flooding, pollution, erosion and large sediment deposit. This also increases the quality for residents living in this area.

Riparian Land

This land shows areas with slopes that were greater than 8%. I chose to revegate this land because it is too steep to build on and it is unable to be-come open space as people won’t be able to use it for recreational activities. However, It creates visual amenity because people tend to like living in close proximity to forests and streams. The revegetated land is integrated amongst the riparian land and my next step was to find how people could use the site. These areas provide a barrier against erosion.

Development

Revegetated Land

Development

All the vegetation patches helps to manage the erosion prone slopes as long as they are managed properly. This means that there must be the least amount of disturbance made within the site. Planting vegetation is more cost effective rather than putting in pipes and sewerage facilities to clean the water. It also looks more appealing to those living in the area. My site has the potential for high ecological richness which the variety of plants that will be planted. It could also be a habitation for birds and/or a corridor if birds were to pass through.

Planting Plan

Riparian Margins

- Macropiper excelsum, kawakawa. Grows up to 4m and prefers shade.- Coprosma robusta, karamu. Grows up to 2-4m and has wide tolerances from shade to full sun. Provides berries for birds in autumn.- Carpodetus serratus, putaputaweta. Grows up to 6m and provides habitation for the puriri moth. Tolerates wet sites.- Cordyline australis, cabbage tree. Grows up to 8m and is an exceptional tree to help with erosion prone stream banks.- Melicytus ramiflorus, mahoe. Grows up to 10m and is an exceptional tree to help with erosion prone stream banks. Provides fruit for birds in summer.- Sophora microphylla, kowhai. Grows up to 10m and is a useful tree for erosion control. Its yellow flowers attract tui.

Other revegetated areas

- Hoheria populnea, houhere. Grows up to 12m and provides kereru birds with food during winter. Some native birds use the bark for nesting purposes.- Kunzea ericoides, kanuka. Grows up to 12m and provides habitation for some bird species.- Sophora microphylla, kowhai. Grows up to 10m and is a useful tree for erosion control. Its yellow flowers attract tui.- Aristotelia serrata, fivefinger. Grows up to 8m and can handle most conditions. It provides some birds with purple fruit.- Vitex lucens, puriri. Grows up to 20m and provides food for bellbirds, tuis and kereru all year round.- Hedycarya arborea, pigeonwood. Grows up to 12m and has popular fruit for kereru. Requires shelter from wind for smaller plants.- Podocarpus totara, totara. Grows up to 30m and survives well in different conditions. Also provides orange-red fruit eaten by many native birds.

ReferencesStreamside Planting Guidehttp://www.arc.govt.nz/albany/fms/main/Documents/Environment/Plants%20and%20animals/Riparian%20Planting%20Guide.pdf

Final Protected Land

Development

The circulation network is a combination of walkways/cycleways and roads. After configuring the vegetation on site I tried to find ways of how the roads and cycle/walkways can flow through the site. My though process for the cycle/walkways were for them to follow the edge of the riparian mar-gins throughout the site and into May’s. They flow along the edge of the site to provide good views into the wider landscape and nature intended views. If one wanted to go the commercial area in May’s site, they could by following the outside riparian margin. There are three existing roads that run into my site. Whitford Road is the most dominant which flows into May’s site and straight towards the commercial area which gives a direct link for the residents in my site. Whitford Road also connects up to Botany Downs which is another direct route. Kelly Road and Wade’s Road connect up from Whitford Road. I have placed more roads into my site in a grid like form. I prefer a grid like site because it’s a straight forward way to move around rather than an organic road that lengthens the drive.

Circulation Network

Development

My housing lots were integrated after I had decided what areas needed to be retired. The land that I was left with, are going to be lifestyle blocks which are 2500m ². The single storey houses are 300m ² however, these aren’t the final design and position for the houses. There is a total of 108 dwell-ings. These houses are positioned well because they are surrounded by forests and some houses are able to look over towards the catchment. Some houses will also have a sea view. The houses that would have more value are those that are close to the rivers and riparian margins and close to the sea and/or have great sea view.

Lifestyle Blocks

Final Proposal

This is the final map that integrates the riparian margins, revegetated land, roads, walk/cycleways and lifestyle blocks. The overall site is 144ha. 27ha is used for housing and the remaining 117ha is retired land. This gives the ratio of 23:77 buildable vs non- buildable. The vegetated areas provide a link to other ecological patches. For the planting plan, the main plants and trees that were decided came from a variety of features they provide. Some pro-vide habitats and food for native birds such as the tui and kereru, they provide shelter and shade for other species that have a low tolerance for wind and sun, and they provide a beautiful landscape for the residents. It is as if the ecological shell portrudes through into the residential areas and inter-connect them. The circulation plan moves throughout the site, making it easier for residents and visitors to travel through. It also extends into the wider landscape with a direct route. The overall population is 432.

Master Plan

Final Proposal

Master PlanStormwater Management

Although the stormwater management is part of the next project. A few ideas have emerged to manage stormwater run off. The buffers help to filter the water and slow run off before it enters the sea. It also helps prevent erosion and sediment build up. The life style blocks have enough land for a rain tank which catches the water. The non potable water can only be used for toilets, gardening and laundry. Swales could be inserted along the roads and within residential lots to filter pollutants and they look like a natural feature. The reasons why I placed the houses close to the road is because it shortens the length of the driveway which carries pollutants from soil and tyres. The materials used could be gobi blocks which are a type of pervious paving.