Over the last three months, the Wellington City Council Public Space Design and Urban Regeneration teams have been working with students from the Landscape Architecture programme at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington on an exhibition project through a series of lectures, workshops, and reviews.
An objective of the project was to create an attractive urban environment for residents, and a connected network of public spaces to allow for easy socialising, a connection to the environment, and a commitment to a sustainable eco-city.
The exhibition is designed to encourage discussions about the future of Te Aro, and how it could be designed to enable more sustainable transport options combined with high-density housing that prioritises the environment and social cohesion.
Mayor Tory Whanau says it’s exciting to see what the future planners of the city have come up with.
“As a city, Wellington is constantly evolving and changing to keep up with our residents’ needs.
“To have students showing how Te Aro could be designed to be more environmentally sustainable and socially connected feeds into the conversation of how Wellington might look in the future—and I look forward to seeing that.”
The postgraduate landscape architecture students have been working on the project across the first trimester of 2023, doing both group and individual work under the supervision of Carles Martinez Almoyna Gual from Te Herenga Waka’s School of Architecture.
“Landscape architects have a lot to say in the debate about how we re-consider urban densification in Aotearoa New Zealand, raising the importance of the space between buildings to create real neighbourhoods”, says Carles Martinez Almoyna Gaul.
“The ideas explored by the students include creating a network of better connected streets and laneways where pedestrian space is maximised, biodiversity is enhanced, and stormwater management is improved.”
Carles Martinez Almoyna Gaul says that the options improve the current network of Te Aro’s public spaces by, for example, creating new laneways, ‘daylighting’ old streams, and creating new parks.
“We have been delighted to collaborate with the teams at Wellington City Council. One of our goals as a university is to continue engaging with our city, and this work reinforces that role as we contribute to the ongoing discussions around the future of Wellington.”
Exhibition details
The exhibition is located at Te Pokapū Hapori community centre at 105 Manners Street.
- Student presentations Tuesday 13 June, 1-4pm
- Open Exhibition Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 June, 10.30am-5pm
- Final exhibition day Saturday 17 June, 12-3pm