Showcase
- NZILA Award of Excellence He Iti Pounamu — 2022
The Porirua ‘People Changing Streets’ project was part of the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s sponsored ‘Innovating Streets’ programme which was set up to deliver ‘tactical urbanism’ street interventions.
The project is set within Cannons Creek, eastern Porirua – the location of a large-scale fast-track infrastructure and housing programme will consist of renewal of approximately 2,000 state homes and an additional 2,000 market and affordable houses. People Changing Steets sought to foster and deliver a model for authentic and positive community co-design to deliver safer, more pedestrian friendly streets in the community.
The installatiion comprises a series of interventions improving the street focussed on its pedestrian users - reducing traffic speeds through layout changes and re-prioritised spaces. Streetscape elements are placed to re-prioritise space and ‘shift the dial’ towards pedestrians. The spaces are decorated by local artists collaborating with Russell School and the local community. The project expresses the value of community engagement/co-design in public realm projects. It has successfully made the street feel safer and more inviting. It now reflects its community and has enabled and brought confidence to a group of new community leaders.
The project represents a starting point, a stepping stone, and a positive way forward for a community who are entering into a period of change.
Judges’ Citation:
The Eastern Porirua - People Changing Streets project highlights the essential role of landscape architects working together with people in place.
Part of the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s sponsored ‘Innovating Streets’ programme which was set up to deliver ‘tactical urbanism’ street interventions, this project is set within the Cannons Creek community.
The Studio Pacific Architecture team have demonstrated not only what can be achieved in terms of technical merit and formal expression but also the value of the landscape architect’s skillset in empowering communities to improve the places in which they live on their own terms and to uplift their own champions of place in the process. The installation comprises a series of interventions improving the street focussed on its pedestrian users - reducing traffic speeds through layout changes and re-prioritised spaces.
Proceeding on the sniff of an oily rag hasn’t dissuaded the delivery of a process where the values of local people have been communicated and delivered through effective tactical urbanism.
Client:
Porirua City Council
Company:
Studio Pacific Architecture
Internal collaborators:
Blair Brixton, Josie Horsley, Yuan Zhang, Mark Fletcher
External collaborators:
Porirua City Council, Halo Communications, Wesley Community Action, Creeksiders, The Cannons Creek Community 'Engine Room'.
Collaborators:
- Isabella Cawthorn
- Halo Communications - Angela Bensemann
- Downer – John Ring
- Wesley Community Action - Makerita Makepelu
- Creeksiders – Drew Hadwen
- the Cannons Creek community ‘Engine Room’ :
Debbie Pahl
Des Young
Dee Smylie
Drew Hadwen
Jacqui Edwards
Leilena Sei
Lui Sitama
Margaret Clark
Olivia Wickens
Paula MacEwan
Peter Lynch
Ruby Sei
Toko Angell
Wendy Hing-Mather
Client & Project Management:
Porirua City Council – Jacqueline Lear, Ron Minnema
Luke Benner
Funding:
Waka Kotahi , Porirua City Council and Kainga-Ora
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