Collaborative student and community design in a time of climate change : planning a flood-resilient waterfront in New Zealand

Abstract

The environmental effects of climate change pose numerous issues to urban development located along coastal areas. New Zealand, an island nation surround by the Pacific Ocean, is facing great challenges caused by sea-level rise and more frequent extreme storm events. Therefore, planning resilient water fronts that adapt to the changing climate is vital to the creation of sustainable urban development in New Zealand coastal cities.

Although research on rising sea levels has led to several national guidelines and policies, plans and actions have not been adequately developed at the local and community levels. To deliver a climate adaptation plan that could motivate the local communities requires innovative design solutions and close engagement with community members to ensure real needs are met.

This article presents a case study in Whangarei, New Zealand that demonstrates how student-community engagement can shape a sustainable urban water front adapted to the changing climate. The Hīhīaua Peninsula project was initiated by Moment North (MN), a community group founded in 2016 based on Northland Region, in collaboration with the Hīhīaua Community and Unitec Institute of Technology. Hīhīaua Peninsula was chosen as the first project because of its central local, its waterfront features as [well as] its consistency with plans from the Whangarei District Council.