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Safer cycling networks in Auckland
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can cycling networks become safer in Auckland?
ABSTRACT:
High-density cities worldwide are trying to reduce the amount of motorised transportation mode usage and use a sustainable alternative such as cycling. It is clear that cycling offers significant environmental, financial, and health benefits. This paper is set up to investigate how the cycling network can be made safer in Auckland.
Auckland is the largest urban region in New Zealand and has the challenges of a growing population and, accordingly, ongoing urban growth. A Snapshot of Cycling in Auckland (2017), released annually by the Ministry of Transport, shows the rate of cycling in 2016 was only two percent, in comparison to the other travel modes, such as motorised vehicles, public transport, and so on. In a recent report, The Stuff (Flahive, 2019) comments that Auckland riders had increased by 8.9 percent in a year, compared to the previous 12 months. The increasing trend in biking requires more facilities, safer cycleways, and convenient routes. As well, reducing car dependency can preserve Auckland’s green network and help keep future growth ecofriendly and sustainable.
This thesis concludes with pragmatic solutions to enhance the biking corridor’s safety and make cycling an irresistible option. In this paper, Auckland’s current characteristics and its future challenges and plans are investigated. The project method defines appropriate environmental, social, and technical criteria drawn from the literature relating to New Urbanism and Sustainable Mobility and tests three different case studies. Furthermore, relevant road codes and Te Aranga principles are studied. This paper offers a safe practical design that is evocative of interest in cycling as a prime form of transportation by retrofitting five high-risk zones including intersections, T-junctions, driveways, parallel parking, and bus stops. Moreover, an entertainment/ social zone is promoted to expand social willingness and economic growth.
Project site: Intersection of Great South Road and Kerrs Roa
Exploring sustainability in community based natural resource management groups in Southland, New Zealand
No full textAIM
To investigate the experience of locals who are involved in Community Based Natural Resource Management groups in Southland, NZ, and their thoughts on sustainability of groups
Counting straw : the capacity of New Zealand's grain growing sector to supply straw for construction
No full textThe New Zealand Government has made a commitment to build 100,000 new dwellings over the next 10 years under its Kiwibuild programme. It has also made a commitment, under the Paris Accord, to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The embodied CO2 emissions of the materials used to build 100,000 houses are therefore a critical consideration. Increased use of bio-based materials, like straw, could significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the construction industry, but are New Zealand farmers able to produce enough straw? Floor plans of two typical timber framed three-bedroom Kiwibuild houses were adjusted to incorporate an experimental timber and straw bale wall panel system and the number of straw bales required was established. The quantity of straw produced annually in Aotearoa New Zealand and the number of bales available for construction was calculated using industry data. The results show that at current production levels there is enough straw available to build more than ten percent of the total number of detached houses consented in 2017, clearly demonstrating that the grain growing sector does have the capacity to supply enough straw
Back to earth : earth building in Aotearoa New Zealand 1945-65
No full textEarth was once widely used as a building material in Aotearoa New Zealand; it was an integral part of the vernacular architecture. Māori used earth in various ways and nineteenth century European settlers brought earthen technologies from their countries of origin. Cob, sod, adobe, wattle and daub, and rammed earth were adapted to suit the local materials, and many of these early buildings still survive. However, earth construction fell out of favour during the twentieth century; by 1925 it was all but non-existent.
After WW2 a new interest emerged in a number of places, for reasons that varied with circumstance. At Riverside, a fledgling pacifist community near Nelson, the motivation was pragmatic. They had no houses, no money and plenty of suitable soil. In Whanganui, returning soldiers, inspired by the earthen houses they experienced while stationed in Europe, built earth houses for their families. Neither group of builders looked back to pioneer traditions, rather, they looked to modern technology and current research in soil engineering, in particular the work being carried out at the University of Canterbury by P.J. ('Pip') Alley.
Alley was motivated by his concern for the wholesale felling of native forests for house building. His experiments with Canterbury soils showed they were imminently suitable for soil cement wall construction and subsequent publication of his research attracted the attention of both owner builders and commercial builders who built houses under his guidance.
However, Alley’s vision of earthen walled houses once more becoming part of the vernacular is yet to be realised. Using a combination of published and unpublished literature, interviews, and critical investigation of surviving houses in five locations, this paper looks back and seeks to record and interrogate a key moment in the history of earth building in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Aotearoa is a long way from anywhere. When organised settlement began in the mid nineteenth century immigrants brought building techniques, including earthen ones, from their distant homelands. Earthen walled houses were common place until processed timber became available in sufficient quantity to supplant the use of earth as the major construction technique for house building. By the 1930s building with earth had become rare in Aotearoa New Zealand, but after the second world war a new interest emerged. That interest occurred in a number of places and the reasons for its reappearance varied according to circumstance. At the fledgling pacifist community at Riverside near Nelson the motivation was pragmatic: they had no houses, no money and plenty of suitable soil
Snack (re)formulation in the improvement of health effects on glycaemia and satiety responses: preliminary results
No full textSnacking impacts the overall quality of dietary patterns, nutrition and health outcomes. Highly processed snack foods are normally unhealthy due to higher saturated fat content, refined grains (carbohydrates), and artificial ingredients. Snack product (re)formulation using plant-based wholesome ingredients has the potential to improve health effects including glycaemia, satiety responses, and lipid metabolism. Oat (Avena sativa L. ) has gained increased popularity as a food item in recent decades due to its perceived or real health benefits, principally related to the bran content of oats. We have developed a healthier snack prototype using rolled oats as main ingredients. Other ingredients include oat bran, dried fruits, and nuts. For initial trials, these ingredients were combined in various combinations and composition to produce a formula having a good nutrient profile score (≤4) that meets the criteria of FSANZ for making health-related claims. The proportions of the ingredients in the formula were adjusted to enable higher fiber and protein contents. From the initial 10 combinations prepared, one prototype was selected based on four quality attributes (visual appearance, texture, taste, and water activity). The selected prototype was tested for glycemic index (n = 10) and consumer liking (n = 67). Our preliminary results demonstrated that the prototype has a low glycemic index, favorable satiety effects compared with glucose, and has acceptable taste compared with two commercial products. This formulation will be refined further when we plan to assess its effects on glycaemia and insulin profiles. High value nutrition is the New Zealand national science challenge. An approach of developing healthier snack products with verifiable health-related claims through (re)formulation could be translated into relevant dietary changes associated with potential improvement in public health
Kakala : a cultural research framework engaging at-risk youth
No full textBackground Information
My companions in research
Methodology
Kakala Research Framework
Kakala in action
How did Kakala enhance the research process?
Conclusio
An exploratory study of the potential for SMEs in New Zealand to learn from Chinese SMEs regarding digital marketing
No full text"An Exploratory Study of the Potential for SMEs in New Zealand to Learn from Chinese SMEs regarding Digital Marketing" aims to investigate the potential for improving New Zealand SMEs’ digital marketing capabilities by learning from Chinese SMEs. Digital marketing can increase SMEs’ competitiveness, while digital marketing development and innovation in China received little attention from academic literature.
Therefore, this study is seeking to answer the main question:
What is the potential for New Zealand SMEs to develop their digital marketing capabilities by learning from the experience of Chinese SMEs’ adoption of digital marketing applications?
The main question can be further broken-down to two subside questions:
1) How are SMEs in China adopting digital marketing strategies and platforms?
2) Can New Zealand SMEs learn from Chinese SMEs’ adoption of digital marketing for SMEs in New Zealand?
Survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Chinese participants to gain insights of digital marketing applications by Chinese SMEs. After acquiring data from Chinese participants and building the framework of online marketing strategies and platforms in China based on data analysis, semi-structured interview questions were designed and interviews were conducted with 5 New Zealand participants. Findings from this study reveals that Chinese SMEs increase their online customer traffic through three resources: e-commerce platform, social media, and private traffic, a controllable traffic pool of loyal customers or brands’ social media followers. In addition, digital marketing technologies from China have the potential of being transferred to New Zealand, however the process can be long-term due to cultural and attitude barriers. This study also suggests a tentative model examining the likelihood of transferring (LOT) based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
The neo-liberal experiment at Unitec. Burning down the house! What happened – what we learnt - and ideas on guarding our future tertiary sector
No full textRe-urbanising the small: An exploration of urban design principles in small-town new zealand - Te Awaroa (Helensville)
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION:
How can established urban design principles be implemented in Te Awaroa?
ABSTRACT:
City’s rapid growth can impact on nearby settlements, in this case, Te Awaroa (also known as Helensville), a small township located Northwest of Auckland. Te Awaroa has transformed over recent decades from a small rural community to a growing suburban town. Because of its relatively close location to Auckland City and its ongoing pattern of growth, Te Awaroa has become a target for Auckland Council Unitary Plan. The policy, broadly speaking, involves building overspill houses around Te Awaroa. The housing development has already begun, yet no policy for increasing infrastructure for the area. These developments have already resulted in significant congestion issues within the town centre and an increase in vehicle dependence, given the lack of public transport in Te Awaroa.
The growth problems are not unique to Te Awaroa with similar issues faced by nearby Hobsonville point and Rolleston, two of the fastest-growing housing developments in New Zealand, which has resulted in dormitory towns with inadequate infrastructure. Rodney District Council has currently undertaken limited planning to respond to the needs of the growing population. The town has a ‘Township Enhancement Plan’, which includes the Commercial Road streetscape plan, trees, seats and patternwork. Given these plan’s narrow scope, it appears to be poorly suited for the needs of the township.
This research focuses on the infrastructure required in Te Awaroa to cope with increasing demands on both the civic and commercial facilities in the town. As part of this research, a masterplan, alongside a more detailed hub design for Te Awaroa has been produced based on five traditional urban design principles2 and the Te Aranga Principles3. The masterplan pays particular attention to protecting heritage buildings, creating a more pedestrian-friendly town centre, providing more civic amenities and public spaces. It also seeks to take advantage of the river and increase the access for recreation and tourism. The hub plan includes an arcade, a public centre, boardwalks, public transport nodes, green spaces and mixeduse developments. The outcomes of this research include a masterplan and a comprehensive, detailed hub design proposal.
Through more significant attention to research by design approach through producing exploratory mapping and drawings indicated the significant constraints and opportunities of the central area. Key findings such as the lack of walkability, liveliness and community interaction influenced the research, uncovering vital principles with the potential to revitalise the township. Further research of precedents offers architectural interventions proposed for Te Awaroa provide a powerful platform for the growth and community wellbeing. Through the use of a series of research by design approach through producing exploratory mapping, drawings and precedents. This project design intends to ensure that Te Awaroa becomes a destination or tourist node within the greater Auckland region. Fundamentally this would create a thriving town centre that can rival the ongoing population growth.
2 Note: Walkability, permeability, legibility, centrality and diversity. 3 Note: Mana Rangatiratanga (authority), Whakapapa (names and naming), Taiao (the natural environment), Mauri tū (environmental health), Mahi Toi (creative expression), Tohu (the wider cultural landscape), and Ahi kā (the living presence)
‘Here is my space; the nobleness of life is to do thus’: democratizing performance and emboding presence at the Pop-up Globe Theatre in Auckland
No full textThis paper considers elemental, performative, and spatial opportunities available to actors, directors, and audience in the construction of performance on the open-air stage. This stems from reflection and evidence gained while directing and producing a heavilyedited, contemporary reworking of Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra at the Pop-up Globe Theatre’s inaugural season in Auckland (March-April 2016). This temporary spatial response to Shakespeare gave birth to something quite new in the South Pacific that has since been iterated many times, and proven to be a successful exercise in democratizing performance for man