Information Link to some not often thought about zones

 

 

While people are busy talking about residential zones and the centres (town and local (have not seen much on Metropolitan yet)) two particular areas not getting much of mention at the moment is our civic spaces and future urban spaces. Civic spaces other wise known as Public Open Space Zones in the Unitary Plan are our spaces where we get to either enjoy the environment or participate in some kind of recreational activity. Open spaces are often a city’s lungs giving breath to an often bustling urban environment. Open and civic spaces are often forgotten about and as I said not getting much of a mention at the moment (although I believe that amongst other things are changing). With Future Urban Zones; they talk about the rural areas inside the proposed Rural Urban Boundary. I will comment more on this Future Urban Zone in just a moment. But first our open spaces.

 

Public Open Space Zones

 

This is more of an information dump than anything else from the Unitary Plan website. And yes I still get feedback that Unitary Plan is a complex document to navigate both electronically and in paper form so I hope these information dumps help. I will also update the blog index to provide an easy-of-access link to crucial bits of The Clunker such as those zones and centres today.

 

3.2.2 Public Open Space zones

The following provisions form part of the district plan.
Introduction
Conservation
This zone applies to land with significant scenic, landscape, historic heritage, natural, ecological and biodiversity values. To protect these values, activities and development in the zone are limited in scale and intensity. Public access to particularly sensitive areas will be restricted.

Informal recreation
This zone applies to a range of outdoor informal leisure and recreation areas including the coastal marine area.Buildings and structures are generally limited to playground equipment, skate parks, informal hard courts and toilets and changing facilities.
Sports and active recreation
This zone provides for a range of indoor and outdoor organised sporting and active recreation activities. It applies to open space in which sports fields, equestrian activities, hard court areas, greens and associated buildings predominate. Most sites will retain an open, spacious character.
Civic and community spaces
This zone applies to open spaces in squares and plazas in centres and other urban areas. Civic and community spaces are becoming increasingly important as Auckland’s centres intensify and access to high amenity open space is needed for residents. These spaces will provide opportunities for recreation, social interaction and community gatherings and events.

 

 

Conservation zone – Zone description
This zone applies to public open spaces with significant landscape; archaeological, historic and cultural heritage; and natural ecological and biological values, such as volcanic cones, bush reserves, headlands, natural wetlands. The zone has also been applied to closed cemeteries to recognise their cultural heritage values. Generally, the natural elements and unmodified nature of these areas gives them a sense of wilderness and isolation. These special areas make it appropriate to limit the scale and intensity of activities and development, including access in particular circumstances, to ensure there is as little modification to the environment as possible.

 

Informal Recreation zone – Zone description
This zone applies to public open spaces used for outdoor informal recreation activities and community uses, such as walking, resting, picnics, enjoying nature, kicking a ball, cycling and scouting. These informal spaces contribute to the natural and cultural environment and also to the general amenity of the area where they are located. They are also an important part of Auckland’s walkway and cycleway network. Some of these public open spaces adjoin the coast or lakes, rivers and streams and, as such, play a key role in providing people with access to Auckland’s coastal and fresh water. The integrated management of the coastal environment, and in particular the coastal edge and margins of lakes and rivers is of utmost importance to Mana Whenua. Access to these areas needs to be carefully managed to avoid damaging or desecrating areas, features, or sites of significance to Mana Whenua. These spaces provide a range of landbased facilities supporting water recreation and children’s play areas. Buildings and structures are generally limited to playground equipment, skateparks, informal hard courts, toilet and changing facilities, and small-scale community buildings such as scout dens. Limiting the range of activities and development in public open spaces maintains the informal nature of these spaces and the amenity of the surrounding area.

 

Sport and Active Recreation zone – Zone description
This zone applies to public open spaces used for outdoor and indoor organised sports, active recreation and community activities, such as sports fields, equestrian activities, hard court areas and greens. These spaces often include grandstands and clubrooms associated with these uses. Most of these public open spaces have a portion of the site which retains an open character and provides for informal recreation such as jogging and informal games. Given the more intensive nature of these open spaces, they can attract large numbers of people and consequently generate high levels of traffic, noise, glare and other adverse effects.

 

Civic and Community zone – Zone description
This zone applies to public open spaces such as squares and plazas in centres and other urban areas. These public open spaces are becoming increasing important as Auckland’s centres intensify and access to high amenity public open spaces is needed for residents, workers and visitors. These spaces will provide opportunities for recreation, social interaction and community gatherings and events. Buildings and structures that are located within or surrounding civic and community spaces should enhance and form an integral part of these spaces. Civic and community spaces contribute to our sense of identity.
These spaces need to acknowledge and reflect the identities of iwi and hapu in Auckland nga Mana Whenua o Tamaki Makaurau

 

You can see the PDF version (which can be downloaded and printed) on Public Open Space Zones by clicking on the blue link.

 

Future Urban Zones

 

3.2.4 Future Urban zone – The following provisions form part of the district plan. Zone description
This zone is applied to land located on the periphery of existing urban areas within the RUB. This is land the council has determined as suitable for future urban development, which will negate the need for urban development outside of the RUB. This zone is a transitional zone which provides for the land to be used for rural activities until it is developed for urban activities, via the structure plan process.

Objectives

• 1. Rural activities and the functioning of the rural community continue until the land is rezoned for urban development.
• 2. Future urban development is not compromised by premature subdivision, use and development.
• 3. Environmental, landscape, heritage and rural character values are not diminished by rural activities and development.
• 4. Structure planning determines future urban development form and timing.

Policies

• 1. Require a structure plan in accordance with Appendix 1 prior to the rezoning of land for urban development.
• 2. Enable subdivision for network utilities, amendments to a cross lease and minor boundary adjustments and not for other types of subdivision.
• 3. Avoid activities that:
  • a. compromise the efficient and effective operation of the surrounding transport network
  • b. create demand for the provision, or extension of the transport, wastewater, water supply, stormwater networks or other infrastructure ahead of the time it is needed for urban development
  • c. create or extend infrastructure out of sequence or that is not contiguous with the existing network infrastructure
  • d. attract a high proportion of users beyond the local community
  • e. will give rise to reverse sensitivity issues when urban development occurs.
• 4. Enable activities that are reliant on the quality of the soil, require a rural location to operate or which provide for the day to day needs of the local rural community.
• 5. Require building development to maintain a spacious rural character, so that the natural environment is dominant to the built form.
• 6. Avoid additional dwellings on a site.

 

Be on the look out for commentary on the Future Urban Zone as the Rural Urban Boundary comes up for discussion April 30 (which I will be attending).

 

Hope this information dump helps on an often forgotten about aspect of Auckland. It is an aspect we need to consider very carefully as Auckland grows as these spaces are either the lungs of the city or new areas of the city to be developed.

 

BEN ROSS : AUCKLAND