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New Plymouth Foreshore

Fast facts

Location: New Plymouth central city and foreshore

Construction: 1995-2003

Owner: New Plymouth District Council

Design: Isthmus Group Ltd, Richard Bain

Coastal Engineering: Tonkin & Taylor Structural and Civil

Engineering: Apex Consultants

Case study researchers: Guy Protheroe, David Irwin and Jo Soanes, Isthmus Group Limited

Key statistics

Area of open space: Foreshore development extends 6 km

Project cost: Works to date on the CBD total $8 million; Foreshore development $9 million

Photo: Len Lye 'Wind Wand'.

Photo: Mountain to Sea master plan (not to scale).

Introduction

New Plymouth is a provincial city servicing the rural and oil industry sector. Its urban form and evolution reflect the development of its port, rail and road infrastructure. The central city area has developed in a somewhat ad-hoc and fragmented manner, aggravated by creating a pedestrian mall in the 1980s in part of Devon Street, the main commercial street.

Recognising the complexity of the issues, the District Council engaged Isthmus Group in 1995 to develop a master plan for the redevelopment of the central city. Entitled "Mountain to the Sea" it proposed a physical and visual link between Devon Street and the city's isolated amenities and facilities including the museum, Huatoki Stream and the waterfront. The intention underpinning the plan was to turn the city towards the sea.

The master plan has since stimulated the development of several other major projects.

Design process

The Mountain to Sea master plan provided a strategy for the overall development of the central city. The whole master plan development process was design-led. It ensured that every asset manager in the Council was thinking of the wider context, and it created a common focus throughout the different departments.

A list of projects developed out of the master plan. Although the foreshore was ranked as the highest priority project, the redevelopment of the Devon Street CBD area was first to occur. The CBD area project centred around a concept booklet that provided the basis for consultation with Council, iwi and identified project groups.

The development of the foreshore began with the Council preparing three concepts, which ranged from a heavily developed scheme with a strong commercial emphasis, to a very natural approach. The concepts were tested through extensive public consultation that contributed to the final concept. There was no direct economic objective underlying the proposal.

The community saw the foreshore as a space that they could use recreationally, and that should have a strong environmental flavour and connection back to the city. They wanted a design that picked up on the rugged nature of the west coast.

Urban design issues

The Mountain to Sea master plan highlighted the following design issues:

  • the physical separation of the commercial area of the city from the sea by a main arterial route and active railway line
  • the poor integration of open space areas including the unused and hidden Huatoki Stream
  • the unfulfilled potential of the foreshore reserve, which was essentially an abandoned area with a deteriorating seawall. It did, however, have a series of popular but unconnected beaches
  • the need for a street upgrade in the CBD, beginning with Devon Street
  • the City's lack of association with its natural setting
  • the need for strong robust elements and materials to withstand the forces of the west coast.

Some issues were relevant to many other New Zealand contexts:

  • providing strong linkages between existing amenities
  • overcoming the constraints of existing infrastructure and development
  • providing strong connections between urban and natural environments
  • maximising recreation opportunities within urban development
  • responding to natural conditions and using appropriate materials and design sources.

Evaluation - urban design principles

Context

The Mountain to the Sea project had the overall objectives of creating a physical and visual link from Devon Street to other amenities within the city and in particular the waterfront. The upgrade of Devon Street included the removal of the existing pedestrian mall, which improved vehicle and pedestrian flows. It allowed for a stronger link and higher profile to be given to the cultural centre and waterfront, and provided greater focus and concentration of activities in the central area. The extended museum and foreshore development have also been important catalysts with flow on effects for adjoining commercial activities.

Character

The CBD development featured high quality, long lasting street furniture in a restrained classical design. Simple robust materials were used, such as bluestone paving that complemented the maturity and solid character of the existing buildings. These materials also recognised the volcanic history of the district at the base of Mt Taranaki.

The foreshore project has become New Plymouth's most popular project, and ranks first in preference for public spending. It is seen as a celebration of the coast's wild nature. Considerable thought has gone into the use of materials that reflect this. The Len Lye 'Wind Wand' sculpture has been incorporated and has become a significant landmark. The popularity of the Wind Wand has created opportunities for further sculptures.

Choice

The development has opened up more of the city for retail and other uses and created a park outside Puke Ariki (the museum). The park area is multi-use and the promenade allows for both passive and active recreation.

The only remaining issue with the foreshore is its popularity. It has increased pressure from competing activities including biking, roller-blading, jogging and walking, and it was this pressure that initially motivated the project's completion earlier than originally planned.

Connections

The design strengthens the links across the city and extends the existing city grid across the arterial road and railway line over to the foreshore. Finger piers carry the grid right to the sea edge, while the main pier forms the heart of the foreshore project.

The design reconnects Puke Ariki with the foreshore by an extra-wide pedestrian crossing, an upgraded pedestrian underpass and two overbridges, thus ensuring the existing road and railway do not divide the city from the sea.

Creativity

The scheme incorporates strong design features and landmark sculptural elements into the foreshore area. The design has been a catalyst for regeneration of the area.

Custodianship

The previously hidden Huatoki Stream is now a vital connection between the city and the sea. The development now extends from the CBD, follows a paved walkway that drops below the level of the road, and connects to the main pier that extends out into the Tasman Sea.

The promenade recognises the environmental conditions that are characteristic of the west coast. Design features like the main pier cantilevered over sea, and the promenade without an edge accentuate a sense of being on-the-edge and connect people in a very immediate way with their environment.

Collaboration

The master plan process was very much design-led, and involved extensive consultation with iwi, identified project groups and the wider community.

Through this process the importance of the connection between the city and the foreshore was stressed, as was the recreational use of the foreshore. The public favoured a design that would acknowledge and celebrate the rugged nature of the west coast.

Lessons learnt

One of the key points to take from the development process is that it takes time to develop a robust plan that is able to persist and work as Council political agendas change.

Research shows that recreation is often underestimated as a catalyst for successful urban development. We also know from research that the heart of a city does not have to be a traditional main street or square. It can also be a foreshore, and it can be recreation-led.

The project has also highlighted a number of important issues about managing infrastructure. These include:

  • the need for the co-ordinated integration of open space areas
  • the need to maintain transportation corridors while providing good pedestrian access to the waterfront
  • the retention of the functions of streams as part of stormwater provision
  • the long term strengthening of foreshore protection while providing for recreation.

Value gained

The city redevelopment and in particular the foreshore now form a central part of the city's marketing strategy, helping to reposition New Plymouth as a fashionable place to visit and live. Anecdotal evidence indicates numerous economic, social and environmental benefits although no formal study has yet been completed. The following changes have been noted.

Economic benefits

  • Houses are marketed by their proximity to the walkway, and residential property prices have increased significantly.
  • Accommodation operators have indicated visitors are extending their stay to enjoy the foreshore/coastal walkway.
  • There are new major apartment block developments in the vicinity of the foreshore.
  • A new hotel has been constructed on a central site opposite the foreshore.

Social benefits

  • Identity and pride of place.
  • Recreation opportunities particularly walking and cycling.
  • Enhancement and better integration of the open space network.

Environmental benefits

  • Retention of foreshore embankment.
  • Improvement of stream path.

This project illustrates what can be achieved with an enthusiastic client, and a design-led team on site, in a project that could easily have been dominated by its engineering requirements. Instead, urban design, park design, recreation and engineering requirements have been considered together to provide a design-led response.

The success of the foreshore project has been recognised with the following awards:

  • Gold design award, 2002, NZ Institute of Landscape Architects National Awards
  • outstanding project award, 2003 - NZ Recreation Association.

Comments

"What we have got is a really good solution although there are still a few of the pieces of the jigsaw to put in place. The public continues to push the Council to do so."

- Grant Porteus, New Plymouth District Council

Community comments

Comments published in magazine articles, newspapers and letters of endorsement since the project was built:

  • "All along the walkway, one thing becomes obvious. People enjoy just being there. The view, the sounds and smell of the sea."
  • "The walkway flouts all the normal conventions of something designed by a committee."
  • "From the vision that was articulated by the Urban Design Group the implementation has exceeded our highest expectations in terms of design integrity. In particular the integration of a major public artwork, Wind Wand, into an urban upgrade is as good as, if not better than, anything I have seen around the world."

Photo: Abandoned foreshore before development.

Photo: Foreshore walkway.

Photo: Pier on the foreshore.

Photo: Sketch of foreshore development illustrating finger piers extending from city grid to the sea.

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