3 Results: Organisations Conducting Research

University of Auckland, School of Architecture

Dr Nalanie Mithraratne (Lecturer)

26 Symonds Street
Private Bag 92 019
Auckland

Phone: (09) 373 7599 ext 83790
Fax: (09) 373 7694
Email: n.mithraratne@auckland.ac.nz
Website: www.auckland.ac.nz

In planning:

Nil.

In progress:

Title:

'Resource efficiency of medium density housing in New Zealand'

Purpose:

To investigate:

• use of passive solar design for medium density housing in Auckland
• economic and energy implications of medium density developments
• to derive the optimum specification for passive solar housing in Auckland.

Title:

'Sustainable earth fibre housing'

Purpose:

To investigate:

• the structural viability of using earth fibre composite material panels for residential constructions
• ways of influencing the Building Code to embrace the use of such alternative construction practices
• the development of a construction approach that addresses health issues related to conventional low cost housing solutions.

Co-researchers:

Brian Morgan, Hugh Morris, Dr Krishnan Jayaraman, Dr Xun Xu.

Completed:

Title:

Life Cycle Resource Efficiency in the Building Industry (2002)

Purpose:

To investigate the environmental cost and energy impacts of techniques associated with low energy housing in New Zealand.

Co-researchers:

Professor Brenda Vale, Dr Carol Boyle, Dr Suzanne Wilkinson.

University of Auckland, Department of Planning

Professor Jenny Dixon (Head of Department)

Private Bag 92 019
Auckland

Phone: (09) 373 7599
Fax: (09) 373 7652
Email: j.dixon@auckland.ac.nz
Website: www.auckland.ac.nz

In planning:

Title (provisional):

'Low Impact Design and Development'

Purpose:

A six-year project (2003-2009) exploring the uptake and implementation of low impact design practices, funded by FRST with Landcare Research as lead provider.

Co-researchers:

J Dixon, M van Roon, V Heslop, H van Roon, C Dempsey, C Feeney, C Eason, A Greenaway, M Krausse, S Pandey.

In progress:

Title:

'Learning Sustainability - with an emphasis on urban form'

Purpose:

A six-year project (2003-2009) exploring the relationship between urban form and sustainability, funded by FRST with OPUS consultants as lead provider.

Co-researchers:

J Dixon, H van Roon, C Dempsey, C Eason, R Vale, A Greenaway, S Ghosh, D Rutledge.

Completed:

Title:

The Influence of Physical Settings on Behaviour of Shopping Pedestrians in the CBD - PhD thesis (2001)

Purpose:

An investigation into hoe street characteristics influenced shopping pedestrians' route choice behaviour in CBD, using Nairobi as a case study.

Co-researcher:

F Mburu.

Title:

Housing Our People in Our Environment. The Queenstown Lakes District Affordable Housing Strategy (June 2005)

Purpose:

A strategy for provision of affordable housing in Queenstown Lakes District

Co-researchers:

PM Austin and D Mead, Hill Young Cooper, Auckland.

Title:

The Creative City - MPlan thesis (2004)

Purpose:

An assessment of Wellington and Brisbane in respect of 'creative cities' criteria in Landry and Bianchini, 1995.

Co-researcher:

A Wood.

Title:

Housing Affordability in Queenstown Lakes District - The Nature and Extent of Housing Affordability Issues in the District (June 2004)

Purpose:

A report for the Queenstown Lakes District Council examining housing affordability issues in Queenstown Lakes District.

Co-researchers:

PM Austin, Hill Young Cooper.

Title:

A Great Big Living Room: or the Creation of Plazas Using Bonus Floor Area Provisions in District Plans - MPlan thesis (2003)

Purpose:

An examination of bonus rights provisions in Auckland City's District Plan and the results of provisions analysed in terms of design criteria.

Co-researcher:

C Dempsey.

Title:

Issues, Goals and Options - for the Development of a Community Housing Strategy (September 2004)

Purpose:

A scoping report for the Queenstown Lakes District Council setting out the development of a community housing strategy.

Co-researchers:

PM Austin, Hill Young Cooper.

Title:

Living the Highlife: A review of apartment living in inner city Auckland (2004)

Purpose:

A report prepared for the Building Industry Authority (now Department of Building and Housing), Wellington, reviewing trends and nature of apartment development, how well these apartments meet the needs of their occupants, and how these trends may influence long term durability and amenity of high density housing.

Co-researchers:

V Heslop, P Lysnar, J Dixon, L Murphy, E Haarhoff, P Fu.

Comments:

The Architecture, Property and Planning Library at the University of Auckland also holds a number of BPlan and MPlanPrac research projects on urban design topics.

Papers

Vale R, Dixon J. 2005. The battle for hearts and minds: Sustainable design and sustainable behaviour, Urbanism Down Under Conference, Wellington,18-20 August. [Explores the relationship between sustainable design and behaviour with reference to overseas and New Zealand examples of residential developments.]

Freeman C, Aitken Rose E. 2005. Future Shapers: Children, young people and planning in New Zealand local government. Environment and Planning: Government and Policy, Vol 23(2), April: 227-246. [An investigation of involvement of children and young people in planning practices.]

Eason V, van Roon M, Dixon J. 2005. The challenge of implementing low impact urban design and development requiring a transdisciplinary approach. International Conference for Integrating Urban Knowledge and Practice, Gothenburg, Sweden, 30 May - 3 June. [A paper that outlines some key issues in respect of implementing LIUDD in New Zealand.]

Heslop V, Lysnar P, Dixon J, Eason CT. 2004. Understanding Developers' Perspectives in Sustainable Urban Design. Sustainable Cities Conference, 16-18 June, Sienna. [A short paper summarising research on developers' perspectives on sustainable design.]

Dixon J, Dupuis A, Lysnar P. 2004. Gated Communities: Urban Innovation or Fortification. Planning Quarterly 152: 9-12. [A brief overview of key debates in the literature and implications for planning and design.]

Austin PM. 2004. Housing Choice Versus Housing Affordability: Can New Zealand Planning Cope? Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, 20 July. [An examination of the policy gaps between national level housing strategies and local planning.]

Austin PM. 2004. Sustainable Communities or Exclusive Neighbourhoods? Housing Studies Association Conference, Planning and Housing: Policy and Practice, Belfast, Ireland, 9-10 September. [An examination of Auckland City Council's liveable community strategy from a diversity perspective.]

Freeman C, Aitken Rose E, Johnston E. 2004. Generating the Future? The State of Local Government Planning for Children and Young People in New Zealand. Report on Research Findings. Dunedin, New Zealand, Department of Geography, University of Otago. [A report looking at planning for children and young people in local government.]

Zöllner EF. 2004. The Economics of Urban Design. Australian Planner, July: 40-41.

Zöllner EF. 2003. Will Urban Design Destroy Planning? New Zealand Planning Quarterly, December, 8-9. [A brief look at difficulties in designing urban design.]

van Roon MR. 2003. New Zealand Progress in the Implementation of Water Sensitive (Low Impact) Urban Design: The Key to Urban Stream Ecosystem Protection. Paper presented at the Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8-10 December. [A paper that reviews New Zealand's progress in implementing low impact design.]

Dixon J, Dupuis A. 2003. Gatedness and Governance: Residential Intensification in Auckland, New Zealand. Paper presented at the Gated Communities: Building Social Division or Safer Communities? Conference, University of Glasgow, 18-19 September. [A paper that presents a preliminary typology of gatedness.]

Dixon J, Lysnar P, Heslop V. 2003. Sustainable Urban Design: What is standing in the way? A pilot study of barriers and impediments. Report prepared for Landcare Research Ltd, Auckland, 52. [A report of a set of interviews with developers on their views of sustainable design.]

Austin PM. 2003. Restoration and Revegetation Projects in Urban Parks. Community Perceptions of Personal Safety: Lessons from Waitakere's Green Network. Greening the City: Bringing Biodiversity Back into the Urban Environment. Conference of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, Christchurch, 22-25 October. [Reports lessons from revegetation projects in Waitakere City.]

Dixon J, Dupuis A. 2003. Urban Intensification in Auckland, New Zealand: A Challenge for New Urbanism. Housing Studies 18(3): 353-68. [An analysis of a case study at New Lynn, Waitakere City, in respect of new urbanist principles.]

Riddell R. 2004. Sustainable Urban Planning: Tipping the Balance. Blackwell Publishing: Oxford, 335. [Examination of principles and practices in urban and regional planning within the context of environmental sustainability.]

Austin PM. 2002. Providing Safer Public Transport Networks. Invited Paper, Safer Communities Conference, Local Government New Zealand. [Implementation of safer design for North Shore Busway stations.]

Haarhoff E, Brandt D, Aitken Rose E. 2002. Southern Crossings Whaka whitiwhiti au Tonga Proceedings for the Sixth Australasian Urban History/Planning History Conference. Auckland, New Zealand, The University of Auckland, 612. [A collection of papers presented at the conference.]

Dupuis A, Dixon J. 2002. Intensification in Auckland: Issues and Policy Implications. Urban Policy and Research 20(4): 415-428. [An exploration of some key planning and design issues in respect of intensive housing.]

Austin PM. 2000. Affordable Housing and Urban Planning. In: Memon A and Perkins H (eds) Environmental Planning and Management in New Zealand. Dunmore Press Ltd: Palmerston North, 274-283. [Role of councils in planning for affordable housing.]

Fookes TW. 2000. Auckland's Urban Growth Management. In: Memon A and Perkins H (eds) Environmental Planning and Management in New Zealand. Dunmore Press Ltd: Palmerston North, 263-273. [An analysis of the regional growth strategy.]

Austin PM. 2000. Green Network Spaces: Parks as Public Places. Conference Proceedings: Habitus 2000: A Sense of Place Conference, Perth, Western Australia, 5-9 September. [Evaluation of safer design in parks.]

Aitken Rose E. 2000. Engineering Auckland: Heritage Walks in the Central City and Excursions in the Metropolitan Region. The Second Australasian Heritage Conference on Engineering Heritage, Auckland, 14-15 February. [Compilation of comprehensive historical information on engineering works in the Auckland region.]

Du Plessis C, Lunday J, Swanepoel P. 2001. Manual for Sustainable Neighbourhood Development. Government Printers, South Africa. [Guidelines for the development of sustainable neighbourhoods.]

Austin PM. 2001. Community Safety and the Green Network: did we get it right? International Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Conference: Proceedings, Brisbane. [An investigation of CPTED principles in green spaces.]

Austin PM. 2001. Community Safety in North Shore City: Design Guide, Safe Net: North Shore City Council. [A design guide to enhance community safety.]

Dixon JE, Dupuis A, Lysnar P. 2000. Issues in Medium Density Housing: The experience of Ambrico Place, Waitakere City. Planning Quarterly 141: 9-11. [A report on interviews with residents' satisfaction with their housing.]

University of Canterbury, Geography Department

Ross Barnett (Associate Professor)

Private Bag 4800
Ilam
Christchurch

Phone: (03) 366 7001 ext 7915
Fax: (03) 364 2907
Email: ross.barnett@canterbury.ac.nz
Website: www.canterbury.ac.nz

In planning:

Title (provisional):

'Peripheral suburban development and its effects on urban travel patterns'

Purpose:

To examine the extent to which new urban subdivisions in Christchurch have influenced modal choice and journey-to-work patterns.

Co-researchers:

Nick Buchanan, Doug Johnston, Simon Kingham (University of Canterbury).

In progress:

Title:

'Urban social polarisation and health'

Purpose:

To examine the links between social and ethnic segregation, health behaviour and perceived health.

Co-researchers:

Jamie Pearce (University of Canterbury, Graham Moon (University of Portsmouth, UK).

Comments:

There are many projects under this general title, too numerous to list.

Completed:

Title:

Urban Poverty and Access to Primary Health Care (2001)

Purpose:

To investigate the effect of cost barriers on access to primary care, and household and locational variations in the survival strategies of the urban poor.

Title:

Urban Deprivation and Changing Patterns of Hospital Admissions in Christchurch 1990-97 (2003)

Purpose:

To investigate the extent to which social polarisation occurred in patterns of hospital admissions and the reasons for such trends.

Co-researcher:

Greg Lauer (private consultant).

University of Canterbury, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Dr S Krumdieck (Senior Lecturer)

Advanced Energy and Material Systems Laboratory
Engineering Road
Private Bag 4800
Ilam
Christchurch

Phone: (03) 364 2987 ext 7249
Fax: (03) 364 2078
Email: s.krumdieck@mech.canterbury.ac.nz
Website: www.mech.canterbury.ac.nz

In planning:

Title (provisional):

'Sustainable energy transportation architecture'

Purpose:

To incorporate the emerging concepts and goals from sustainable urban planning to bring energy supply and consumption into the picture.

Co-researchers:

Dr Andre Dantas (Christchurch City Council).

Title (provisional):

'Impact of Pellet Fire Uptake on Electricity Network'

Purpose:

Previous studies have shown that large-scale uptake of the new technology of wood pellet fires would represent a sustainable, carbon-neutral, healthy and pollution free future for New Zealand's urban areas such as Christchurch. The new study aims to model and evaluate the impact on the electricity network both in terms of real time operation, and in terms of long term investment and economic viability.

Co-researchers:

Steve Pearce, Solid Energy

Title (provisional):

'Simulated sustainable New Zealand'

Purpose:

To work with computer game programmers (SimCity) and other researchers from energy, infrastructure, urban planning, natural resources, sociology to develop a scenario game with sustainability as the development goal.

Co-researcher:

HITLabNZ.

In progress:

Title:

'Continuity modelling for sustainable engineering'

Purpose:

To incorporate energy supply constraints into systems currently designed with no constraints on energy. We are applying the systems engineering approach and control system theory used in highly constrained systems design (eg, aerospace) to define the methodology for engineering in the next century.

Co-researcher:

Dr Andre Dantas.

Title:

'The petrol-90 plan'

Purpose:

To design and model the transportation system for a medium-sized town (5000 people) where petrol is used for only 10% of the activities. The design uses 90% less fossil fuel than today's system.

Co-researcher:

Dr Andre Dantas.

Title:

'Renewable energy Orbiter'

Purpose:

To design and model a range of possible transportation systems run only on renewable energy which would replicate the Orbiter bus service in Christchurch; and to expand the design goals to determine the most advantageous energy architecture for renewable energy-supplied transportation services.

Co-researcher:

Dr Andre Dantas.

Title:

'Energy requirements for new developments in New Zealand urban areas'

Purpose:

Previous studies have identified and modelled the link between energy and transportation with regard to social and economic activities of an urban area. This study, funded by Land Transport New Zealand Sustainable Land Transport topic area, aims to develop a risk profile for various activity systems associated with certain energy crisis events. The risk assessment will be done for several distinct urban forms.

Co-researcher:

Dr Andre Dantas, Civil Engineering Department.

Title:

'Risk assessment for critical urban activities from energy shortage and disruption events'

Purpose:

To formalise the approach for risk assessment to activity systems from various energy availability scenarios as a function of urban form. The outcome of the research will be a software assisted analysis tool.

Co-researcher:

Dr Andre Dantas, MWH New Zealand.

Title:

'Strategic asset planning'

Purpose:

To develop three 20-year scenarios for investment tactics and the development of renewable-based electric transportation services.

Co-researcher:

Meridian Energy.

Completed:

Title:

Home Heating and Health (2001- ongoing with new project)

Purpose:

To evolve the energy system for home heating in Christchurch to a new state where the 70,000 homes with below World Health Organisation standard indoor air temperatures would be warm and healthy (mould-free) and the air over the city would meet international standards.

Co-researchers:

Christchurch City Council, Nature's Flame.

Title:

Technology Review for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (2003)

Purpose:

To provide technical and realistic evaluation of the potential for fuel cell cars to be part of the consumer market; and to provide technical and realistic evaluation of the realisation of hydrogen as an energy product. Commissioned by PetroChina.

Co-researchers:

Dr Andre Dantas, Professor Eric Wang.

Title:

Strategic Analysis of the Business Opportunities in Future Transportation Markets (2003)

Purpose:

To provide a strategic scenario of investment in transportation system infrastructure and renewable energy resource development to place a major oil company into a profitable position over a 50-year time frame. Commissioned by PetroChina.

Co-researchers:

Dr Andre Dantas, Professor Eric Wang.

Title:

Transport Energy Reliance Analysis for Suburban Shopping Activities (2004)

Purpose:

This Master Thesis research developed a method for analyzing the distribution of shopping trips to a food store which would be at risk of not being possible in the event of a shortage of petrol fuel of one-week duration. The analysis was conducted for one particular urban development in Christchurch. The project included analysis of remedial steps in changing the urban form to reduce risk of not being able to acquire food.

Co-researchers:

Dr Andre Dantas, Michael Saunders (MSc student).