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Temporary installations could be in place for a month, week or one day/night, and are designed to demonstrate how these types of spaces could be better utilised to activate and add vibrancy and life to the town centre. They also provide the opportunity to explore how spaces could be redeveloped without committing to an expensive and permanent upgrade, and allow for experimentation to identify the best use of space.
“Trying to solve congestion by building roads is like trying to solve obesity by loosening one’s belt.” Ludo Campbell-Reid
An inspirational talk on developing a “magical public realm” in Warkworth was delivered by Auckland design champion Ludo Campbell-Reid, when he spoke at the Warkworth Town hall, last month.
Mr Campbell-Reid said that while change was inevitable, what was not inevitable was the quality of that change.
“It will require local leadership, imagination, vision, vigilance, skill and hard work to ensure that as
Warkworth grows, it maintains its essential and unique qualities,” he said. “This will involve discovering new and exciting possibilities for community building, environmental enhancement and economic development.”
About 50 people attended the talk, organised as part of the monthly Town Hall Talks series.
Mr Campbell-Reid said Warkworth’s current population of 4000 was estimated to reach in the next 30 years.
“This scale and pace of transformation is unprecedented in its history and effectively means Warkworth will become both a destination for a growing sub-regional population, as well as home to a larger local resident population that needs quality homes, entertainment, jobs, retail, schools and health services.
“As it becomes more populous, it will become more diverse, intense and complex in both form and function.”
His advice to Warkworth was to energise the heart by:
• Developing a vibrant and attractive town centre destination that serves current and future populations
• Planning for high density residentialliving in the town centre
• Wrapping “bix box retail” with mixed use
• Encouraging local shops and local businesses for local people
• Ensuring Warkworth becomes an exciting nightlife destination
• Protecting and building on the character of the existing town centre such as the Old Masonic Hall and the band rotunda
• Face the river/connect with the river (touch the water)
• Transforming Queen Street for people, not cars
The next Town Hall Talk will be held on October 11, starting at 5.30pm. The speaker will be Auckland Council Wai Ora Partnerships team manager Jonathan Benge (see story here) .
