My Account
It goes without saying that Rodney is blessed with a vast network of reserves and parks, both local and regional. For all their untouched natural beauty, why is it that some of these open spaces aren’t being enjoyed as much as they should?
Perhaps it’s because they aren’t reflective of the vision our community has for them. Think of a warm summer’s day in Warkworth. Your family strolls along the riverfront boardwalk into town, heading for the pop-up dining precinct on Baxter Street. You order a gelato and place yourself on one of a number of beanbags arranged under a kowhai tree. You settle down to enjoy the live band performance as the kids head over to Lucy Moore Park to play on the in-ground trampolines.
This kind of thing is known as “Place Activation”, which means ‘enlivening our public spaces, through the staging of events or temporary physical alternation, in ways that engage the community’. Place Activation takes an innovative approach, making otherwise underutilised areas more inclusive and memorable.
A key feature of these interventions is that they are temporary and cheap, allowing designers to take risks and be playful with ideas. Also, the wider community benefits as the temporary “activations” are easily transportable and able to be gathered up and moved around our vast region with ease. If successful, these activations could be incorporated into some of our town’s planning and re-created in a more permanent way in the future.
With Warkworth’s projected growth, exploring the potential of our open spaces, sooner rather than later, could help shape the north-eastern Rodney of tomorrow. Opening up the use of these local pockets of paradise will create more vibrant, inclusive, community-centred spaces.
Tessa Burger, Rodney Local Board
tessa.berger@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
