Paper presented at the SoLA Symposium in Christchurch, New Zealand, in November 2016.

1. PROMOTING COMFORT
IN A COMPACT FUTURE
Developing Urban Comfort as an analytical tool
Dr Silvia G. Tavares
Professor Simon Swaffield
November 2016

2. DMA: density, mix, accessibility
Background
biophysical activity
experience &
meaning
green
infrastructure
compact
cities
urban
comfort
framework
attractive urban spaces
street trees, courtyards
urban living, local identity,
adaptation

3. • Urban living
• Does it hold the Garden City qualities?
• Does it promote both social and retreat spaces?
• Local identity
• Does it keep the connection with the outdoor values?
• Does it promote recreation and gardening?
• Does it carry the urban-rural connection?
• Adaptation
• Does it provide different spaces and offer choice?
• Does it take into account the importance/relationship of social character and
microclimate?
Background Urban comfort indicators

4. What is the status of urban comfort in the
emerging Christchurch CBD?
Question

5. http://www.strangeand.co/location/
Methodology Nolli’s map

6. Analysis of three points in time
1. Pre-earthquake
2. Post-earthquake & the temporary sites
3. Blueprint & current landscape
Methodology The study
blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

7. pre-EQ

8. pre-EQ
New Regent St - 2007

9. pre-EQ
Chancery Lane - 2007
New Regent St - 2007

10. Liverpool St - 2007
pre-EQ
Chancery Lane - 2007
New Regent St - 2007

11. pre-EQ
Poplar Lane - 2007

12. Poplar Lane - 2007
Poplar Lane - 2007
pre-EQ
Sol Square - 2007
Sol Square - 2007

13. Tattersalls Lane - 2007
pre-EQ

14. Tattersalls Lane - 2007
Litchfield Carpark Lane - 2007
pre-EQ

15. Press Lane - 2007
Cathedral Junction - 2007
pre-EQ

16. pre-EQ

17. pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

18. 2010 2015
blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

19. Cathedral Junction - 2015
Tattersalls Lane- 2015
Press Lane- 2015 Sol Square - 2015
Litchfield Carpark - 2015Poplar Lane - 2015
New Regent Street - 2015
Liverpool Street - 2015
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites
Chancery Lane - 2015

20. pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

21. “He outlined some of the key ideas
that came from the public during
that process, including the need for
more green spaces and the desire
to become a "more iconic place"
and create "a more human scale
environment.“ (Sachdeva and
Mathewson, 2011)
“It's about a safe, sustainable,
high-tech, low-rise city in a
garden" Mayor Bob Parker said.
(Sachdeva and Mathewson, 2011)
Share an Idea
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

22. Despite its promise, there was discontent about the extent to which community
ideas were translated into decision-making. For some citizens who engaged with
Share an Idea, it was difficult to see how their ideas fed into the final plan,
leading to a feeling that their time and effort was wasted, and that central
government powers did not engage as expected. Though it would be impossible
to please all who shared their ideas, the experience indicated that more could be
done to assure the community of the integrity of the process. (…)
(Salmon, 2015: 145)
Share an Idea

23. pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

24. Ideas to Reality
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites
blueprint&
current

25. blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

26. blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

27. blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites
Cashel Mall
08 November
1.00pm
Cashel Mall
08 November
1.10pm

28. blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites
21 July
21 June
21 August
21 September
21 October
21 November
21 December

29. blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

30. blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

31. 2010 2016
blueprint&
current
pre-EQ
post-EQ+
temporarysites

32. Conclusion
Urban comfort indicators Better Worse
Urban living Garden City p
Social & retreat spaces p
Local identity Connection to the outdoors p
Recreation & gardening x
Urban & rural connections x
Adaptation Various types of spaces & microclimate ? ?
Social character & microclimate ? ?

33. • Share an Idea has been controversial & Ideas to Reality have not considered:
• Small courtyards
• Microclimate
• Streets as social spaces
• Subtle but important shifts in the character of public spaces:
• Control
• Social character
• Height of buildings
Conclusion

34. • Share an Idea has been controversial & Ideas to Reality have not considered:
• Small courtyards
• Microclimate
• Streets as social spaces
• Subtle but important shifts in the character of public spaces:
• Control
• Social character
• Height of buildings
Conclusion
What could be improved?
• Benign microclimate and retreat spaces should be for everyone – policy
defining an urban form
• Windbreaks should permeate the design and be found in many scales – from
the urban form itself, to small protected public spaces, to courtyards
• North side of streets should be regulated – lower or with setbacks
• Less concentration of uses – more mix