tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28516309926786385922024-03-14T13:05:41.120+13:00Plotting Aquatic AucklandAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-45233633007579697392011-11-05T10:43:00.004+13:002011-11-05T10:45:12.434+13:00The final post<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had our exhibition on Tuesday night - w</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">hat I found fascinating about the evening was the varied approaches the different disciplines took to portraying their water stories - there was a marked difference between planning, architecture and dance. It got me thinking about how the community accesses information. If the idea of our projects was to tell water stories, which may raise awareness of this finite and essential resource, then it's fantastic to be able to do it in different ways which gives people options of engaging in the way that they find most accessible and meaningful.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">For me personally it’s been an interesting journey, all starting with a fascination with water reservoirs on Mt Eden. While (unfortunately!) I discovered my drinking water system doesn't go via any volcanic cones, the project has given me an appreciation of the huge amount of infrastructure and systems needed for me to have fresh drinkable water in my home. I also found it very useful using an existing map for inspiration (in this case the map of New York's Highline) in formulating my map, and also how to use notation to portray information in a new and imaginative way.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A highlight for me in this class was hearing Rata talk about the involvement of the community in Project Twin Streams. Having so many different sectors of the community involved in different ways is wonderful and the potential positive spin-offs for the community immeasurable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s that kind of micro-level engagement that I hope that <em>Water in the Sustainable City</em>, the wider project that this project is a tiny part of, will help in building people’s awareness of the intrinsic value of water.</span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-36829219226341020042011-11-01T10:14:00.003+13:002011-11-01T10:19:43.372+13:00Finished project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRNYH2dNln0/Tq8PTdJ5_KI/AAAAAAAAAC4/zt8XeoxpdCg/s1600/Final+map+JPEG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRNYH2dNln0/Tq8PTdJ5_KI/AAAAAAAAAC4/zt8XeoxpdCg/s640/Final+map+JPEG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This is my finished project, being displayed in our class exhibition tonight.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
<div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em></em></span> </div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Sources of information:</em></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Information about water infrastructure was sourced from Auckland Council’s GIS viewer: </span><a href="http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Watercare maps.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The base map came from Google: </span><a href="http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?hl=en&tab=wl"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://maps.google.co.nz</span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The quote is from <em>Invisible Cities </em>by Italo Calvino.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All the photographs are my own.</span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-34519243554613672482011-10-30T10:17:00.002+13:002011-10-30T10:30:43.407+13:00Tracking the source <span style="font-size: large;"> 190 km </span> <em>Flat Bush</em><br />
<br />
<strong> Totara Park </strong>a spot of minor trespassing (oops, sorry Watercare)<br />
<br />
<em> Clevedon (that was a wrong turn)</em> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Ardmore</span><br />
<br />
<strong> a prohibited defence area down an unsealed road (that was another wrong turn)</strong><br />
<br />
<strong> </strong><span style="font-size: large;">one waterfall</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> two dope smokers</span> <br />
<br />
<strong> many rabbits</strong> <em> <span style="font-size: large;">two Hunua dams</span> </em><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">and 5 hours later I've finally tracked my drinking water to its source.</span> </strong><br />
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div><div>It's certainly given me a new appreciation for when I turn the tap on.<br />
<br />
Here are some photos from my trip:</div><div><br />
</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQVscJCM0W8/TqxwJ1emF3I/AAAAAAAAACg/2Mnctwf5x14/s1600/montage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQVscJCM0W8/TqxwJ1emF3I/AAAAAAAAACg/2Mnctwf5x14/s640/montage+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On an aside, I loved these power boxes - during my water mapping journey I've wondered whether day-to-day infrastructure should be designed or displayed differently to make it more attractive or interesting - and here it's been done - gorgeous or an eyesore? Gorgeous.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYRWn-6ZoRM/TqxpccqD4aI/AAAAAAAAACI/lXafz9kK9bY/s1600/resene2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYRWn-6ZoRM/TqxpccqD4aI/AAAAAAAAACI/lXafz9kK9bY/s320/resene2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0d6liz8gOdY/TqxpfNOChNI/AAAAAAAAACQ/x-uY5YYHU0A/s1600/resene.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0d6liz8gOdY/TqxpfNOChNI/AAAAAAAAACQ/x-uY5YYHU0A/s320/resene.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Now off to finish my map.</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-82359167539279067682011-10-28T11:37:00.001+13:002011-10-28T11:39:01.077+13:00Juxtaposition of fact and fiction<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0; border-left: #f0f0f0; border-right: #f0f0f0; border-top: #f0f0f0; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My map is almost finished. I think the concept has come across quite well - using notation to represent the clinical facts of water infrastructure - distance, height, scale - differently, in a fictional and imaginative way. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People looking at the map will see the water system but the main objective is for them to be able to engage in the map in a way they perhaps wouldn't if it was a typical engineering infrastructure map, with standard symbols (squares, triangles etc). </span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Necessarily the map is a simplistic version of a very complex system. This map was sent to me by Watercare. It shows what my initial idea of a network based on the London Tube map might have looked like: portraying the system and connections without reference to correct scale. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4E361cL6Jg/Tqnc-9zVuqI/AAAAAAAAACA/u2BMtIWQ5-o/s1600/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4E361cL6Jg/Tqnc-9zVuqI/AAAAAAAAACA/u2BMtIWQ5-o/s400/Picture1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><em>Source: Watercare.</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obviously this is very complex; my map will show just the main route between my house and water source, focusing on the length and notation of the water nodes to show the system.</span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-67642194769205365942011-10-22T17:51:00.001+13:002011-10-22T17:51:37.531+13:00The tip of an iceburg<div style="text-align: justify;">My camera batteries ran out halfway through my network tracing trip today - in the middle of Penrose industrial area. At least it didn't run out just when I got to the Hunuas! That part of the trip is now postponed till later in the week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Looking for water infrastructure in the fabric of the Penrose neighborhood was like looking for what is invisible in day to day life. I became attuned to meter boxes, gas connections, electricity substations, a myriad of manhole covers, fire hydrants, broadband control boxes - a nexus of utilities. Helpfully, water nodes seems to either have a Watercare label or are <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>blue</b></span>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The majority of water infrastructure is underground so my photos so far have been like showing the tip of an iceburg - some box, manhole cover or structure indicating a link to an underground maze.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And even going on half the route gave me an impression of how far water has to come every time I turn on my tap. I'm looking forward to finishing the trip later in the week, particularly as I've never been to the Hunua Ranges. </div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-68994989394103734492011-10-21T21:13:00.002+13:002011-10-21T21:17:05.275+13:00Map analysis<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Discussing my project at the last class session was useful – I’m now going to use the Highline map as the base for my project - see 15 September blog for map (the Tube map isn’t suitable as it lacks correct geographical scale – necessary to show the length of the water journey).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">So looking closely at the Highline map, these are ways I'm thinking of adapting it for my project:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Path detail of the Highline – each section has basic illustration <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><b>***</b></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">different pipe width – e.g. Hunua 1 & 3 watermain carrying most of the 57% of Auckland’s water supply that comes from the Hunua Ranges v the Pt Chev watermain supplying part of that water to Pt Chevalier.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Street names / buildings which enable people to locate and access the Highline <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">***</span></b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">not practical to have street level of detail - instead I can use suburbs which show the city-scale of my map.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Labels e.g. such as stairs for accessing the walkway <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">***</span></b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">label infrastructure with a specific function e.g. AWMA070 Bulk Supply Point or No. 15 Control Valve.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Renderings are used to show sections of the pathway – different scales but most show people which of course is the point of the walkway – for people to enjoy <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">***</span></b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">my photographs will be at different scales as well – ranging from taps, to water meters to treatment plants – making the invisible visible.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Other features:</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Different sized text - </span>can’t make out why except it adds to the aesthetic.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Background of map is outline of streets and plots – Highline coloured to make it visible. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Have a couple of ideas of things I want to do differently – one is to show the role gravity plays in the system by labeling each infrastructure node’s height above sea level.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Collecting images</span></b></i></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15.8333px;">Earlier this week I took photographs of infrastructure near my house – interesting seeing spaces I see all the time in a very different context. </span></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Tomorrow I’m going to venture further afield – all the way to the source – the Hunuas.</span> </div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-50333677217219762872011-10-11T12:14:00.002+13:002011-10-11T12:16:06.869+13:00Pulling the project together<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve driven, bussed or walked past the corner of Symonds St and Mt Eden Rd dozens of times but never noticed the reservoir which fills half of that block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about invisible. That’s exactly what my project is: mapping that type of “invisible” infrastructure which brings water from the Hunua Ranges to my house.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7yQLXxFFzc/TpN69O402EI/AAAAAAAAABw/iCq_8e-R37M/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7yQLXxFFzc/TpN69O402EI/AAAAAAAAABw/iCq_8e-R37M/s200/048.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thinking about presentation - I’m keen to base my map on the London Underground map discussed in "Mapping Experience" by M Treib in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Design Quarterly </i>– the maps are similar in that they both portray invisible essential infrastructure and have disregard of real world spatial reference (p 11).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purpose is not to portray correct geographic scale but instead to help a traveller find their way from one station to another (London tube map) or tracing the flow of water from node to node back to its source (my map).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ideas I’m trying to pull together for the presentation are –</span></div><ul><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How can I use different weighting and colouring of lines to show different flow volumes?</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How can I portray the nodes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shall I incorporate gradient to reflect gravity in the system?</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What form of graphic can I use to show the dynamic flow of water?</span></div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How shall I integrate photographs of infrastructure in a meaningful way?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example these photographs of Khyber Pass Reservoir:</span></div></div></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fNtCWSAmHEw/TpN7K2fLfJI/AAAAAAAAAB4/Khlk41nq-aM/s1600/050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fNtCWSAmHEw/TpN7K2fLfJI/AAAAAAAAAB4/Khlk41nq-aM/s200/050.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X9XFas5NZII/TpN7DW8AaDI/AAAAAAAAAB0/vUthghvxQiU/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X9XFas5NZII/TpN7DW8AaDI/AAAAAAAAAB0/vUthghvxQiU/s200/049.JPG" width="200" /></a> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z7KptQZFSJI/TpN7Q2-P7_I/AAAAAAAAAB8/OSp9EWvGi1U/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z7KptQZFSJI/TpN7Q2-P7_I/AAAAAAAAAB8/OSp9EWvGi1U/s200/053.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Source: Author's own.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7yQLXxFFzc/TpN69O402EI/AAAAAAAAABw/iCq_8e-R37M/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-91799687744952241922011-10-06T08:31:00.000+13:002011-10-06T08:31:42.208+13:00Highlighting the invisible<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anything can be portrayed in a map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The mix of maps </span>at the opening of the You Are Here: Mapping Auckland exhibition at Auckland Museum yesterday was interesting: blueprints for new suburbs, animated traffic maps and social and health statistics of the region, amongst many other charts and records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The dynamic map where visitors are invited to add their stories was gorgeous – typing my story and reading others’ stories made me feel like I was a part of Auckland and a part of a wider story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snippets of stories portrayed what is hard in a map – the complexity, depth and colour of life – like is described in Calvino’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Invisible Cities</i> (see the quote in a previous blog).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In terms of the presentation of my project, I liked how some maps had sections reproduced at greater scale on a separate block next to the main map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thinking of doing something similar with the photographs of infrastructure that are a key part of my project: highlighting the invisible. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For me personally there is such an interest in seeing the invisible: my favourite map at the exhibition was a 19<sup>th</sup> century representation of Auckland’s volcanic field by German geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a section of the map showing One Tree Hill and the associated lava flow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Auckland is built on lava fields but this isn’t visible, except near some cones or where the lava has flowed into the harbour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so interesting to see on the map where the lava flows under the houses and roads that are the city as I know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The porous lava also helps move water through the city - at the Onehunga Aquifer and from Mt Eden through to Western Springs.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/?t=1645#explore-map"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R8cFvUhhexc/Toyv5dkELiI/AAAAAAAAABs/85ghOPzVhfE/s1600/aaa.jpg" /> <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Source: Auckland Museum</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Available: </span><a href="http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/?t=1645#explore-map"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/?t=1645#explore-map</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I need to develop my presentation ideas further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creative representation is not a strength of mine so I’m planning on using next week’s class to ask for feedback and ideas on what I have for my project so far.</span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-66845246952862713182011-09-29T14:02:00.004+13:002011-09-29T17:32:18.971+13:00Project Twin Streams<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">Our class went on a thought-provoking fieldtrip to Project Twin Streams in Henderson yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">The part that grabbed my attention was the enormity of the project - and that impression was from seeing only a very small part of the total project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular, it was fascinating seeing how the project operates at a micro level requiring intensive community engagement.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rxclFvA4Qhg/ToPxPZduj0I/AAAAAAAAABg/gCmZyS93sjw/s1600/stream.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rxclFvA4Qhg/ToPxPZduj0I/AAAAAAAAABg/gCmZyS93sjw/s320/stream.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Katrina David</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">The streams have gone from a negative space for the community - regularly being flooded and used as a rubbish dump (a cleanup of a small section of the stream the weekend before our visit yielded seven<span lang="EN-NZ" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ;"> tyres</span> and one shopping trolley, amongst other things), to a space where individuals and groups can interact positively with the stream and its surrounds.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">Our seminar is all about communicating places and telling stories linked to water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walking the path along the stream’s edge was like seeing a snapshot of the local community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different groups care for different sections of the stream, reflecting their priorities and interests by what they have done with their section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">A class from a local school is responsible for a garden filled with plants used for traditional Maori medicinal purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another garden has been planted with flaxes by the weaving circle from the nearby Corbans Estate, a community art center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The members care for the garden and harvest the flax for their use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HO4cDHG6pmI/ToPxfm7dalI/AAAAAAAAABk/4I_mMOQuBHI/s1600/flax.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HO4cDHG6pmI/ToPxfm7dalI/AAAAAAAAABk/4I_mMOQuBHI/s320/flax.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Katrina David</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">An outdoor education class scientifically monitors the quality of the stream water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a sportsfield that runs alongside part of the stream, where members of a sports team were training during our visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even local people part of a Corrections PD programme are a regular part of the maintenance of the stream. These plaques are from people who have contributed to the project in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Katrina David</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hLl0WDrzIVk/ToPyVn8CFJI/AAAAAAAAABo/_EBOG9v0K_c/s1600/pole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hLl0WDrzIVk/ToPyVn8CFJI/AAAAAAAAABo/_EBOG9v0K_c/s200/pole.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">I asked our tour guide Rata, the Community Co-coordinator of the project, where the community will comes for such an intensive project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said the will is there – in church groups, passionate teachers at local schools, other groups in the community etc – it just needs to be tapped into and facilitated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #444444;">Some benefits of the community’s engagement with the stream are obvious, but total benefits must be immeasurable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Linking it to our seminar, the project overall has created the opportunity for a wide spectrum of the community to create a positive relationship with, take ownership of and take pride in, this local water body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> They have the opportunity to spend time there (in the sportsfield, or commuting along the pathway), growing plants for use, enhancing the quality of the stream itself, protecting the space and being part of a project with the rest of the community.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong>Project update...</strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #444444;">I now have the maps I need to trace the source of water that comes to my house - maps from Watercare showing the water network and distribution zones for from water sources throughout Auckland, and the interactive GIS viewer on Auckland Council's website. The next step in my research will be to make connections between these maps and then go out and do some field research.</span></span></span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-71416968260861297432011-09-22T09:05:00.001+12:002011-09-22T09:06:53.870+12:00370 million litres<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Every day <span style="font-size: large;">1.46 million Aucklanders</span> use<span style="font-size: large;"> 370 million litres of treated water</span>, travelling through <span style="font-size: large;">9,000 km of pipes</span>. In the process <span style="font-size: large;">40,000 cubic metres of water is lost</span> - per day.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I haven't been able to obtain the maps I need for my proposed project so I am thinking about alternatives. Mapping these and other figures in a scale and context that people can relate to is one option. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The idea of mapping scale in an understandable context comes from the interactive BBC Dimensions website. Using this website people can manipulate statistics from current or historical events into a context that they can relate to. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For example, this map shows the scale of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and how the area it would have covered when laid over Auckland:</span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hAwic3GQctE/TnpQl_B-STI/AAAAAAAAABc/7PDsgZ88vTc/s1600/akld.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hAwic3GQctE/TnpQl_B-STI/AAAAAAAAABc/7PDsgZ88vTc/s640/akld.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Source: </span><a href="http://www.howbigreally.com/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.howbigreally.com/</span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The objective of this project would be the same as my original project - raising awareness of the existence of freshwater and its value as a resource in our city and people's lives. </span></span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-27411938765437202132011-09-20T15:51:00.002+12:002011-09-20T16:02:37.740+12:00Draft Auckland Plan and water's place-making role in Auckland<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Today the Auckland Council released the draft Auckland Plan – the 30 year overarching strategic vision for Auckland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chapter 10 addresses physical and social infrastructure, which includes water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The following excerpts from the draft Plan demonstrate (a) the critical importance of water to the city; (b) the economic cost to Auckland of current infrastructure and issues for future supply; (c) the role of water in the place shaping of Auckland.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Critical importance of water infrastructure</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The draft plan emphasises the critical importance of water infrastructure: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“Auckland’s water is as intrinsic to the region as the land, and bears a deep cultural significance to Māori with the concept of mauri key to the management of Auckland’s water assets.</span><strong><span style="color: blue;"> The sustainable provision of water services is of the highest importance to the Council and the requirement to provide for critical water infrastructure is recognised as a core priority for the Auckland Plan.”</span></strong></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"> </span></span></span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">(Page 149 - emphasis added)</span></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-LightIta; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-LightIta; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and lists indicative examples of existing critical water infrastructure: </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Bliss-Light;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">• Sources, including dams and extraction facilities</span></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Bliss-Light;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">• Freshwater main pipelines</span></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Bliss-Light;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">• Ardmore treatment plant</span></span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Bliss-Light;">• Huia treatment plant</span></span></i><br />
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(Page 147)</span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cost of water infrastructure</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This second excerpt shows the significance of the location of water sources and the impact of water having to travel over a long distance to reach its destination (as will be demonstrated in my mapping project).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: #8c3547; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><span style="color: black;">“</span></span><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><span style="color: black;">The need for additional capacity is met with increasing cost associated with water provision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><strong>The proximate,</strong></span> <strong><span style="color: blue;">economical sources for Auckland water have now been exploited</span></strong>, <span style="color: black;">leaving only more distant and expensive options for increasing network supply. In addition, approximately</span> <strong><span style="color: blue;">40,000 cubic metres per day of potable water is lost </span></strong><span style="color: black;">in conveyance to consumers at a cost of almost $50 per property per year.</span></span><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></em><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><em><span style="color: black;">That amount of leakage</span> <span style="color: blue;"><strong>brings forward the time when Auckland must invest</strong></span></em><span style="color: blue;"><strong> </strong></span><em><span style="color: blue;"><strong>in a new water source</strong></span>, <span style="color: black;">which will add a substantial cost to water users” </span></em></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(Page 149)</span></span></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Not only is there is a high economic cost to water travelling long distances to reach its destination but there is also an environmental cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water is a finite resource and <strong><u>every day</u></strong> that is 40,000 cubic metres of a critical non-renewable resource being lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As infrastructure ages, this loss and associated costs will increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as Auckland Council is solely in charge of water supply for Auckland (unlike other large infrastructure such as transport which is shared between central and local government) that means the Council is responsible for these costs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Water in place-shaping</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The draft Plan also states that infrastructure has wider benefits than just delivering necessary functions throughout the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Infrastructure has a place-shaping role, and plays a part in creating stronger and more resilient communities: “Infrastructure is a… powerful tool to shape growth within the urban system” (page 145).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is illustrated in the diagram: water (potable) is in the bottom layer, giving it a region-wide place shaping role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other place-shaping infrastructure becomes more people specific and localised towards the top of the triangle.<span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dqn3s4Ed_Yc/Tnf92BdxYNI/AAAAAAAAABY/iIdbD3rXSHY/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="257" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dqn3s4Ed_Yc/Tnf92BdxYNI/AAAAAAAAABY/iIdbD3rXSHY/s320/Untitled.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Source: Auckland Council</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><strong><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Draft Auckland Plan</span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My mapping project will illustrate the points the draft Plan raises: remote sources of water, complex and vast networks of pipes and other infrastructure. My project will also demonstrate the place-shaping role of water infrastructure by portraying this fundamental service in a way that makes the everyday role of water services tangible and accessible.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: #48484a; font-family: "Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light", "sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Auckland-Council-Bliss-Light;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The draft Auckland Plan is available at: </span></span><a href="http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/PlansPoliciesPublications/theaucklandplan/DRAFTAUCKLANDPLAN/Pages/home.aspx"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/PlansPoliciesPublications/theaucklandplan/DRAFTAUCKLANDPLAN/Pages/home.aspx</span></a></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-45329980189766903062011-09-15T09:49:00.002+12:002011-09-20T14:42:19.898+12:00Methodology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7Mba4rEcYs/TnEg1uwMTqI/AAAAAAAAABU/qXBsP9DCb_k/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7Mba4rEcYs/TnEg1uwMTqI/AAAAAAAAABU/qXBsP9DCb_k/s200/044.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So here's my kitchen tap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mapping is going to trace the route that water takes to reach my kitchen. I'm expecting to encounter pumping stations, reservoirs, a treatment plant and finally following the raw water to its source - most likely a dam in the Hunuas, but possibly the Waitakeres, the Waikato River or groundwater - or perhaps a mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's the question.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I'm also keen to learn about the elevation of the different nodes, and the role gravity plays in the system - flowing from high in the Waitakeres, to a volcanic cone in the city, to my house - perhaps?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Source: Author's own.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My research will focus on the systems (part of the 900km of pipes and various infrastructure) around and through the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So first research stop will be Watercare, Auckland Council council-controlled organisation in charge of water and its infrastructure in Auckland in the hope they can give me a detailed plan of freshwater systems in the city-western suburbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then hopefully I will be able to trace back from there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Presentation - I'm thinking two maps - one Auckland-wide water infrastructure systems map based on the London Underground map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second is the specific tracing water from my house to its source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UObRTzU_m9g/TnEfLPWYo8I/AAAAAAAAABQ/_UOypT6ZCvA/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UObRTzU_m9g/TnEfLPWYo8I/AAAAAAAAABQ/_UOypT6ZCvA/s320/untitled.bmp" width="112" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I like this map of the Highline in New York (referred to in an earlier blog), particularly the photographic inserts which connect the points with place and add context and depth to the map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water infrastructure in the city tends to be invisible or not prominent - photographs of reservoirs or a pumping station will increase awareness of the necessity of this infrastructure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Firstly however will be my research - starting with Watercare.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Source: <a href="http://www.thehighline.org/">http://www.thehighline.org/</a> </span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-83567669026379544382011-08-18T17:34:00.001+12:002011-08-18T17:41:27.540+12:00Where does my drinking water come from and how does it get to my tap?<div style="text-align: justify;">My research is going to be guided by this question - finding the source of Auckland's drinking water and mapping how it reaches my home.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The London Tube map seems a possible base map - the aim is to portray a system, with little regard to geographic correctness and no scale requirement. The underground infrastructure and nodes of water infrastructure (reservoirs, pipes and treatment plants) seem similar to the underground railway lines and stations of the Tube.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AFDwK8ljZ5g/TkyjlIhcWhI/AAAAAAAAABM/6UkK3G-RecY/s1600/2313995479_4ccda2421c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AFDwK8ljZ5g/TkyjlIhcWhI/AAAAAAAAABM/6UkK3G-RecY/s320/2313995479_4ccda2421c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>London Tube Diagram by Paul E. Garbutt</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Source:http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The methodology will involve gathering data and information from primarily Auckland Council and its CCO Watercare, although this will need to be developed further.<br />
<br />
Re mapping the invisible - this is a beautiful quote from <em>Invisible Cities</em>:<br />
A map of Esmeralda should include, marked in different coloured inks, all these routes, solid and liquid, evident and hidden. It is more difficult to fix on the map the routes of the swallows, who cut the air over the roofs, dropping long invisible parabolas with their still wings, darting to gulp a mosquito, spiraling upward, grazing a pinnacle, dominating from every point of their airy paths all the points of the city.<br />
(Calvino, I. (1972) <em>Invisible Cities.</em> Harcourt: Orlando Florida.)</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-64233256984366870502011-08-12T12:09:00.000+12:002011-08-12T12:09:57.090+12:00In the newsA couple of relevant recent articles from the NZ Herald -<br />
<br />
A report by the Hauraki Gulf Forum (established by the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000 to promote the sustainable management of the Hauraki Gulf) into the current state of the Gulf. The report records increasing levels of nitrogen (from rural runoff) and pollution: <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10744343">http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10744343</a>.<br />
<br />
An exhibition and auction of photographs of nature by celebrities with the aim of bringing environmental issues into the public conscious and encouraging positive environmental action (the idea being similar to our mapping project - a different forum for portrayal of the environment):<br />
<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10744526">http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10744526</a>.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-22133030414880669332011-08-11T17:47:00.001+12:002011-08-11T17:48:52.658+12:00Plotting volcanic water<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="yiv1103900299" id="yiv1103900299bodyDrftID"><tbody>
<tr><td id="yiv1103900299drftMsgContent" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="yiv1103900299" id="yiv1103900299bodyDrftID"><tbody>
<tr><td id="yiv1103900299drftMsgContent" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;">This stunning map from 1866 shows the influence of volcanoes on the geomorphology of the Auckland region: <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/auckland-places/19/2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/auckland-places/19/2</a>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Seeing that map and learning about Auckland's geomorphology has given me a new understanding of volcanoes and their role in natural and man-made water activities in the Auckland region: </div><ul><li><div style="text-align: justify;">Waterfalls over volcanic lava in the Waitakere Ranges</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Orakei and Panmure Basins - volcanic craters connected to the ocean </div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Lake Pupuke - a fresh water lake</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">One Tree Hill - the porous basalt lava creates an acquifer with 27300 cubic metres of water flowing through it every day (is used as the water supply for the surrounding area - <a href="http://www.arc.govt.nz/environment/volcanoes-of-auckland/water-resources.cfm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.arc.govt.nz/environment/volcanoes-of-auckland/water-resources.cfm</a>)</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Meola Creek - created by lava flows from Mt Eden</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Western Springs - natural springs dammed to become a lake</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Mt Eden & many other cones containing reservoirs either within or on the slopes</div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Altogether 48 volcanoes are within 20km of Auckland's centre, almost all of which have been modified by people (including several cones destroyed for the construction of Auckland Airport and Mangere sewage treatment plant).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday our class heard a talk from an environmentalist and a biologist. The impact on Auckland's waterways by humans is massive. A brief list from the lecture includes:</div><ul><li><div style="text-align: justify;">drained wetlands</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">removal of vegetation</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">dammed rivers for stormwater outlets</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">piped rivers </div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">urbanisation creating impervious surfaces leading to runoff and species being flushed out to sea </div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">extracted water for drinking</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">extracted sediment </div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">introduced pest species - fish, weeds, trees (which now dominate)</div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Combining all these factors: the extent of volcanic influence on the geological formation of Auckland, the importance of the cones in contemporary life, how humans have permanently changed the formation of the cones and their impact on waterways - it's vital that this unique environment is protected from any further damage and, where possible, restored.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next step: develop my project further, and connect and map these water features.</div><div></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-9824936577418821262011-08-07T16:12:00.001+12:002011-08-07T16:14:47.225+12:00How to create societal change: regulation/taxation, education or frightening and scary statistics?<div style="text-align: justify;">Enough water to fill 150,000 Olympic sized swimming pools is pumped to Auckland residents EVERY DAY. An even more mind-boggling statistic is while one person requires 2-4 litres of drinking water per day, it takes 2,000-5,000 litres of water to produce one person's daily food. (For more scary statistics, see the United Nations-Water website (link below)). With only 2.5% of the Earth's water being fresh, to me it makes water seem like a precious finite resource that needs to be treated with great care.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not the only one: last Thursday I attended Late at the Museum, an event held at Auckland Museum in conjunction with the University of Auckland and the Aqua exhibition to raise awareness of water issues. What struck me was the reaction by the audience during a panel discussion on the issue of water quality in Auckland. Halfway through the discussion by the panellists an audience member spontaneously asked a question, opening up a flood of questions which were eventually cut off when time had run out. The audience was obviously informed, frustrated and angry that (they perceived) little was being done to address the pollution of rivers and the effects of the urban environment on our water and its ecosystems.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So some people care and want to do something about water issues. Others don't. How to create societal change and get on board these people who don't care? That seems to me the aim of our assignment. NZ is perceived as a water rich country (as a classmate stated in my Sustainable Development class last week) - so why bother changing?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">To create a paradigm shift in society's view however is very complex and probably a mixture of regulation, tax (I suspect people would consume a lot less if they were charged upfront the true cost of the capture of water in dams, transmission through many hundreds of kms of pipes, and treatment), education (although with the huge amounts of information flowing through our daily lives, would it stick?) and scary statistics and images.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bnXygyaGDLk/Tj4KGzi2JHI/AAAAAAAAABI/7GM3eiE5_og/s1600/Hunua+Ranges_Mangatangi+optimised.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bnXygyaGDLk/Tj4KGzi2JHI/AAAAAAAAABI/7GM3eiE5_og/s320/Hunua+Ranges_Mangatangi+optimised.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My project is still being formed but I'm interested in the invisible infrastructure of water, particularly it's origins: in Auckland dams in the Hunua Ranges supply 57% of our water supply, 26% is from dams in the Waitakere Ranges, 10% from the Waikato, Mahurangi and Hoteo Rivers and the balance from groundwater supplies at various places around Auckland (including One Tree Hill). How to map aquifers??? <br />
<br />
Perhaps if people had a simple way to understand the complexity of our water systems and the cost of receiving the water, they would not take it for granted. Then those people who don't care may join those who do. It doesn't matter for what reasons people change their attitudes, it's just essential that they do.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to:</div><b>Watercare</b> (Auckland's water provider) for the Auckland statistics and photographs: <u>www.watercare.co.nz</u>.<br />
<b>UN-Water</b> for the global statistics: <u>www.unwater.org/statistics.html.</u><br />
<b>Auckland Museum</b> <u>http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/?t=1139</u>.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-52119810740306385162011-07-31T15:52:00.001+12:002011-07-31T15:52:12.498+12:00Issues in placemaking<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To understand place requires engaging people, historical events and stories, rather than a technical portrayal of space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is complex and colourful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mythologies of Placemaking, an article by B. D. Wortham-Galvin from Place: Forum of Design for the Public Real outlines dangers in placemaking: recreating mythical places of the past, in a contemporary context, with accompanying values and ideals; and/or by prescriptive re-creation which does not allow for change, discussion, adaption (e.g. New Urbanism).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>W-G also discusses the power of media in the portrayal of romantic/unrealistic ideals of place (e.g. New England in idealised television programmes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I agree with this danger: placemaking in an idealised way would result in disassociation and dissatisfaction with reality and impossible ideals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also the additional danger of experience and perception of place (e.g. through television programmes) playing a powerful role in creating people’s ideas, leading to compounded dissatisfaction and disassociation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead it needs engagement, informed discussion and shared histories.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To segue to our assignment - I am interested in the place of the volcanic cones and water in the life of Auckland (part of the water supply chain - Mt Eden, Mt Wgtn etc; volcanic lava aquifer - One Tree Hill; recreational lakes - Lake Pupuke).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wondering how these can be mapped in a way which engages people and contributes to their sense of place.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And thanks to Dancing Cities - CQD for the blog's background image: <a href="http://www.cqd.info/eng/index.php">http://www.cqd.info/eng/index.php</a></span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-54913526057117376432011-07-28T14:50:00.000+12:002011-07-28T14:50:10.356+12:00New York's High Line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VinRMsaQLkQ/TjDNY202jsI/AAAAAAAAAA8/_QEzuG-days/s1600/highline.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VinRMsaQLkQ/TjDNY202jsI/AAAAAAAAAA8/_QEzuG-days/s1600/highline.bmp" t$="true" /></a></div>I love the High Line in New York - a fabulously imaginative and creative idea of how to restore an old and unused part of the city to become a destination for visitors and residents, be of ecological benefit, revitalise parts of the city, amongst many other benefits. I wonder how water can be brought more into Aucklanders' minds and lives? Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2851630992678638592.post-41116761141896464622011-07-28T14:21:00.000+12:002011-07-28T14:21:59.079+12:00Notation...Thinking about how to represent Auckland's water in one of its many forms - challenging for a planner who likes conventional maps and everything to fit in boxes and make sense. Interesting reading on notation - and how notation can be used to represent the intangible. Cities and communities are so complex and dynamic - fascinating to think of different possible representations. Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07168387557017967093noreply@blogger.com0