Michelle Thompson-Fawcett

Public Participation and New Urbanism: A Conflicting Agenda?

The challenges to public participation in planning are numerous. Inclusive and equitable processes are recognised as an ideal in much planning theory and practice, yet this ideal is increasingly difficult to realise in todays societies that comprise diverse and multiple publics. Within the wider sustainability debate, “New Urbanism” has emerged as a pragmatic alternative to conventional low-density development. Concomitant with a range of prescribed physical outcomes, the New Urbanism movement advocates a process of “citizen-based participatory planning and design”. Charrettes, with urban design workshops, are the favoured tools for achieving this goal. However, it is argued that the adherence to a single type of participatory tool can be inconsistent with accepted ideals of participation processes and has several implications. Of particular concern is the role of the charrette planner or facilitator, a figure who has the potential to manipulate the public because of his/her inevitable allegiance to the New Urban agenda. In addition, the examination of a charrette process in a small New Zealand town raises several broader questions about the ability of the approach to address issues of inclusiveness and the recognition of difference, two fundamental elements of good participatory processes.

Urbanist intentions for the built landscape: examples of concept and practice in England, Canada and New Zealand

Abstract Shifts in developmental and environmental imperatives in the late 1980s and early 1990s have prompted concomitant reassessments of urban management practice. In this context, discourses advancing a ‘traditional’ form of urbanism have emerged as an alternative take on how to create the built landscape. The ideas promoted in the discourses have been quickly adopted internationally, and implemented in a myriad of urban development projects. However, it is the contention of this paper that such endorsement of urbanist principles has been hasty and uncritical. Through an exploration of the discourses of the Urban Villages Forum and the Congress for the New Urbanism and three concrete manifestations in Britain, Canada and New Zealand, this paper examines the implications of the production of urban form in the communication of meanings and social relations. The approach uses ‘landscape’ as an organising concept. It acknowledges the ideological foundations of urban transformation processes and the role that the built landscape has in signifying societal intentions. In addition, via the use of a detailed matrix, a comparison is provided of the urbanist criteria endorsed and applied by the two key movements and the three case studies. What the investigation highlights is that not only do urbanist discourses have a concern with fashioning physical environments, but they also attempt to procure specific social outcomes through the built form. Three principal arguments are made in the paper. Firstly, that urbanist conceptions and constructions in the built environment communicate a specific conservative social order. Secondly, that when embracing new paradigms the planning and development communities need to make themselves aware of the intrinsic implications and complex ideological enterprises associated with them. Finally, that a critical landscape approach is a powerful tool for unveiling the foundations of newly emerging planning visions. This paper should be of interest to academics in planning, urban design and geography. It combines an assessment of popular planning and design ideology within a critical geography framework. The evaluation of contemporary practice should also appeal to planning and urban design practitioners. In addition, the diverse locations and contexts of the case study examples will find some connection with readers from a wide variety of situations.

Assessing the applicability of the V–I–S model to map urban land use in the developing world: Case study of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract The extensive expansion of urban centres over agricultural land in Indonesia is poorly monitored due to the ill-equipped land monitoring system. The objective of this study was to assess the applicability of the vegetation–impervious surface–soil (V–I–S) model in classifying land use in the context of medium-sized and densely populated cities of developing countries. The V–I–S model describes the urban environment as a linear combination of vegetation, impervious surface and soil. As such, it is well suited to relate remotely sensed data, which are closely related to land cover, to biophysical aspects of urbanising environments. A Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper image acquired in June 1994 (dry season) was used to demonstrate the usefulness of the V–I–S model to map urban land use of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The V–I–S model was applied in a hierarchical classification scheme, in which each level of the hierarchy was designed to segment one or more land use classes considering each component of the V–I–S model. The performance of this approach was evaluated by comparison to a standard maximum likelihood classification. Official land use maps produced in 1994 were used to validate both classifications. The results showed that the V–I–S model applied in the hierarchical classification scheme provides more accurate land use maps (80% overall accuracy) than the maximum likelihood algorithm (53% overall accuracy). The higher accuracy is evidence of the relationships between the V–I–S model and urban land use, based on the physical composition. However, the accuracy of the land use map produced, was not at the level of practical application needed by urban planners. Therefore, further studies need to be conducted to improve the accuracy of land use maps produced using the V–I–S model.

Māori and mining: Indigenous perspectives on reconceptualising and contextualising the social licence to operate

The term ‘social licence to operate’ (SLO) is relatively new to public discourse in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is increasingly being used in the aquaculture, dairy and mining industries due to their rapid intensification and consequent impact on natural resources. For Indigenous New Zealanders, Māori, there has been contestation about land and water usage since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. Māori have struggled to have their voices recognised. However, since 1975, the country has been developing a process that recognises Māori rights. For Māori, the Treaty of Waitangi is the prime ‘social licence’. In this paper, we contextualise the notion of SLO in light of the Treaty of Waitangi, specifically in the case of mineral extraction. We examine the extent to which Māori values, as expressed through Māori resource management plans, cultural impact assessments and submissions on legislation, articulate the Māori SLO and what, in turn, this offers the wider field of impact assessment.

Reinventing the tenement: transformation of crown street in the Gorbals, Glasgow

Glasgow has experienced many incarnations. The present paper examines one contribution to the current phase of transformation. A 16 hectare hole in the heart of the Gorbals district of Glasgow has been filled over the last decade by a regeneration development. At the simplest level, the Crown Street Regeneration Project aimed to produce 800 housing units, a mix of commercial activities and community amenities, and to reintroduce private investment and a diversity of residents to the Gorbals. However, such transformations of urban areas abound with ideological foundations and influences. This paper develops an intricate understanding of Crown Streets founding premises and instruments. An analysis of the regenerations intentions and process reveals the contradictions and incompatibilities in the projects goals, the hope for physical manifestations to meet social ambitions and the push for a conservative urban order.

Tourism in a small town: impacts on community solidarity

This paper discusses the impacts of tourism on community solidarity in the small-town setting. Research employing a case study approach was conducted in a rural New Zealand location. Findings revealed that both positive and negative perceptions of tourism and related growth were evident throughout economic, social and political networks. The host communities displayed feelings of apprehension towards increased tourism development, fearing it would threaten the solidarity of their communities, yet welcomed the vibrancy of new development and economic opportunity. Significantly, the connected nature of small-town communities and their involvement in planning can greatly influence the perceptions and success of tourism. The findings have implications for the rate, scale and nature of future tourism development in small settlements.

Local–Global Development Trajectories: The Municipality and the Fashion Industry in Dunedin, New Zealand

Abstract The once-prosperous, but physically isolated, city of Dunedin waned economically in the last three decades of the 20th century. In an attempt to revitalise economic and social development, the Dunedin City Council, amongst other things, has in the 21st century embarked on a vigorous ‘rebranding’ and cluster development exercise. Part of the aim has been to dispel negative perceptions of the city that have been based around a conservative Scottish heritage and gloomy weather, and instead celebrate the innovative and captivating elements of the city that might attract new residents, businesses and greater economic activity. Marketing has been based on the slogan ‘I am Dunedin’. An associated aspect of this development has been the showcasing and fostering of the Dunedin fashion design sector ‘I am fashion Dunedin’. The city has on occasions claimed the title ‘Fashion capital of New Zealand’. However, even the fashion industry in the city recognises that this is more hype than reality. Nevertheless, the story of fashion success is one that has been easily consumed in the national media. The path taken by the municipality is in keeping with nationally endorsed regional development and internationalisation visions. Yet how far will a municipality go in its story-telling about its own city as part of an attempt to compete in a national or global market? In this paper connections are teased-out between the fashion industry, sector clustering and city marketing in the Dunedin context. The research output is a result of a qualitative analysis of intensive interviews with local government officials, fashion houses and their support industry in Dunedin.

‘It’s Not Like Never-the-Twain-Shall-Meet’: Politician–Staff Relationship Structures in Local Government

Abstract Local governments have two primary components: elected representatives and employed staff. The relationship between these two groups has significant impacts on local authority operation. Two key theoretical models used to characterise these relations, the well-established Politics/Administration Dichotomy and the recently conceived Complementarity Model, are employed here to explore relationships in New Zealand councils. Results show varying views regarding whether the separation of staff and elected representatives (councillors) is based on their respective roles or inputs. A role-based separation emphasises distinct ‘realms’, with elected representatives controlling policy making and staff controlling the implementation of policy. This approach supports a hegemonic relationship and embodies the Politics/Administration Dichotomy. On the other hand, an input-based separation emphasises the issues that each group should focus on, with councillors integrating community desires and staff contributing their technical expertise. The latter lends itself to interactive processes and is consistent with the Complementarity Model. Neither input nor role-based relationships are inherently superior; various empirical factors influence the suitability of each. This suggests that it is advantageous to have multiple theoretical models accounting for alternative local government relationship structures, but future research is needed to clarify the ‘best’ options for different contexts.

Transformations in identity, governance and planning: : The case of the small city

Cities that have transformed in response to socio-economic crises are a focus of theorists interested in identifying why changes are triggered and how they are played out. Stories of success add to knowledge of ‘fruitful’ city functioning. This paper examines how transformations in urban governance and planning can unfold in smaller cities by scrutinising the New Zealand city of Invercargill. The city underwent metamorphosis from a faded town with a negative image to one that has a new path despite isolation and small population. Leadership, networking and innovation have been key factors. The paper unveils how development fortunes on the global periphery can be reshaped by strong place leadership, revised connections between different tiers of policy making, and reframed processes of governance and planning.

Te Manako: The desire for self-determination

When a traditional Indigenous identity is submerged beneath a cloud of contemporary politics and power relations, how might such a situation undermine its educational and developmental aspirations? This article examines the case of Te Riu o Hokianga (the valley of Hokianga) in Aotearoa New Zealand, where the imposition of a contemporary political identity is adversely affecting the development of a more culturally appropriate identity, otherwise known as Hokianga whānui (the wider Hokianga family community). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants who shared an ancestral whakapapa (genealogy embodying layered connections) with the Hokianga. Voicing their interpretations, experiences and aspirations, participants disclosed how they envisioned educational and developmental success in Hokianga. Our interpretation of Te Ihomatua (a positive active essence for transformation)—informed by a hybrid theoretical framework that interweaves Marxist, elite and kaupapa Māori (based on Māori worldview) theory—is employed to discern the multifaceted whakapapa of place and how that might inform Indigenous arrangements that support identity and developmental aspirations.