Sea Summation : How Waterfront Urbanisation can use Hydrological Strategies While Facilitating For Climate Change

Urban inclination has unfavourably allowed for urban development throughout New Zealand to be found either along once naturally ecologically established and natural defensive coastal shorelines, waterfronts or along reclaimed shores to be developed on top of. Through reclamation, it has shown fundamentals of how we want to live closer to the water’s edge, however in this process the lack of social and ecological space is diminishing and being catalyst residential and high end luxury private space (Dianne Menzez). Urban inclination should propose that urban waterfronts become multifunctional and facilitate towards a great public space. However with a deep attachment for the water’s edge, we orientate living ourselves towards the water which also shows an interesting argument between the city and coast relationship that also comes with increasing climate change conditions.   Climate change has been under extensive focus for frequent years, conditions of notably large New Zealand urban sites remain under threat of infringing sea level rise and storm events which are in need for proper systematic infrastructure for this adaption purpose. With significant numbers of infrastructural systems situated in close proximity to waterfront environments, the rising numbers of communities orientated towards this face vulnerability to such global issues. In events of future sea level rise, increasing flooding will definitely impact the prone waterfronts Wellington City is one of New Zealand’s most vulnerable sites to sea level rise due to its proximity to coastal edges. Its low lying surface and unsustainable infrastructure and design promotes flooding through deficient water networks.   This thesis identifies the Wellington’s post-industrial site; Centerport with proposals for intended residential development. There is however a great level of susceptibility the site does not meet needs for protection from arising climate conditions, and its current poor social relation to the wider waterfront, which this thesis intends to investigate and resolve.   Centerport remains vulnerable to being a crucial domain for connectivity to the harbor edge and coastal hazard impact compared to other waterfronts. Through the means of researching adaptive water technological systems, this thesis hopes it will provide and conceptualise an impact within private and public communities through addressing coastal resilience, waterfront resilience and provide permeable adaptive waterfront design for the arising climate conditions.