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A History of Urban Design

From Nine to Noon 20 March 2015

Urban Designer Garth Falconer discusses his eight-year project examining how New Zealand's cities came to be as they are. He says too many are spartan, ugly and makeshift, designed and located with little regard to the natural world around them.

Living in Paradox – A History of Urban Design Across Kainga, Towns and Cities in New Zealand is published by Blue Acre Press.

In it Garth Falconer looks at how towns and cities have struggled to reconcile the climate, landscape and geology of New Zealand. 

Pegasus Bay by Todd Group

Apartment living, Hobson Street, Auckland. Allen Nicholson

Tawa Flat garden suburb [cartographic material]. The pick of Tawa Flat: 114 residential and eleven business sites. R. B. Hammond, architect and town planner. National Library of New Zealand. Ref: 832.47981gbbd 1929

Railways construction camp/Raurimu township, central North Island, circa 1880s. Spencer, Charles. Alexander Turnbull Library. Ref: PAColl-6498-01

Looking north-east from the vicinity of the Chief Post Office over Cathedral Square in the early twentieth century, showing Christchurch Cathedral. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R370

The seminal romantic contrast in city development presented by A. W. N Pugin. Augustus Welby Pugin, Contrasts, 1836.

The images in this gallery are used with permission and are subject to copyright conditions.