The world’s best cities are defined by their green outdoor spaces as much as by their built environment.
For decades, people living in the wider Ponsonby area have been under-supplied with public amenity space in which to relax and socialise*. The land at 254 Ponsonby Road was purchased fifteen years ago to remedy this lack of amenity with the Waitemata Local Board advocating strongly for the development of the new civic space - aka ‘Ponsonby Park’ - by making it their One Local Initiative (OLI) project with Council.
Currently Auckland Council is delivering a transformational investment programme so that residents, local businesses and visitors to Auckland’s city centre can experience vastly improved green outdoor space options. Options that will meets their needs.
We believe that Ponsonby Park should be included in this roll-out.
George Weeks, the principal urban designer at Auckland Council explains, “Cities are designed to bring people together and they work best when they have something for everyone. Plentiful, accessible public spaces are essential for this and not simply nice-to-have; greenery is good for us.”
Alec Tang, chief sustainability officer at Auckland Council, adds that new green spaces will help the city become a low-carbon region and prepare our city for a climate-impacted future.
“We know climate change will impact our city, delivering warmer temperatures as well as more intense and variable rainfall. It’s important to build the resilience of our communities and infrastructure to these impacts, as well as creating a better environment for people who live and work here. Greening the city will help with this. It’s not just our environment that will benefit from investment. We know that green spaces are a key contributor to people’s wellbeing. They provide places for people to connect with each other and with nature. They provide places of rest and respite both to residents and workers. Incorporating natural elements into built environment projects is a key action outlined in Te Taruke-a-Tawhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan recently adopted by Auckland Council,” says Tang.
Ponsonby Park will bring all of these benefits and many more. New native and deciduous tree plantings will provide shade and shelter thereby reducing the urban heat island effect. The rain garden will naturally filter surface water during heavy rainfall and will reduce pressure on storm drains thereby improving the water quality of the Waitemata harbour.
Ponsonby Park will be a vibrant and bountiful place for everyone. It will be a significant part of transforming our neighbourhood and our city to put people at its heart and make it greener, healthier and better connected for all.
Auckland Council is currently developing their next 10-Year Budget 2021-2031 which sets out the assets and service they will provide for the next 10 years and how we will pay for them.
Submissions are now open and close at 12pm (noon) on 22 March 2021.
Please ensure you put in your own submission and please also support Ponsonby Park, the new civic open space at 254 Ponsonby Road
https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-the-10-year-budget
Ponsonby Park – we’re ready now! (JENNIFER WARD)
* Ref: Ponsonby Open Space Study prepared for Auckland City by Boffa Miskell Ltd December 2000
www.254ponsonbyrd.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Boffa-Miskell-report.pdf
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