Facilitating landscape expression: A study of public space as a tool for the democratisation and socialisation of urban fabric

Abstract

The capacity for a landscape to express itself is a crucial factor in the democratisation and socialisation of public space. This investigation explores opportunities to generate a selection of design iterations geared to maximise the capacity of social expression, using Porirua City and harbour as a case study. Aspects of modern neo-liberal and post industrial social agendas have damaged the success and sustainability of many natural landscapes including Porirua Harbour, impacting many of the respective communities which live on them. This research study constructs a kit of interventions that offer possibilities for development strategies which champion social access to the harbour and facilitate the expression of its constituents.