Idealog.co.nz | The Transformation Issue
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The elevated
tidal shelf in Auckland downtown, the railing
structure used and mussels on a rope.MAKING SPACE
FOR AND
ECOLOGIES
An elevated tidal shelf:
I
f not by exact definition but
certainly by implication,
transformation requires a
conscious move away from the
orthodox to the application of
new ideas and thinking.
Around the world, from
Vancouver to Barcelona and Wuhan
to London, new, high-quality public
spaces that hope to give cities identity,
appeal to existing populations and
attract talent are being created.
However, not all are created equally- and not all can be said to be
transformative.
There’s a difference between
transformation and beautification.
Beautification is shuffling the deck
chairs, while transformation is the
result of an exceptional vision that
eventuates into democratic spaces
that can mean more things to more
people. Truly transformational spaces
are an interweaving of landscape and
architecture, culture and society.
They reference the past and look to
the future and, in increasing cases,
include successful environmental and
ecological initiatives that improve a
city’s biodiversity health when
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