Urban intensification, geographical urban morphology and urban character: Towards a compact urban form

Abstract

Urban intensification has been treated by urban planners as the prevalent approach to developing compact urban form to accommodate increasing population and deliver sustainable development. Although intensive development exerts a positive influence on urban sustainability, the implementation of urban intensification in established urban areas is frequently opposed by residents on the basis of being a threat to the character of their neighbourhoods. It is evident that a holistic understanding of urban character, in the context of urban intensification, is slow to develop. The reconciliation of compact urban form and the enhancement of urban character of an existing neighbourhood, however, remains ambiguous. The conceptualisation of urban character and the interrelationships between the objects that co-exist are related to consideration of urban character as the cumulative outcome of complex natural and socio-cultural processes. The understanding of the morphological/structural and lived/socialised nature of urban character has implications for planning and urban design. This study explores the spatial interplay between urban intensification and changing urban character. In relation to an investigation of Freemans Bay, a historical inner suburb in Auckland, New Zealand, a document content study provides a tool to interpret the formulation and implementation process of urban intensification policies. Although the form-based management of urban landscape change is expected to supersede land-use-based development control, its theoretical basis needs to be further strengthened. To clarify the morphological/structural nature of urban character, plan analysis is used to characterise existing physical features and the process of urban intensification. In-depth interviews are conducted to identify a lived/socialised perspective of urban character and the impact of management of urban intensification on the community. This study concludes that urban intensification, encouraged by urban development policies and plans, can be seen as an introduction of new adaptations and types. However, to gain wide community consensus, the development of urban character and the resulting morphological manifestations are to be considered in the preparation of new regulations and rules. These need to ensure the continuity of the evolutionary process of urban character as well as social-cultural development. To achieve sustainable management of urban intensification, integration of a landscape character-based strategy into the established planning system is needed at both regional and local levels.