Abstract:
Through an abundance of highly productive soils, agriculture is provided with the means to thrive through horticulture and livestock farming. While home to a modest 16% of New Zealand’s population, these areas are accredited to providing a significant contribution to the nation’s economic, social and environmental advancements. 1
In line with global population growth, New Zealand has experienced an increase of 46% over the past 30 years with this trend predicted to continue increasing exponentially.2 With cities becoming overrun with high density housing typologies, developers have turned to our finite fertile land in an attempt to resolve the current housing crisis. Since 1990, fertile land has experienced a loss of 13% though residential development.3 This sprawl onto productive farmland is currently seen to have a significant affect on New Zealand, through the irreversible damage caused to the nations highly productive land.
This research will explore the rural town of Clevedon, located on the fringes of New Zealand’s most densely populated city, Auckland. Admired for its fertile soils, Clevedon contains an abundance of agriculture which supplies the surrounding communities. Clevedon’s vulnerability to sprawl has resulted from its vast supply of flat land in close proximity to Auckland City, with 1,048 houses set to impose on the rural town of 1,515 residents. 4
This thesis will aim to determine a more economical way of allowing for these residential housing developments to occur in unison with the fertile soils they are inhibiting. By enabling aspects of urban and rural to occupy land in a mutually beneficial manner, the negative effects of this urban sprawl will begin to alleviate, painting a much brighter picture of New Zealand’s future.
