Experts address urban challenges

As Auckland's population continues to grow and the city intensifies, a key challenge is how to create high-quality urban spaces, accessible to all.

How can our urban spaces provide the liveability that has been the catch-cry for development in recent years? In what ways can our designers make the most of our climate, culture and topography to provide for vibrant social activity, sustainable commerce and robust built form?

Experts in the field of architecture, urban design and urban planning will address these issues at the School of Architecture and Planning’s annual lecture series Fast Forward, beginning at the University of Auckland this month.

Local and international speakers will discuss topics as diverse as the benefits of decolonising cities, to interventions in public and semi-public spaces to raise awareness of social issues like dementia.

Fast Forward begins with Dr Gerald Bast from Vienna who questions the status of architecture in a technological future.

Second in the series is Frith Walker, who has been instrumental in creating successful public space across Auckland in her role as Manager of Place Making at Panuku Development.

In the following lecture, artist, social designer and art-based researcher, Cornelia Bast, from Vienna, will talk about her art-based urban participatory interventions intended to influence social behaviour and communication with the public.

Next Dr Diane Menzies, member of Ngā Aho, the national network of Māori design professionals, will talk about the benefits of decolonised cities, that reflect the values and identities of all residents.

The fifth speaker in the series is alumnus Tim Greer, from Tonkin Zulaika Greer, one of Australia’s leading creators of public spaces and buildings. Named by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of the city’s 100 most influential people, Tim will discuss recent multi-award-winning projects, including the Carriageworks at Eveleigh, the Paddington Reservoir Gardens, and The Glasshouse: Arts Conference and Entertainment Centre, plus further present-day projects.

Last but not least, Uwe Rieger and the arc/sec Lab for Digital Spatial Operations, based in Auckland, will present their haptic-digital architecture using tangible data as a new source for construction. Uwe who is Associate Professor for Design and Design Technology at the University of Auckland, will introduce recent arc/sec projects, presented at the Ars Electronica Festival in Austria, demonstrating the latest technologies and previewing the team's upcoming prototypical developments

All lectures target issues relevant to architecture and planning and are intended to foster critical discussion and debate. The full list of Fast Forward autumn speakers follows:

Fast Forward autumn 2018:
Doing urban space well
6.30pm, the University of Auckland.

• 13 March – Gerald Bast (Vienna): Running out of time.

• 21 March – Frith Walker (Auckland): Silo Park – The bits you can’t spot on Instagram.

• 28 March – Cornelia Bast (Vienna): Art-based communication in public places.

• 26 April – Diane Menzies (Auckland): Decolonisation for better cities.

• 2 May – Tim Greer (Sydney): Mining the continuum: Architecture without beginning or end.

• 9 May – Uwe Rieger & arc/sec Lab (Auckland): We AR Live.

All lectures are free and open to the public. For further information including venues, please visit www.creative.auckland.ac.nz/fastforward

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