Planning

After World War I, the need for new housing grew dramatically, with many cities, especially in Europe, struggling with poor slum conditions. In response, urban planning, landscape architecture, and modernist architecture evolved to address these pressing social needs. These developments, which sought to improve living conditions, focused on creating better housing, incorporating green spaces, and modernising cities.

The garden city concept, developed in the late 19th century, emerged as a key element in the planning of new housing areas, combined with modernist approaches to urban design. Notably, Le Corbusier’s The City of Tomorrow proposed a new type of city plan that merged the ideals of the English landscape park with high-rise buildings, known as the apartment tower in the park. This concept spread worldwide, profoundly impacting the design of new urban spaces and often involving the demolition of older, historical areas to create open, green spaces surrounded by modern buildings.

In New Zealand, urban planning efforts took on a renewed sense of urgency after World War II, as the country faced a significant housing crisis. The Freemans Bay area in Auckland was one of the first targets for urban renewal, with Auckland City Council initiating a large-scale redevelopment to replace dilapidated housing. The project began with the passing of the Auckland City Housing Act (1942), which aimed to remove slums and improve the living conditions of Auckland’s citizens. In 1949, the council defined specific “reclamation areas” where slum housing would be demolished. These areas were listed publicly, giving the public time to review and protest the proposed changes. The designated Freemans Bay redevelopment area was a significant part of the city’s plan to address housing shortages.

In May 1950, C Putt, the Town Planning Officer, developed a comprehensive urban renewal plan for Freemans Bay, which emphasised the creation of green, open spaces within residential areas. The plan proposed replacing the old homes and shops with two-story maisonettes clustered around “village greens“, communal spaces intended for both recreational and social purposes. This model, which combined high-density housing with ample green spaces, was designed to foster a sense of community and ensure that residents had access to outdoor areas for activities such as playgrounds for children, and spaces for adults to socialise or exercise. These open spaces were considered crucial to the success of the urban renewal project.

The plan also aimed to improve the city’s liveability by providing safe, park-like environments for families, while also addressing issues related to transportation. High-density housing was seen as a solution to accommodate more people within the city without the need to expand into suburban areas, which would have added to already congested transport networks. City planners argued that apartment buildings could house a large number of people while maintaining access to shared green spaces. This idea was echoed by other planners, such as C Putt and urban planning specialist Anthony Treadwell, who noted that apartment blocks could also offer private gardens, playgrounds, and common parkland.

By 1955, the Freemans Bay project’s planning model underwent modifications. The plan for Phillips Block (now known as Freemans Park), developed by architects working under city engineer AJ Dickson and chief architect Tibor Donner, incorporated a mixture of housing types that responded to the site’s specific conditions.

In 1959, however, the initial plans were amended to a more cost-effective approach – the star block housing model, designed by Ministry of Works architect Neville Burren, working under the Ministry's Housing Division's chief architect Frederick Newman. The construction of the star blocks began in 1960, continued through the mid-1960s, and marked a shift in the way the city approached high-density housing.

In the 1960s, city planners continued to review the progress of Freemans Bay’s redevelopment. A comprehensive landscape plan was considered essential to ensure the project’s long-term success, emphasising the need for integrated green spaces, public amenities, and community facilities. By 1966, urban planners were advocating for a more detailed landscape approach to the redevelopment, recognising the value of landscaping to improve the environment and ensure the social success of the area. The role of landscape architecture in this process was pivotal, with experts like Harry Turbott being consulted for his expertise in designing public green spaces.

The Freemans Bay urban renewal experiment came to an end in the 1970s. Houses that had survived, were reassessed as heritage homes. “Character” had become the new descriptor for contemporary urban planning, and Freemans Bay’s slum houses were now highly sought-after properties for gentrification and wealth building.