Stephen Pattinson: Executive summary of thesis - New Zealand ...

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Meeting the needs of children – the Pinehil Crescent indicates the rich variety of
opportunities that can be created for meeting the needs of children of all
ages and stages, including doorstep play, ‘tot lots’, and a range of spaces
with appropriate levels of passive surveillance for primary children, young
teenagers and also places for older teenagers to hang out;
Sense of community – the residents of the terrace houses at Pinehill Crescent
demonstrated in their responses that, collectively, they are well able to
direct the shaping of their own environment to suit their needs and
aspirations. It is about communities creating their own opportunities.
Conclusion
Both people and the environment matter: one needs to be given the opportunity to
help shape the other. This is best done collaboratively, with the community
participating in the process of place-making. All five principles (sustainabliltiy,
clustered housing, green open space, the needs of children, and sense of
community) appear to be necessary for shaping mulitvalent communal space in
medium density housing. The hypothetical application of these five principles at
Pinehill Crescent resulted in more efficient use of land while also enhancing living
environments for residents. These principles may achieve similar results in other
medium density housing developments.
© March 2011 Stephen Pattinson sjpattinson@paradise.net.nz