Te Ara o Waipapa investigates the potential for building local community awareness of blue-green networks within Auckland CBD. Historic waterways under our land are neglected to the detriment of our ecosystem health, which restricts Tāmaki Makaurau's resilience to climate change impacts such as extreme flood events. Daylighting a section of the Waipapa Stream uncovers the mana and historical importance of our waterways. The project offers an educative experience by integrating place-based design to help the community reconnect with their environment.

Using Placemaking tools and concepts such as Discover Cards, the Great Place Wheel, the 5 Whys, and the power of 10+, the project benefits from community input that determines which activities and features best suit each place, ensuring that spaces are engaging and inclusive for all users.

Te Ara o Waipapa transforms Parliament Reserve into a critical section of blue-green corridor, supporting native flora and fauna while reconnecting people with nature. By developing multifunctional blue-green spaces in flood-prone areas, Auckland could improve its resilience to extreme rainfall and strengthen the social and cultural bonds between communities and their environment.

This project will restore the native coastal wetland forest ecosystem that was lost to processes of colonisation and urbanisation. Bringing back the species that would have once been here allows people to experience the landscape anew and learn about the area's heritage. By integrating place-based design, the project offers an educational experience to help the community reconnect with their environment. Interactive signage that promotes learning through play and a community garden with a section for native edible plants builds community and encourages people to experience food sources that would have grown along the stream. A topographic landscape map shows the flow of water throughout the wider area. 

These elements come together to create a place for people to coexist and appreciate our natural environment, learn about the Waipapa Stream and its rich cultural history, and enhance the functionality of this central space.