Engaging Neighbourhoods: Interrogating urban geometries and the implications on community

The urban geometries of New Zealand suburbs do not encourage social and cultural engagement amongst contemporary communities.  In 2017, New Zealand is ‘Home’ to people from over 30 nations, however the planned suburban layout is still tailored for a bi-cultural ideal implemented in a country that had never experimented with suburban living design before and now struggles to break away from it.  The planning of future neighborhoods in New Zealand is crucial at this time of housing crisis, where the priority is given to the quantity of dwellings that can be produced to house families, when focus should be on the quality of life that is being provided and the healthiness of the context in which communities exist.  This thesis explores how New Zealand suburbs can be adapted through architectural and urban design interventions to allow for more immersive, healthy and sustainable living environments that facilitate cultural and social exchange.