The Tourist Tariff - Designing the spaces between exploration and exploitation in New Zealand's sensitive landscapes

This thesis explores the holistic, sustainable development of gateway tourist townships in New Zealand's sensitive landscapes. Grounded in the architectural discipline, the research strives to test the implementation of sustainable frameworks through the central locale, Te Anau, a critical town in New Zealand’s tourism strategy and colloquially known as the gateway to Fiordland National Park. Adopting a mixed-method research approach, case studies direct the research through design exploration, offering an understanding of current New Zealand practices and how this compares to international gateway townships. Identified as a critical inhibitor to the adoption of sustainable frameworks in New Zealand, the lack of transport facilities and intermodal networks in gateway communities is exasperating the demands of contemporary tourism. The research through the design process tests the integration of transport facilities into Te Anau’s streetscape to develop its gateway function and act as a catalyst for the re-invigoration of gateway town centres’. This thesis introduces the ‘Framing our Values’ concept as a design driver for sustainable development in environmentally and culturally sensitive landscapes to re-align gateway morphology with New Zealand values, improving the connection between gateway town centres to New Zealand's prominent landscapes.

Keywords: Sustainable Development, Gateway Townships, Sensitive Landscapes, Intermodal Connectivity, Place-based Design.