17–397 Title: Ryan Reynolds Presentation (Gap Filler) Section: Performance Prepared by: Harley Dibble (Planning & Performance Manager) Meeting Date: 13 September 2017 ☐ Legal ☐ Financial Significance = low Report to COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & SERVICES Committee for decision SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to Report on the Council funded presentations and workshops provided by Ryan Reynolds (Gap Filler) in March; Highlight the benefits and challenges of place-making and tactical urbanism activities; and Seek direction on any next steps. The decisions or matters in this report are considered to be of low significance in accordance with the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. RECOMMENDATIONS That the Community Development & Services Committee: 1. Notes the contents of this report. 2. Advise staff if further investigation into place-making opportunities for Gisborne is required. Authorised by: Harley Dibble Andrew White Planning & Performance Manager Director Liveable Communities Keywords : gap filler, placemaking, ryan Reynolds, tactical urbanism projects christchurch, A792686 Page 1 of 11
BACKGROUND 1. Council commissioned Ryan Reynolds to hold a series of presentations and workshops for Councillors, staff and the public from the 5th to 7th of March 2017. The workshops explored Ryan’s work with Gap Filler delivering place making and tactical urbanism projects in Christchurch, and the application of similar approaches in Gisborne. 2. Ryan is co-director of Gap Filler – a charitable trust that facilitates temporary creative projects, events and installations in public spaces with the goal of urban revitalisation and fun. Gap Filler collaborates with the community, Council, local organisations, businesses, and creative professionals to deliver the projects. Ryan has worked with a number of Councils in New Zealand and Australia to empower them to progress place making activities and encourage innovative community engagement. 3. Some slides from Ryan’s workshop are attached at Appendix One for your information. A full copy of the presentation can be provided on request. 4. Feedback from Councillors, staff and community members who attended the workshops was positive. Attendees expressed interest in exploring similar principles in Tair ā whiti, but with projects unique to our community and place. There was considerable pride expressed around existing community projects like the community plantings in Ruatoria and the Ka Pai Kaiti community garden for example. Written feedback has been collated and is attached . 5. Councillors who attended the workshops requested that staff report back to the Community Development and Services committee for further discussion. About Place Making and Tactical Urbanism 6. Place making is about people-centric planning – ensuring our places and spaces work for our community, encouraging people into the city and public spaces, and enhancing and enlivening our place. Importantly this planning approach recognises and values our community as the experts, enabling them to do projects that have meaning for them and therefore our place. 7. Tactical urbanism often refers to temporary, lighter, quicker and cheaper physical interventions designed to improve people’s experience of their urban environment. It can be used to trial new approaches and ideas that could become more permanent if successful. 8. Projects can be anywhere on the scale between fully community-led to Council-led, small to large budget, and temporary to more permanent. They can range from ‘pop up’ artworks, performances and events in under-utilised spaces, to environmental stewardship, educational tools (e.g. digital maps), physical improvements, community gardens, and new or temporary infrastructure. 9. Some examples of place making initiatives from other cities around New Zealand are attached . It is important to recognise that all places and communities are unique. We could apply similar principles but for projects unique to Tair ā whiti, and still obtain the same benefits. A792686 Page 2 of 11
DISCUSSION and OPTIONS What is Council’s role? 10. Councils can play a number of roles depending on the type and scale of project - from enabler (through providing the space or permits for example), to funder, advocate, collaborator, facilitator or project manager. Other Councils in New Zealand have employed different structures to administer and facilitate place making activities. 11. A number of not for profit and independent groups are facilitating similar initiatives in New Zealand and worldwide – using innovative ways to generate and share ideas amongst the community and gain momentum for projects. 12. There are opportunities for Council to facilitate and support this kind of activity if desired. There are also other organisations working in this space that have indicated interest in working with Gisborne – for example Inspiring Communities . 13. Those who attended Ryan’s workshops stressed the importance of ensuring that whatever place making initiatives occur, they should embrace Gisborne’s unique needs, drivers and skills – not just recreate projects and approaches that have worked elsewhere. Benefits and Challenges 14. Potential benefits of place making activity are: Utilising, celebrating and sharing the diverse range of skills and talent in our community. Community pride. Participation. Bring fun and colour to the city centre. Supporting innovation and entrepreneurialism. Connecting spaces. Better engagement with communities. Small business resilience. Use of under-utilised public spaces. Disruption management. Low cost, temporary interventions with ability to collect feedback before investing in longer term solutions. Temporary projects have minimal ongoing maintenance and associated costs. Good news stories. 15. Potential Challenges: Internal resource availability to scope the concept further and manage the work if it goes ahead. Council being able to respond and act quickly enough to allow individual projects to go ahead without losing momentum. Having a structure in place that ensures Council and other funders remain neutral on curatorial decisions. A792686 Page 3 of 11
Next Steps 16. There is already ‘place making’ activity happening in Gisborne – examples include the Navigations Project, Heart of Gisborne’s use of volunteers to enhance the cruise ship visitors experience, community plantings and gardens and projects funded through creative communities and Council’s community funding scheme. It is also pleasing to note that a number of attendees at the Ryan Reynolds workshops have recently held events or are planning place making initiatives. These include: - The recently held 24hr Plastic Bag-a-Thon – a joint initiative between Kapai Kaiti and Plastic Bag Free Tairawhiti where hundreds of free reusable shopping bags were created for people to use instead of single-use plastic bags. - Tairawhiti Youth Council who are planning two ‘Gap Filler’ initiatives - a pop-up Library and a bicycle exchange. - Plans for a pop-up bicycle powered theatre to promote safe cycling in the district. - Plans for a Seawalls Public Art Festival - artists painting murals that promote greater protection of our Oceans. 17. Councillors are asked to advise staff if further investigation into Council’s role in place- making opportunities for Gisborne is required. ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Process Criteria This Report Overall The effects on all or a large part of the Gisborne district Low Low The effects on individuals or specific communities Low Low The level or history of public interest in the matter or issue Low Low Inconsistency with Council’s current strategy and policy Low Low Impacts on Council’s delivery of its Financial Strategy and Long Term Plan. Low Low 18. The decisions or matters in this report are considered to be of low significance in accordance with Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. APPENDICES Appendix One: Slides from Ryan Reynold’s Presentation Appendix Two: Written Feedback from Ryan Reynold’s Workshops Appendix Three: Examples of place making and tactical urbanism projects from other places A792686 Page 4 of 11
Appendix 1 A792686 Page 5 of 11
A792686 Page 6 of 11
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