A landscape architecture of wetland design in the context of sea level rise in eastern Christchurch: A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Landscape Architecture at Lincoln University

Abstract

With sea level rise (SLR), coastal zones will be gradually inundated by sea water and that could significantly damage the existing ecosystem services and affect people’s daily life. To mitigate the adverse impacts from SLR, wetlands are identified as not only the potential solution but also an opportunity to generate more value. To do this, the state of knowledge for expressing the productivity of wetlands is first explored through a literature review. Second, best-practice design guidelines, from part of a research placement, are used together with the literature review to generate design patterns for releasing the productivity of wetlands that are easy to apply in a wetland design. Different design patterns serve to increase different values from wetlands through direct expression or integrated expression in design practices. Third, to better harness and categorize the values of wetlands identified in this research or could be investigated, the diagram of productivity in wetland design aims to further open opportunities for releasing more values, as they are developed. These diagrams categorize the wetlands as natural wetlands, constructed wetlands for water purification, and constructed wetlands for food production. Through an investigation into generating design patterns, the integration or junction zones of any two types of the wetlands mentioned, above, are able to generate new values. Fourth, these design patterns are examined in Kaiapoi, eastern Christchurch. Then, in the discussion, a design-based selective system of productive wetlands in SLR is generated to provide an adaptive design framework to assist wetland designers in harnessing the productivity of wetlands under SLR. Since this system is open and expandable, it can be widely applied, adjusted and developed for alternative scenarios in the current uncertain future.