Is it possible to have a city made up of three distinct cities, separated by large areas of land, and still think of it as one coherent urban system?
Matthew Bradbury asks the question of the so-called Golden Triangle of Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton.
He says the Netherlands has a remarkably similar structure and scale with Amsterdam to the north, Rotterdam to the south, Utrecht to the east, and in the centre sits an area they call the Green Heart literally farmland, and small towns.
The morning walk up North Road overlooking the Hauraki Plains changes with every visit. As the light spills over the Coromandel ranges and strikes North Road it creates an ever-changing landscape that always delights the soul. Music Suggestion: Beethoven's Pastorale - First Movement. By Peter Casey Photo:
If the Golden Triangle becomes our new regional city, then at its centre the Hauraki Plains could become our new regional park a green heart for the upper North Island. Photo: Peter Casey.
Matthew Bradbury is an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at UNITEC, where he leads the Landscape Architecture programme.
