The Amphibian City

We are experiencing a planetary catastrophe of an irreversible changing climate - Global Warming. The burning of fossil fuels and forests, resulting in the rapid rise of temperature and environmental erosion, has caused enormous damage to the atmospheric pattern. It is estimated that New Zealand will undergo an average temperature increase of 2.1 degrees by the end of this century, leading to further environmental collapses such as droughts, deforestation, food shortage and most extensively the rise of sea level. Urban coastal regions and low-lying lands are yet to become the most vulnerable parts within our cities. The intention of this book is to transform the conflicts induced by global warming into a state of concord, a holistic approach leading to an open system that will work for the current situation, and perhaps in the 50 years ahead without having to re-think ab ovo. The open system will induce a positive and resilient response to the rising sea and future extreme weather conditions without compromising the accessibility of the site, and at the same time, make the waterfront an innovative, vivid, attractive and comfortable location that lives up to the future expectations.