Where will the village be built?
The short answer is that we don't know as of yet except to say within two hours of Auckland airport in a great location - probably to the north or west. This is not by accident. If we choose the land first, we get locked into a set of dynamics that can slow the process up or even defeat the intent.
We first need people who like the idea of living in a village to enrol. We then need district councils who want us to select their jurisdiction, so we can expect a cooperative working relationship, rather than a bureaucratic nightmare. Once those two elements are in alignment, we are confident the perfect land will emerge... noting that what makes the village great is within, and a product of its built environment, so the right land may be found in many places. Having said this, however, if you know of particular land, or of a place that would be ideal, let us know.
Since we have begun, many people suggested to us that we look near Matakana/Warkworth area. There may be wisdom in this.
What is the right land?
The world will judge the first villages, so we are better to select exceptional places – a site with outstanding nearby amenities that will attract the villagers and give parallel villages a great reputation. Amenities may include places of great beauty, outdoor activities, water (lakes, rivers, the ocean), dramatic terrain and so on. The climate needs to be good – not too wet or windy.
For example, one site in South Island that is under consideration for another project is located in a former quarry - not a hole in the ground, but a carved hillside with dramatic shapes to the land. The land is non-arable and has few other productive uses. Behind the site is a park, and directly in front is the seaside . It is in a microclimate with golden summers and mild winters. The farmers grow a wide variety of foods and they would welcome a stable, local and non-exploitative market.
Access is important. While villagers will not be commuting daily, we need access either by rail or truck during construction, and we can expect a reasonable flow traffic to the village with delivery of food, products and a steady stream of visitors. It is important that the location either already has telepresence quality broadband, or broadband can be brought to the site. While access to rail is a bonus, recently we were asked to look at land that already has a commuter rail station. Were we to build a village there, the village probably would become a commuter town, emptying out during the work-day, and never fulfilling its potential. This is probably better than another car-based commuter suburb, but it would not be a great showcase of the parallel village, where a 24 hour a day community rather than another bedroom community is central to the concept.
Gentle building land is important. While eventually some villages may be built on hilltops, like the classic hill-towns of Italy, the first will be better built on relatively level ground. About 40-50 hectares is required for the village itself. Of course, it cannot be in a flood zone. From a conservation position, we are not interested in land that requires destroying a healthy native forest, and it would be inappropriate to use first class agricultural land for the paved part of the village. However, the surrounding greenbelt can be hilly in part, and it can have excellent growing soil and native forests, as the village would then use those parts accordingly.
Locating a new parallel village proximate to an existing settlement (hamlet, village or town) is more complicated, and requires dialogue. Some communities may find it desirable to make the existing settlement the core of the village, or have the village built next to it. Other communities may not want to see their place change. It is easier to build in an undeveloped area, several kilometres from an existing settlement, but this question will be driven by the locality, not us.
Finally, of course, the land must be affordable. Land already zoned for housing may cost far too much to buy, and some land has market value of no use for a parallel village, such as close access to shopping malls and industrial parks.
Three types of villages
Country-Town village - The Auckland region village will be a country-town parallel village meaning it will be greenfield, built in a rural zone surrounded by farms beyond the economic suburban commuter zone.
The other two types of parallel villages are:
Urban village - built on reclaimed, brownfield land in a city
Suburban village - greenfield land presently intended for suburban sprawl, where the council has a change of intent based on preferring the village model.
