Ever since I arrived on the shores of Sydney in 2009 and visited Manly on the northern beaches, I knew this was where I would live. Back then I thought it was because it felt like I was on holiday every time I got off the boat – Manly has a relaxed vibe, a scenic beach, and was the completely opposite to the intense and fast paced London lifestyle I had grown so used to. And with a majority of my mates living there, it all seemed to fit the bill.
However as time has passed, the desire to live in what’s now a bustling little metropolis (or the insular peninsular as so many Sydney siders call it) has not wavered one bit. In fact the reasons behind wanting to live here have increased and taken on a new dimension.
The new dimension is what I call urbantexture. The synergy between the fundamental principles of urban design, co-mingling with the detailed design of landscape architecture, proves that the two professions are a slice of the same very important design pie.
For me as a Landscape Architect, Manly gets the urbantexture just right. It has taken the fundamental building blocks on which urban design sits, such as connectivity, diversity, vibrancy, safety, walkability and activity, and used them to strategically locate its hubs, links, connections and zones to then be further designed and developed. Once the fundamental building blocks were in play, the finer tuned design eye of a landscape architect has been able to manipulate how the end user will feel, connect with and use the space by focussing on the user’s experience.
COMMUTE + CAPTIVATE
When arriving in Manly off the boat, the social and interactive hub of the Manly Wharf greets you. This gateway to Manly has been developed into a precinct flanked with a plethora of bars facing western sunsets and water front restaurants, strategically placed to capture local commuters and tourists before they enter the urban fabric of Manly.
This set up also works in reverse and provides an active and vibrant meeting place before city-bound folk depart the shores. “Wharf for a drink” is a common catch cry heard all around Manly on a day-to-day basis.
CONNECT
When master planning towns and cities it is important to create good places and active hubs/portals however, these hubs are of no use unless there is a strong connection and link to help people gravitate towards them.
This can be achieved by providing vistas, axis, and visual cues to help directional flow. Manly has succeeded in this by linking the portal that is the wharf, to the main beach, a sought after destination for tourists and locals, through the means of a strong pedestrian only link. The link is positioned perfectly, and the lineal pedestrian friendly nature achieves an intuitive link, even for first timers. The experience given to the user is achieved via lineal water features to help direct the eye and to provide noise, movement and a sense of direction. Paving patterns resemble the approaching tide and the seating elements resemble floating jelly fish, all of which provide a sense of place and emphasise its beach town nature.
ACTIVATE
Once you reach the main beach you are faced with three options. Continue to walk down the expansive steps on to the beach its self or turn left or right and flitter amongst the various hot spots that line the street within its commercial activation zone. Bars, restaurants, cafes, overflowing with locals and tourists all have views of the surf and are only a stone’s throw away. The promenade that stretches along the beach provides ample amenities for its users such as seating steps, shaded walkways, sports activities gathering zones and exercise zones, an expanse of turf for numerous activities and subtle details carved within its landscape that celebrate the little towns history but show an obvious sign of moving forward and catering for its mix of local stalwarts and transient tourists.
In Manly, urbantexture is prevalent everywhere you look and is a great example of how successful urban planning can be when coupled with the skillsets of a landscape architect. The end result not only provides an experience for the end user, it can help grow the economy and generate a desirable location.
So next time you visit Manly for a sundowner, surf, trek or getaway make sure you look further than the glass of rosé that’s in front of you. You will appreciate it.