Landscape redevelopment plans for Avarua, the main town on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, and the island of Aitutaki, have won international landscape architecture awards.
One award is for the plans' response to the climate crisis, the other recognised the aim of managing the quality of the environment and the livelihood of the residents on Aitutaki.
The New Zealand company Reset Urban Design developed plans that specifically address climate change, for the Cook Islands Investment Corporation.
An artists' impression of the design for Avarua Photo: Harthill PR
The International Federation of Landscape Architects praised the plans for Rarotonga for their climate change mitigation and involvement of the communities.
The chair of the Corporation, Mike Henry, said sustainability in the midst of climate change is a vital aspect of the plan.
"So ensuring that the steps we take are sustainable. It's part and parcel of Polynesia where Polynesians have been able to survive on very small pieces of land with not very many resources and have survived very well for over 1000 years.
"This is just taking it that one step further and incoporating it into what is a modern Polynesian society."
Avarua foreshore as it is now Photo: Harthill PR
Storm surges conisdered in plans
The chair of Reset Urban Design, Garth Falconer, believes they won because of the practical approach they took and the way they brought the community into the process.
"So we started off with very broad goals in terms of arranging the activities and the roading, the recreation areas where the facilities were - just very broadly, mainly in a clustering situation and trying to get those facilities insulated or removed away from the coastal areas which are prone to natural hazards."
Falconer said that first they developed a short term plan and then a bigger vision incorporating some of their bolder moves to mitigate climate change.
In the case of Avarua this involved rethinking the layout of the town to reduce its vulnerability to storm surge.
There are hopes international donors, such as New Zealand and the Green Climate Fund, will help pay for what will be an expensive, but necessary exercise.
The other prize for Reset Urban Design, working with local architect, Romani Katoa, was the first ever spatial plan for Aitutaki, called Te Papa Tau o Araura.
This plan aims to manage the quality of Aitutaki's environment and local livelihoods.
The plan for Vaitupa Beach Park Photo: Harthill PR
