Abstract
85% of Māori live and work in NZ towns and cities. As modern-day kāinga (settlements), towns and cities are a complex extension of urban Māori lived experience. However, Māori have been marginalised to liminal spaces in cities, with spatial injustices impacting wellbeing. Despite this, generations of Māori have built new relationships with whenua in towns, developed artful and ingenious responses to changing ecological environments, and carved out new ways of identifying with and living in urban spaces. The overall aim of this research was to understand how Māori identity and rangatiratanga contribute to the quality of life, that can deeply shape urban spaces into environments which tangata whenua recognise they belong and in which they can live and nurture their identity.
Using both case studies and kōwetewete with key research collaborators from Ōtepoti Dunedin, this research delves into understanding how Māori envision te ao Māori in urban space, and the nature of mana whenua relationships with Dunedin City Council and other key stakeholders in the urban development process. The research speaks to creating new models for engagement with mana whenua and education of practitioners through the application of self-determined pathways for Indigenous communities in urban areas.
This research’s results highlighted that there was significant reluctance from both Pākehā developers, designers, planners, and members of local authorities and planning legislation to recognise mana whenua as key stakeholder in urban developments. Combining with the historical colonial dominance in the urban planning and development space has made it extremely hard for mana whenua values and aspirations to be incorporated in urban spaces.
To conclude this research, it is recommended that local authorities investigate educational pathways for local practitioners with respect to, engagement with mana whenua, improve planning documentation that encourages mana whenua values and those of Pākehā to co-exist, while finally ensuring that a strong partnership is developed with mana whenua to enable more equitable outcomes to occur in future urban planning and development projects.