An architect, academic and innovator, Magdalena Garbarczyk loves Nelson and wants to help the region fulfil its potential as a place to live, work and play.
Born in Poland, raised in France and educated in France and The Netherlands, Magdalena is a co-founder of the firm Fineline Architecture and the independent think-tank Nelson Tasman 2050.
She shares both her concerns about the impact of urban sprawl on Nelson and Tasman, and the solutions to it, with host Matt Lawrey on Episode 12 of The Nelson Pod.
Magdalena has worked on developments across Europe but was drawn to Nelson and New Zealand for the lifestyle and the opportunity to work on meaningful community projects. She said it was nearly impossible for a young family to buy a house in Auckland and so they moved to Nelson two and a half years ago after a number of visits.
“I’ve always felt that this place has lots of potential,” she said.
In addition to Nelson’s incredible natural landscape, the friendly community and ‘the sense of peace’, Magdalena appreciates the way the city is less hierarchical than Auckland, something that she finds helps to get projects going.
Magalenda is, however, concerned that the central city is not as vibrant as it could be.
“Quality intensification is the Number 1 aspect that will bring that vibracy back. Unfortunately, what’s happening is now, and what The Future Development Strategy is still allowing more of the sprawl that we’ve been seeing for many years.”
Magdalena says reducing sprawl will also help to address the climate emergency.
“We talk a lot about the climate emergency and the thing that we forget sometimes around the term is the ‘emergency’ part,” she said.
“We really need to focus on the climate emergency and the projects and the developments that we are allowing should really be aligned with that.”
Watch or listen to the episode on thenelsonpod.co.nz
