Who's place is it anyway?

The reading by Wortham-Galvin on the "mythologies of placemaking" gave me some interesting food for thought. It touched on the mainstream planning and design concept of creating this "sense of place" in spaces/communities/towns.

To create a "place", the creation needs to hold a sense of authenticity for people to identify with it and this is rooted not only in what is factual about a space, but what is believed to be true. As the author of the reading states, a discussion of a "place" reveals the mythologies about the ways we have made and enacted the built environment. And as people, we enact place for a variety of reasons, such as tradition, or to instill beliefs and values, or indeed rebel against institutional values.

So this got me to thinking. What place is Auckland trying to become? What vision are the rules, policies and regulations regarding water in the various planning documents trying to emulate? And what is the motive behind this vision? How are we "making" Auckland as a water "place"?

The author also comments that television and internet are now intricately intertwined in the expression and creation of place, so that increasingly people are experiencing place mentally as well as physically. Importantly this means that what people think, feel and say about a place is becoming highly influenced by what they experience in the virtual world, or what they are selectively show and told. Original conditions are becoming irrelevant as "places" are becoming detached from their context and being substituted with a new context. In the case of Auckland, I question what is this virtual water "place" that is being substituted for the original and existing conditions of Auckland's water network, and who is dictating the design of the substitute?

Attached is the link to Auckland's soon to be opened (this Saturday actually) Wynyard quarter development http://www.waterfrontauckland.co.nz/Temporary-Files-(Not-visible-on-menus)/Wynyard-Quarter1/Image-Gallery/Animations.aspx, the virtual video.
Ask yourself...
 - Does this showcase Auckland's water environment?
 - Does this "feel" like Auckland to me?
 - Would I want to come here and appreciate this "unique" Auckland experience?
 - Without all the people in the clip, how would this space feel?

Enjoy.