Reconnecting New Zealand Towns and Cities with Their Rivers

Why did New Zealand towns turn their backs to the water?

New Zealand is a country defined by water — from alpine springs and wetlands to dramatic coastlines and powerful rivers. Yet in our towns and cities, rivers are often treated as little more than obstacles to build around or hazards to keep at bay. Urban development has frequently occurred with its back turned to rivers and streams. In these places, the practical demands of flood protection, road networks, and commercial zoning appear to have overridden any deeper appreciation for the river’s presence or potential. The result is often a disconnection between the natural landscape and built form — a missed opportunity to embed beauty, identity, and connection to place into our urban environments.

This disconnection is especially striking when we consider the role water plays in Aotearoa New Zealand’s identity. Rivers, or awa, are taonga — living entities bound into local history, Māori whakapapa (genealogy), and the very shaping of the land. They are dynamic, shifting, and powerful. Yet flood management systems — especially stopbanks — have for decades treated rivers as static elements to be contained. This has come at the cost of ecological integrity, public access, and the experiential quality of the river in our cities and towns. With the pressure of urbanisation and climate change growing, New Zealand now stands at a crossroads: do we continue building barriers, or do we seek to reconnect with rivers as partners in our urban futures?

Shifting the urban paradigm: from containment to connection

For decades, stopbanks have formed the backbone of flood protection in New Zealand. These engineered embankments provide a basic level of defence against flooding but come with limitations. They separate cities from rivers physically and psychologically, creating underutilised edges and vacant zones. They limit the river’s natural tendency to meander, flood, and replenish adjacent ecosystems. And in the face of more intense rainfall events, many are no longer fit for purpose.

Modern urban planning is now beginning to question these conventions. Around the country, new thinking is emerging — projects that seek not just to manage the risks of living near rivers, but to celebrate the benefits. This includes building in flexibility, restoring access, and integrating water into the heart of the urban landscape. Central to this shift is a growing recognition that rivers are not problems to be solved, but assets to be embraced.

Case studies: cities and towns reorienting towards water

Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai – Lower Hutt: a future-focused river city

Lower Hutt provides one of the most comprehensive examples of a city seeking to reconnect with its river. The Te Awa Kairangi project aims to turn the city’s gaze back towards Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River, transforming a once-disconnected space into a vibrant civic centre. Historically, the orientation of High Street and Queens Drive, together with tall stopbanks, shut the river off from the urban core. Now, new designs promise pedestrian bridges, riverside plazas, better cycling and walking routes, and mixed-use development that embraces the river edge.

Crucially, the project will still deliver improved flood protection — but it will do so while enabling public access, ecological restoration, and transport connectivity. In doing so, it offers a template for future resilience that does not compromise on quality of life or sense of place.

Hamilton: 30-year vision to restore the Waikato River’s role

Hamilton’s River Plan is another example of a long-term effort to reintegrate water into the city’s identity. Spanning 16 kilometres of the Waikato River, the plan envisions a connected corridor of walking paths, recreation spaces, events areas, and commercial activity. The Ferrybank Development, a key part of the plan, includes river-facing venues, a pontoon jetty, and upgrades to cultural and heritage landmarks along the river.

These efforts are underpinned by infrastructural investments in water resilience, heritage protection, and development policy. For example, Plan Change 12 aims to require financial contributions from developers to support infrastructure such as riverfront upgrades, while Plan Change 9 protects cultural and environmental values in growth areas.

Foxton: restoring the River Loop and reconnecting history

The Foxton River redevelopment project demonstrates how river reconnection can also repair historical damage. The River Loop — once a vital part of the Manawatū River — was cut off by earlier flood control works, reducing flow and disconnecting it from the community. The current project, supported by $3.86 million in government funding, is restoring flow, rebuilding public access, and revitalising adjacent spaces with BBQs, playgrounds, and viewing decks.

The project goes beyond urban design. It draws from history and iwi-led narratives, particularly the flooding of Papangaio and the isolation of Matakarapa, to ensure river reconnection is grounded in place-based memory and cultural restoration. Community involvement has been central, with local schools, groups, and the Save Our River Trust shaping design outcomes.

Opportunities for smaller towns: unlocking hidden riverscapes

Huntly: turning a backwater into a riverfront attraction

Huntly sits on the Waikato River and is surrounded by lakes — yet the town barely engages with these natural assets. Industrial buildings dominate the river edge, and the central area has long faced away from the water. However, the ‘Reconnecting Huntly’ concept proposes a network of walkways, scenic lookouts, and cultural trails linking the river and surrounding lakes.

One idea involves creating a night-time light installation across the river, animating views of the power station and celebrating the river as spectacle. The walkbridge could become a drawcard, encouraging more people to spend time at the riverfront. Iwi involvement would bring cultural storytelling into the design, helping shape Huntly into a place where the Waikato River is once again central to local life.

Palmerston North: reimagining the Manawatū River corridor

Palmerston North has the advantage of the Manawatū River and surrounding reserves already in place, but there is still untapped potential. Greater integration of river walks, cycle routes, and urban development around He Ara Kotahi Bridge could support stronger connectivity and recreational use. Future upgrades could include riverside cafes, performance spaces, and new housing with views over the water.

Te Kauwhata: embracing growth with water-sensitive design

Te Kauwhata is growing fast, and with that growth comes an opportunity to do things differently. Its proximity to wetlands and the Waikato River gives it natural advantages — but only if planning prioritises access and ecological protection. New housing developments could incorporate blue-green corridors, stormwater wetlands, and boardwalks that bring people into contact with water, rather than walling it off.

Conclusion: towards a water-conscious urban future

New Zealand’s urban form has often marginalised rivers — building walls instead of walkways, and barriers instead of bridges. But the tide is turning. From Lower Hutt to Hamilton, and from Foxton to Huntly, there is a growing awareness that rivers are not liabilities — they are lifelines. Reconnecting with water means rethinking flood protection, reorienting our streets, and restoring our relationship with the natural world.

This new approach demands collaboration: between engineers and ecologists, planners and mana whenua, developers and community members. It also demands a shift in mindset — one that sees water not as something to fight or fear, but as something to welcome, celebrate, and live with.

Rivers, after all, are always moving, always changing. Our towns and cities must learn to do the same.