Importantly, the outcomes extend beyond a path: they include aspirations for an accessible kāinga and a whare toi/arts studio, so the site can support gathering, making, and everyday life across generations.

Design directions were shaped through on-site kōrero: a whānau hui and follow-up kōrero that included whānau hauā (carers) and disability service providers, ensuring lived experience sat at the centre of decision-making. Practical need - places to rest, handrails, quiet spaces to reduce anxiety, and different pathway textures/surfaces for varying sensory preferences are treated as essential elements of dignity and wellbeing. The project also challenges “minimum standard” accessibility thinking, using NZS 4121 as a baseline while aiming to future-proof and go further. It reframes the idea of a pathway from one of containment to one of participation and engagement, including multi-sensory moments that invite interaction with the environment.

Situated within an Indigenous, tribal landscape, whānau also proposed whakataukī as pathway signposts — guiding visitors through wellbeing, learning, and connection to place. The wider framework links mātauranga (whenua-based education and connection to Indigenous knowledge) with kaitiakitanga, restoring the wetlands for the long term toward their historic state.