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Urban leader - A newsletter for urban design champions

Issue no. INFO 233 | 2 November 2007

Welcome

This regular newsletter will help you champion good urban design in New Zealand. It contains relevant and useful information about urban design.
In this issue we have:

Local Government Urban Design Protocol Champions

Congratulations to our elected Urban Design Champions who were voted in for another term at the recent Local Body elections. We look forward to continuing our work with you and your council to increase the quality of our towns, cities and regions in New Zealand.

We note though that there have been some changes to some councils as a result of the elections. We would encourage those of you from these councils to appoint a new elected urban design champion. The Ministry has a wide range of resources that can support you in informing your new councils about urban design and the role of an urban design champion. Please contact Janna Murray at janna.murray@mfe.govt.nz regarding changes to your urban design champion or if you would like more information.

Urban Design Survey 2007

Professor Gordon Holden from Victoria University, Wellington has just released the key findings from his 2007 Urban Design Survey. The 2007 survey forms part of a longitudinal study of Australian and New Zealand urban designers. Some of the key findings from the survey are:

  • There is a strong view that urban design theory, methods and practice bridge many disciplinary boundaries
  • 65 per cent of respondents supported the idea that urban design should exist as a separate profession (compared to 30 per cent in 1991)
  • In the 2007 survey, the NZ Urban Design Protocol suite of publications was the most referred to urban design resource in Australia and New Zealand. This was followed by the CABE and English partnership publications.
  • The Melbourne City Centre, the Wellington Waterfront redevelopment and the Brisbane South Bank redevelopment were all highly regarded by both Australian and New Zealand respondents as case study examples of excellence in urban design.
  • Professor Holden plans to release a series of reports on the findings over the next four months. For further information about the survey and its findings, please contact Gordon Holden at Gordon.Holden@vuw.ac.nz

Winner of Taupo Urban Design competition

Congratulations to Antanas Procuta Architects of Hamilton who have taken away the best urban design prize for the Lot 60 Urban Design competition. Harrison Grierson Consultants of Auckland were runners-up. The Lot 60 competition gave design professionals the opportunity to provide a sustainable solution to shape residential development in Taupo and accommodate the town’s future growth. Entrants were asked to consider providing a mix of housing types for retired people, larger families, and singles/couples, in line with recent studies into local market demand and housing needs. The assessment panel included Professor of Architecture John Hunt, urban designer James Lunday, owner of Taupo/Turangi Ray White Craig Orr, Scott Holdsworth and councillors Doreen Blyth and Barry Hickling.

Launch of the New Zealand Energy Strategy and the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy

The New Zealand Energy Strategy, focusing on encouraging clean, renewable, sustainable energy generation was launched on 11 October. The Strategy also outlines government commitment to support local government on quality urban design, including investigating the role for greater national guidance.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy was also launched. The strategy includes energy efficiency measures for business and transport, including an objective of halving per-capita transport emissions by 2040 through using renewable fuels, increasing vehicle efficiency, more public transport, and promotion of walking and cycling. Section 6.1 outlines the role of urban form and design in increasing economic activity, improving community quality of life and reducing environmental impacts.

Request for research: Urban design interventions for people with disabilities, older people and parents of young children

Quigley and Watts are undertaking a literature review for the Public Health Advisory Committee on the topic of ‘The Built Environment and Health’, specifically looking at people with disabilities, older people and parents of young children.

They are seeking New Zealand and international reports, research or guidelines on designing and modifying urban built environments for the benefit of these three population groups. In particular, they are interested in work that evaluates or summarises effective interventions/programmes, or identifies key features of best practice in urban design aimed at these sectors of the population.

If you have access to published or unpublished literature, reference lists or links to useful data, please forward them to Louise Thornley at louise@quigleyandwatts.co.nz or contact her on (04) 472 0138.

Conferences and Events

The Inaugural Green Transport Conference is being held on 19-20 November 2007 at the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, Auckland. The conference will examine the challenges ahead in improving the sustainability of our transport systems, while reducing our carbon footprint. With case studies from leading New Zealand organisations, and an outstanding line up of speakers, this event will explore the major issues and promote discussion on the best way to reduce the environmental impact of the transport systems in New Zealand.

Sustainability Conference 2008 is being held from 4–7 January 2008 in Malaysia. It aims to develop a holistic view of sustainability, in which environmental, cultural, social and economic issues are interlinked.

Useful links to current information

  • http://www.sustainability.govt.nz is a one stop shop for information and assistance on living sustainably. Developed and supported by the Ministry for the Environment, the website provides basic information for household decision-makers on energy and water use, waste disposal, transport and building choices.
  • The Ministry for the Environment has recently launched New Zealand's Climate Change Information website. The website outlines the climate change challenges the country faces, the unique answers New Zealand has come up with and a vision of where New Zealand wants to be in the future.
  • The Australian Urban Design Forum’s latest newsletter looks at issues of politics and urban design, public transport and urban strategies.
  • The Making Good Decisions Programme helps councillors, community board members, and independent commissioners make better decisions under the Resource Management Act (RMA). For the next major certification round dates go to the Ministry for the Environment's good decisions webpage.
  • Apologies for not including the link in the last newsletter to the newly released Wellington City Council Sustainable Building Guidelines. These voluntary web-based guidelines are based on a range of New Zealand-wide resources for developing sustainable buildings, such as the Smarter Homes website and work by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Building Research Association of New Zealand.
  • Chimney Pot Park, Salford, UK is a highly innovative design by Urban Splash that has turned a 19th Century UK terrace development upside down. Just click on the house and enjoy the website!

Champion movements

Andrew Guerin, (former Sustainable Development Manager and Urban Design Champion at Kapiti Coast District Council) has taken up a new role at MWH Wellington as the Group Manger of Planning and Science. We would like to extend our congratulations to Andrew and wish him all the best in his new role. Andrew can be contacted at andrew.d.guerin@mwhglobal.com or on (04) 381 5750.

Our thanks also to the following outgoing elected Urban Design Champions for their contribution to increasing the quality of urban design in New Zealand and for their support of the NZ Urban Design Protocol. We wish you all the very best for the future:

  • Dick Hubbard (Auckland City Council)
  • Garry Moore (Christchurch City Council)
  • Anna Crighton (Christchurch City Council)
  • Gordon Strachan (Kapiti Coast District Council)
  • Noel Burnside (Manukau City Council)
  • John Robertson (Papakura District Council)
  • John Law (Rodney District Council)
  • Peter Field (Timaru District Council)

Do you want your news in here?

If you have something you want to share with the champions in the next newsletter please email Janna Murray janna.murray@mfe.govt.nz

Note: articles submitted may be edited by the Ministry for the Environment.

Last updated: 13 January 2009