Skip to main content.

Urban leader - A newsletter for urban design champions

Issue no. INFO 241 | 28 November 2007

Welcome

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:

Urban Design Protocol now has 145 signatories

A big welcome to the latest signatory to the Protocol: Pete Bossley Architects Ltd
For a list of all 145 signatories go to: http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/urban/design-protocol/signatories.html

Updated Urban Design Protocol CD available

Updated versions of the NZ Urban Design Protocol CDs are now available. The CD has a comprehensive list of resources that will be very useful for anyone undertaking urban design in New Zealand and overseas.The updated version has five new additions:

  • Addison Housing Development case study
  • Urban Design Toolkit (2nd edition)
  • Good Solutions Guide for Apartments
  • Good Solutions Guide for Mixed Use Development in Town Centres
  • Good Solutions Guide for Medium Density Housing
  • For a complete list of the CD contents or to order a free copy of the CD go to the Ministry for the Environment’s website.

The Urban Design Toolkit needs new tools, references and examples

The Ministry for the Environment is currently updating the Urban Design Toolkit for 2008. The Urban Design Toolkit illustrates a range of tools available to help create high quality urban environments. We would like examples of new tools and recent information, reports and case studies that can be added to the Toolkit. Please email Yvonne Weeber yvonne.weeber@mfe.govt.nz.

Hamilton City Council Design Guide

Since the adoption of Hamilton's Urban Design Strategy CityScope in March 2006, Hamilton City Council has worked with the design, arts and property industries to develop new tools and processes to improve the built environment. A key component of this is Vista (Hamilton City Design Guide). Vista was launched on 15 November 2007 and is a non regulatory document that outlines Hamilton's expectations for better designed environments. The document highlights key urban design principles considered fundamental to Hamilton's successful development. Vista will be used as the basis for Hamilton City Council’s future Urban Design Panel in the review of significant development proposals in the city. For more information please contact Paul Bowman paul.bowman@hcc.govt.nz. 

Urban Design in Queenstown’s District Plan

A number of new developments in Queenstown prior to 2005 focused on maximising density and bulk and often resulted in a reduction in neighbourhood amenity. As a result, in early 2005 the Queenstown Lakes District Council initiated a plan change to improve amenity in the high density residential zones in Queenstown and Wanaka. The planning, notification, re-notification and hearings process took over two years, with a final Council vote to accept the plan change in 2007.

The Queenstown District Plan now enshrines the New Zealand Urban Design Protocol’s Seven C’s as a basis for a restricted discretionary assessment of high density residential developments that exceed three units. Each of the Seven C’s includes a local interpretation of their application to the special circumstances of the Queenstown and Wanaka urban environments. The Urban Design Panel, in reviewing proposed designs, will assist consent planners in assessing developments within these new guidelines. The Panel’s reports will be attached to resource consent applications. For more information contact Lou Alfeld, email decisiontech@xtra.co.nz .

KCDC Subdivision guide wins award

The Best Practice Subdivision Guidelines developed by the Kapiti Coast District Council and consultants Urbanism Plus won the Resource Management Law Association’s award in 2007. The Guidelines were described by the judges as an “outcomes focused approach to integrated resource management”.

The award was received by the chair of the Council’s Environment & Regulatory Committee, Diane Ammundsen and Team Leader Sustainable Design, Dale Wills during a ceremony at the Association’s conference recently in Napier.

“The Best Practice Subdivision Guidelines are a design guide for developers, planners, surveyors, architects, engineers and others,” Council’s Chief Executive Leigh Halstead said. “As the guidelines say, quality built environments cannot be achieved without good subdivision. A strong structure of streets, allotments, community amenities and service is critical to delivering sustainable environments for the new households being built on the Kapiti Coast. These guidelines set out how neighbourhoods can be structured in ways that achieve maximum benefits for the end-resident, the community and the subdivider.” For more information please contact Dale Wills dale.wills@kapiticoast.govt.nz.

Urban Design Conferences and Events

The World Conference on Development of Cities is being held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from 13–16 February 2008. The conference will examine the diversity of initiatives for innovation and social transformation that have emerged in recent years by focusing on four major themes: local policies on citizens’ rights and responsibilities; governance and democracy in cities; local development in cities; and sustainability and the city network.

For other upcoming urban conferences and events featured in the past newsletter go to the Champions webspace and enter your password.

Useful Links to current information

  • The United Kingdom’s Town and Country Planning Association in association with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment have recently developed guidance on climate change adaption by design: a guide for sustainable communities. The guide provides information on delivering adaption actions and how to implement adaption through design and development
  • Tackling climate change involves creating sustainable places. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment has recently produced a briefing paper setting out what they will do to address the issues of sustainable design and climate change, and the action that they think is urgently needed from the public and private sectors.
  • Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute has recently released a paper evaluating the various criticisms of Smart Growth. The paper includes the claims that Smart Growth does not reflect consumer preferences, increases traffic congestion and air pollution, and reduces housing affordability.
  • Ontario Health and Communities coalition have released an annotated biography of literature exploring the relationships between health and the built environment. The biography is arranged around eight main themes: physical activity, air quality, injury, food access/nutrition, mental health, social justice, perceptions and environmental determinants.
  • Active Living by Design from the US have just published a resource book that compiles and introduces key publications and references, presentations, databases, indicators, organisations and assessment/action tools that can help advance active living initiatives.
  • The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at North Dakota State University has recently released a report that explores residential and travel choices of the elderly. The report highlights the importance of neighbourhood design in ensuring accessibility for elderly people.
  • For the first time in its 18-year history the KPMG Population Growth report shows the number of people moving downtown in Australia is rivalling the number shifting to leading growth corridors in the suburbs.
  • The location and design of new development greatly affects the costs incurred by governments and taxpayers. Public schools are no exception. Decisions about where to locate new schools and whether to maintain existing neighbourhood schools have major consequences for strained budgets. A new report by the Maryland Department of Education ‘Yellow School Bus Blues’ reviews the rising school bus transportation costs.

Do you want your news in here?

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

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

Last updated: 14 January 2009