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Urban leader - A newsletter for urban design champions

Issue no. INFO 622 | 12 September 2011

Welcome

This regular newsletter contains interesting information to help you champion good urban design in New Zealand.


In this issue we have:

Urban Design Protocol now has 184 Signatories

A big welcome to the latest signatory:
Auckland Council www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Signatory news

Local government

A spatial plan for Dunedin City is underway. Ideas from designers include options for improving the city centre, removing highway traffic from key streets, and promoting a creative quarter.

The Wellington Regional Genuine Progress Index (GPI) report is now available. The GPI is a monitoring framework for assessing progress towards the goals of the Wellington Regional Strategy. It measures quality of life, well being of residents, and the condition of the environment and economy.

Palmerston North recently held a week long placemaking exercise as part of its Urban Design Strategy. The exercise included redecoration of a central city mall with interesting reactions from the public.

Developers and Sector groups

Comments have recently closed on the design for the proposed new Auckland Harbour Bridge pathway.  Led by Leigh Hopper of Hopper Developments the walk and cycleway is a private initiative by group Get Across.

Nominations are now open for the 2012 Cycle Friendly Awards. Nominations close 2 December 2011.

The Sustainable Business Network annual awards are now open. Categories include sustainability ‘superstars’, social innovation projects, and sustainable design. Nominations close 30 September 2011.

Canterbury news

Christchurch City Council has released its draft Central City Plan which will guide the recovery of the central city following the February 2011 earthquake. A road show and international speaker series has recently finished.  Comments on the plan can be made up until 16 September 2011.

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Agency (CERA) has released its draft Recovery Strategy. The strategy sets out a long term vision and objectives for greater Christchurch in the recovery from the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. Public consultation on the strategy is open until 30 October.

Christchurch Civic Trust and the Akaroa Civic Trust have produced a written and visual record of the historic buildings prior to the Canterbury earthquakes. It is available for purchase from the Trust.

Central Government news

The government has expanded its weather-tight homes services for owners of leaky homes to include a Financial Assistance Package (FAP).  Under the FAP participating councils and government each pay 25 per cent of repair costs.  The homeowner pays the remaining 50 per cent.

The government proposes to introduce an Environmental Reporting Bill to ensure that national environmental reporting is independent and regular.  The Bill will also aim to improve the consistency of local level monitoring.  Submissions on the discussion document Measuring Up close on 18 October 2011.

Upcoming urban design events

The 2 Walk and Cycle conference will be held in Hastings from 22 to 24 February 2012.  The conference is the first joint Cycle Advocates Network (CAN) and Living Streets Aotearoa combined conference.  The focus of the conference is on everyday walking and cycling for transport, recreation and tourism.

The Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand and the University of Canterbury are hosting the Third International Starlight Conference in Tekapo from 11 to 13 June 2012.  This multidisciplinary conference will include speakers covering the scientific, technical, environmental, cultural and political aspects of starlight.

Plenty of notice for the Sustainability Society’s November 2012 Sustainability by Design Conference in Auckland.  The conference will investigate the implications of changes in resource availability, population and climate, and new technologies.  Topics will include how can be we change our cities to better manage changing climates, and does decentralisation of infrastructure help or hinder sustainability? The Sustainability Society is the rebranded NZSESS, a technical interest group of the Institution of Professional Engineers of New Zealand (IPENZ).

Useful links and current information

New Zealand


Auckland

International

  • Business leaders talk about the long term implications of the recent London riots on already struggling high streets. The Mayor of London along with a group of local authorities and some of the UK’s large companies have launched a High Street Fund. The new fund is to help smaller businesses to recover from the damage caused by the riots.
  • August 2011 sees 50 years since the Berlin Wall was built. The area around the wall, which was once a wasteland covered in barbed wire, is now one of the city’s most fashionable neighbourhoods with a park, trams, renovated apartments, and bike ways.
  • In the US many towns are adapting to the needs of increasing numbers of older residents. Changes range from enlarged street signs to rules allowing extra onsite accommodation for family members – dubbed ‘mother-in-law’ additions.
  • Also in the US urban storytelling tackles neglected, unpopular places. The Hypothetical Development Organization develops an ‘implausible future’ for the building, creates a large developer-style sign, and affixes it to the building.
  • In the UK the government has released the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPS).  Consultation on the NPPS closes in October.
  • Two years ago the Victorian Department of Transport and the City of Melbourne produced the Transforming Australian Cities report. Rob Adams who led the team that carried out this study shares his ideas on what makes cities work and discusses what has happened since the report was published.
  • For all you planners out there.....have you ever tried to explain to children exactly what it is that planners do?  Well now help is at hand.  Planetizen has published Where Things Are, From Near To Far to provide a child friendly introduction to the world of planning.

Website of the month

The UK’s Design Council CABE has a comprehensive section on its website dedicated to neighbourhood planning resources. It includes toolkits, case studies from UK and overseas, and links to relevant research.

Podcasts of the month

If you have 17 minutes to spare this fascinating talk looks at the mathematics of cities. Physicist Geoffrey West has found that many properties of cities, such as wealth, walking speed, and crime rate, can be predicted from a single number – the city’s population.

Streetsfilms is an online collection of over 400 short films designed to show real examples of how car dominated streets can be turned into pedestrian and cycle friendly spaces.

We want your news items

Do you have news that you would like reported in the next Urban Leader? We welcome your stories, and would like to receive more information from Protocol signatories. Email us at urban.design@mfe.govt.nz.


Submitted articles may be edited by the Ministry for the Environment.

 

Last updated: 1 February 2013