Design your strategy
Strategic direction
Set a clear strategic direction
What do you want to achieve with your strategy? Reduced housing density, more open space, better traffic flows – or a combination of these?
Write down a strategic direction. It doesn’t need to be detailed, and it might change as the strategy develops. At this stage, it provides the broad vision of where you want your strategy to take you. It’s the starting point to help you decide what management methods to include in your strategy.
You might have developed the strategic direction with the community during consultation, or you might need to develop it now, with the community. Either approach can work, as these case studies show.
Reference material
Christchurch
City Council’s St Albans Neighbourhood Plan had a broad strategic
direction, developed with the community during consultation. The Plan aimed
to enhance traffic, building, pedestrian, landscape, and open space features.
The strategy combined council projects and community initiatives.
Case
study: Christchurch neighbourhood improvement
Palmerston
North City Council used the standard list of qualities during its focus
group workshop, but later refined the list to help develop its strategic
direction. Following feedback from the community, the council finally grouped
the things the community valued under these qualities:
- Sense of place: Tararua windfarm, Tararua ranges, the Square
- Legibility: logical layout, visual and physical connections, visible church spires
- Amenity: wide streets and footpaths, extensive walkways, green corridors, clear air, safe for children
- Diversity and choice: a wide variety of bars, cafes, and cultural and sporting facilities; a variety of living environments
- Robustness: large public spaces for community events
- Accessibility: good scale, flat terrain, easy access to and within the city
This enabled the Council to make sure its strategy protected and enhanced the attributes the community valued.
