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Evaluation of Urban Design Principles

Context

The Addison residential development lies between Takanini’s retail centre and agricultural land to the east. It is located within an area identified by the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy for residential intensification.

The site is well located, and within five to 10 minutes walking distance of the Southgate shopping centre. It is also within a five-minute walk of the open space provided by Bruce Pulman Park and its associated recreation centre; primary schools and a proposed secondary school; and rail links.

The suburban nature of much of the surrounding area means there are limited employment opportunities within walking distance of the site, so most residents are required to travel to work. However, the majority of the 3000 jobs anticipated within the Takanini Structure Plan are likely to be generated within close proximity to the site by 2020.

Character

The existing character of the area is low-lying peatlands, and therefore, lacks any distinguishing landforms. The distinctive character of development – clusters of homes fronting inter-connected common green spaces – fosters an identity that would not otherwise exist. Addison’s location, being adjacent to Bruce Pulman Park, coupled with the staging of development (the homes adjoining the park have been built first), has helped anchor the development to its environs.

The Addison development is designed to a high standard by experienced architects and urban designers. Strict guidelines ensure a high quality of construction and finish. Dwellings respond well to both the street and open spaces.

The street planting and colour palette are distinctive to the development and covenants prevent these elements being altered materially.

Choice

Takanini is currently one of the more reasonably priced areas for first homebuyers within the Auckland region. For all homebuyers, the Addison housing development provides an alternative to the traditional suburban environment by presenting two styles of terrace houses and two styles of detached homes to suit different household types.

The housing choice was deliberately limited in the initial stages of the development to meet the needs of the market.

Stage one – detached three- and four-bedroom houses.

Stage two – detached and attached three-, four- and five-bedroom houses.

Stage three – detached and attached one-, three-, four- and five-bedroom houses.

House prices range from $200,000 for a one-bedroom house to $500,000 for a five-bedroom house.

The varying types of housing encourage a mix of residents, from professionals without children, to families to post-family couples. However, despite the development providing alternatives to the existing area, there could have been further choice in housing types, particularly in size and in the number of bedrooms they had in the initial stages of development. The housing all comprises three to five bedrooms. The covenants in place prevent housing being leased to Housing New Zealand Corporation, thereby not allowing any social housing within Addison.

Connections

The narrow roads, combined with inter-connected reserves, create a pedestrian-friendly environment, enabling residents and visitors to walk freely and safely throughout the development and neighbouring streets. Around 40 percent of the Addison development is open space, which consists of walkways, commons, linear parks and roads. Cycle lanes are incorporated into the wide shared paths along major routes, including Porchester Road. There is also a dedicated cycleway along High Street. This was designed to link Addison residents to the proposed Glenora Station. Now that the railway station is unlikely to go ahead, connections between Addison and the Takanini station will be modified to foster improved pedestrian/cycle linkages.

As stated in ’Context’ above, Bruce Pulman Park, the Southgate shopping centre, two schools and a proposed secondary school are within 500 metres of Addison. The proposed new commercial/retail core of Takanini, enabled through the Plan Change, will also be within walking distance of Addison.

The development is well connected to the rail network, being within a 20-minute walk of Takanini rail station, one of Auckland’s more regular services between the city and Papakura. However, bus services and choice of routes are still deficient, although these should improve as the demand for such services increases as a result of the influx of people from the Addison development.

Addison is also well connected to major arterial roads (including Great South Road) and the Takanini Motorway interchange. Until regional transport improves, these roads provide the best transportation options for journeys.

Creativity

The Addison development brings to South Auckland a design philosophy that emphasises quality of environment and, in particular, pedestrian spaces and connections.

The development provides an alternative environment to the conventional suburban subdivision. It also shows that alternative housing typologies are acceptable and, indeed, attractive to buyers when they are of a high quality and well-designed architecture.

Custodianship

Addison has, overall, employed an efficient approach to land-use through the clustering of two-storeyed dwellings around usable, open spaces and narrow roads. This has resulted in more usable open space than is available in many similar housing developments and conventional subdivisions. The visual amenity has also been increased through high levels of visual connectivity between dwellings and the public realm.

Roads generally orient north–south to create east–west oriented dwellings. This maximises solar access into the principal, habitable rooms.

The design of the development has incorporated Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles.

The ownership status of the private rear access lanes, and whether they contribute to, or detract from, liveable neighbourhoods, are issues still being debated between the Papakura District Council and McConnell Property. To clarify these issues, McConnell Property and the Papakura District Council have jointly developed a set of 13 design criteria to endeavour to ensure the best design outcome for the rear access lanes.

Low impact design methods for stormwater management and disposal, such as rain gardens and swales, are being investigated and will be employed in the development, where possible. However, there are issues relating to these solutions in this particular environment (eg, it is low-lying land with a high water table) in terms of cost of both the operation and ongoing maintenance, both of which will require particular input from the Papakura District Council. The Council and McConnell Property are working co-operatively to address such environmental and financial issues.

Collaboration

Addison has developed through a collaborative working approach between McConnell Property and the Papakura District Council, and in particular, through the Plan Change that has been guiding the development. The Papakura District Council has become increasingly involved in the project as it has progressed, largely because it has been developing its own urban design capacity and capability.

The two parties have a good working relationship and hold weekly meetings to discuss progress on this large and complex development. A project manager, who is based at the Papakura District Council but funded by McConnell Property, has been employed (since mid-2005) to handle all ongoing requirements of the project. This has significantly improved the level and detail of communication between the two parties, and has helped with the early identification, resolution and management of any issues.

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