A design guide for urban New Zealand

2005

Urban design matters to us all-and nowhere more so than in New Zealand, one of the most urbanised nations in the world. Urban design matters because the built environment of our towns and cities is where individual lives connect, and where community and economic life takes place. Urban design matters because it has the potential to help New Zealanders live more sustainably, happily and healthily. But what evidence is there about the value of urban design? What are the potential costs, and who bears them? What kind of advantages does urban design offer New Zealand towns and cities, and who benefits? The leading edge research presented in this report provides some answers to these questions. It evaluates the claims that are made for urban design, and considers whether they are justified. It takes a broad view of urban design value-considering not only economic value, but also social, cultural and environmental value. It considers the extent to which overseas urban design experiences are applicable to New Zealand. The Value of Urban Design will help both the public and private sectors. Public agencies will find it helpful in formulating policy that supports a better urban environment, and in meeting their obligations to deliver well designed public buildings and spaces. It will also assist developers and property investors in their decision-making about where, when and how to invest in a rapidly changing urban environment. Moreover, it will give them the confidence to make the extra investment needed to deliver high quality urban development. In March 2005 the New Zealand Urban Design Protocol was formally released. It sets out a vision for successful New Zealand towns and cities that: ■ are competitive, thriving, creative and innovative ■ are liveable ■ are environmentally responsible ■ offer opportunities for all ■ have distinctive identities ■ pursue their goals on the basis of a shared vision and good governance. The Value of Urban Design demonstrates that-with care and commitment-good urban design has the potential to make this vision a reality. It can help make our towns and cities work better-economically, socially and environmentally-and this will ultimately benefit us all.

This paper critically investigates the Auckland Council’s primary objective to shape Auckland as the world’s most liveable city. Following the agglomeration of eight councils, Auckland Council became the largest council in New Zealand in 2010. Transforming Auckland into the most liveable city in the world is the main objective of this new organisation and has significantly informed Auckland Council’s policies and plans. This ambitious objective has generated social, economic and political consequences both locally and internationally. Nonetheless, scholars, including planning theorists, have rightly oppugned the Auckland Council for its aim. This paper elucidates that the Council’s objective is vital to reinforce the position of Auckland in the global market. According to Deleuze and Guattari’s works, the constant flow of money and human capital are imperative for the existence of the contemporary city, such as Auckland. In this context, making Auckland the world’s most liveable city is considered as part of the Auckland Council’s city-marketing strategy that aims to lure international investors, creative class immigrants and tourists. Nevertheless, transforming Auckland into the most liveable city in the world amplifies pre-existing urban problems such as housing inflation and uneven development in New Zealand. This paper suggests that the implementation of a supplementary spatial planning – a national spatial plan – may assist to evenly distribute wealth, services and subsequently population around the country. By directing the flows of capital and population, this supplementary plan will not eliminate, but it will mitigate the detrimental consequences of uneven development such as housing inflation in Auckland.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2018

Preventing sprawl and concentrating future urban growth at transit centres, typifies many urban planning strategies in a number of Australian, New Zealand and North America cities. Newer iterations of these strategies also argue that compact development delivers public benefits by enhancing urban ‘liveability’ through good urban design outcomes. Where neoliberal economic conditions prevail, achieving these aims is largely dependent on market-driven development actions requiring the appropriate urban planning responses to ensure these outcomes. However, there are growing concerns that urban planning approaches currently used are not effectively delivering the quality urban design outcomes expected and enhancing residents’ liveability. This paper reports on an evaluation of three medium density housing developments located in areas designated for intensification in Auckland, New Zealand. Examined is the extent to which the development outcomes are aligned with the statutory urban planning requirements for quality urban design. The results indicated contradictions and points to limitations of the statutory planning system to positively influence quality outcomes, leading to enhanced residents’ experiences.

Housing Studies, 2003

Medium Density Housing (MDH) is a relatively new form of housing in New Zealand where the standalone house on a separate lot has traditionally been revered. This paper reports on the findings of a research project on Ambrico Place, a major MDH initiative in Waitakere City, one of four cities in the Auckland metropolitan area. This case study explores the development of a site that has been significantly influenced by new urbanist principles. The paper provides an overview of the historical and political context influencing the take up of MDH in Auckland. It briefly reviews theory and principles arising from new urbanist movements then describes the Ambrico Place Research Project. Next, it explores three interrelated issues, relevant to new urbanism, that arose from the research; the quality of the built environment, community and social interaction, and transport patterns of MDH residents. Implications for planning are identified. Finally, three problems are noted: the uncritical and incoherent implementation of new urbanist principles; the contradiction between the drives for both diversity and homogeneity in the built environment; and the tensions arising from the application of an environmental effects-based approach to planning in an urban setting.

Handbook of Environmental Psychology and Quality of Life Research, 2016

This chapter deals with those aspects of the design of cities that have been shown to affect quality of life. Whilst direct causal relationships between physical space and well-being are often difficult to establish, physical space certainly does play a significant part in shaping the way we engage with it, informing the individual and collective sense of attachment to our own environment; this will become increasingly important, with the urbanization process predicted to grow, a significant part of which in conditions of informality. The aim of this chapter is to gather relevant and recent research that highlights advances in the study of the reciprocal effect between urban form and urban life and use this to compile an agenda for future thinking, research and practice in the field of socially sustainable urban design. The thrust of this agenda is centered on the concept of control. Since urbanization is an ongoing phenomenon and life in cities is now the norm for the vast majority of people, the traditional role of design needs to be reconsidered to give way to more collaborative and flexible forms of conceptualization, creation, occupation and management of space. This is important in order to relieve pressure on land and institutions, and instill an overall proactive and reciprocal attitude towards space itself, and space as a form of collective and social life. The chapter will highlight that urban quality of life rests on four core themes of: material well-being; emotional and personal development; interpersonal relationships; and physical well-being. These themes provide an organizational framework for exploration of how they are manifest at the metropolitan, neighbourhood and pedestrian levels of scale.

Landscape Review, 2017

The increase in urban population has required cities to rethink their strategies for minimising greenhouse gas impacts and adapting to climate change. While urban design and planning policy have been guided by principles such as walkability (to reduce the dependence on cars) and green infrastructure (to enhance the quality of open spaces to support conservation and human values), there have been conflicting views on what spatial strategies will best prepare cities for a challenging future. Researchers supporting compact cities based upon public Transit Oriented Development have claimed that walkability, higher density and mixed-uses make cities more sustainable (Owen, 2009) and that, while green spaces in cities are necessary, they are dull in comparison with shopfronts and street vendors (Speck, 2012, p 250). Other researchers claim that green infrastructure is fundamental to improving urban sustainability and attracting public space users with improved urban comfort, consequently encouraging walkability (Pitman and Ely, 2013). Landscape architects tend to assume that ‘the greener the better’; however, the efficiency of urban greenery in relation to urban comfort and urbanity depends on its density, distribution and the services provided. Green infrastructure can take many forms (from urban forests to street trees) and provide varied services (amended microclimate, aesthetics, ecology and so forth). In this paper, we evaluate the relevance of current policy in Christchurch regarding both best practice in green infrastructure and urban comfort (Tavares, 2015). We focus on the Christchurch Blueprint for rebuilding the central city, and critically examine the post-earthquake paths the city is following regarding its green and grey infrastructures and the resulting urban environment. We discuss the performance and appropriateness of the current Blueprint in post-earthquake Christchurch, particularly as it relates to the challenges that climate change is creating for cities worldwide.

2007

The urban 45 presents 3 policy ideas for each of 15 themes relating to Australian cities. The purpose of the Urban 45 summit and this resulting report was to provide brief analysis and practical suggestions for how to make our cities better and fairer places to live. At a time of unprecedented prosperity and urbanisation the Urban 45 asks how Australia can become more effective in addressing the growing problems facing our cities.

景観 デザイン研究論文集, 2007

Urban design is sometimes defined in terms of making better places. This seems to mean mostly pedestrian-oriented, human-scale places in the high-density parts of older cities. Neither low-density landscapes of distribution centers, expressways and suburbs, nor the megaslums of the megacities of the developing world, factor into this definition except perhaps as examples of what to avoid. This paper is a manifesto for a broader understanding of progressive urban design that addresses the range of urban challenges and places of the twenty-first century.

2017

Relevance to New Zealand: Almost all New Zealand urban areas have relatively low population and household density (although increasing quite rapidly in some major cities). In addition most New Zealand urban areas are well-endowed with UGOS and most New Zealanders, regardless of socioeconomic level, have good access to GOS. These factors provide a good basis for the provision of good quality UGOS to equitably satisfy the needs of all residents. A number of the above key messages are relevant to New Zealand particularly in the design of good accessible UGOS networks in New Zealand urban areas. Key gaps in understanding relevant to New Zealand are discussed.