22 June 2007

Manukau’s Urban design panel confirmed

Manukau City Council officially launched its new urban design panel yesterday, signalling an ongoing commitment to working with developers and builders to ensure quality urban design outcomes on the ground.

The launch of the panel comes after a successful pilot study last year, during which developers could submit proposals for review free of charge.

The council’s Director Environment Ree Anderson says that the success of the pilot study shows the level of commitment amongst developers to urban design and the city’s built environment.

“Quality urban design in Manukau cannot happen without the commitment of the private sector and we know that the future success of Manukau’s built environment relies on us working collaboratively with designers, developers and the community to ensure that together we build a city that generations to come can enjoy,” she says.

The council’s new Manager Urban Design Jan McCredie says that the continuation of the panel is part of a fundamental shift in the council’s approach to urban design and the growth and development of the city.

“Urban design is all about thinking about the whole of the city, and considering how people experience the city’s streets, parks and open spaces. It’s not just about architecture and aesthetics but about how the parts of the city fit together.

“Strong relationships between the council, the wider community and private developers are fundamental if we are to create a special place in New Zealand in which to live. Our urban design panel is integral to the success of these relationships, and we are also exploring ways of involving iwi in the early stages of urban design and planning studies.”

Members of Manukau’s urban design panel include
 Kevin Brewer, Partner, Architecture Brewer Davidson
 Annette Jones, Senior Architect and Urban Designer, Beca
 James Lunday, Principal and founder, Common Ground Urban Design and Architecture
 Rachel De Lambert, Director, Boffa Miskell (reserve panellist)
 Aaron Sills, Founder, Sills van Bohemen (reserve panellist)

The council’s urban design panel provides professional advice and expertise for a range of development projects within the city. It reviews and provides feedback on how developments such as new buildings are designed and how they fit into and function in the space and community around them. The panel is an advisory body only and does not have the authority to approve or refuse projects.

The panel:
- Gives impartial and professional advice to the council on any proposal or policy affecting the community’s physical environment
-Reviews all civic works such as bridges, roadworks, parks, beautification projects, civic buildings and design competitions
- Comments on concept plans, urban design policy and criteria.

For more information on making a submission to the panel for review contact Preeti Kumar, Urban Design Coordinator, ph 262 8900 x 8256 or email preeti.kumar@manukau.govt.nz. Details on how to make a submission are also available online at www.manukau.govt.nz key words: urban design.

ENDS

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