Taking action on urban design

July 11, 2007

North Shore City Council has taken action on urban design by appointing additional independent commissioners with expertise in that area for resource consent hearings.

The council’s focus on urban design aims to improve the quality of the built environment – and consequently people’s quality of life – across the city.

North Shore City environmental policy and planning manager, Trevor Mackie, says the council has a key role to play in ensuring quality urban design.

“When we began to put our action plan together we quickly identified that better urban design outcomes could be achieved through the resource consent process.

“One of the ways to do that is to have people with urban design expertise involved in hearing resource consent applications for major projects,” he says.

As a result three new commissioners have been added to the list of those who can be appointed to particular hearings.

Other aspects of North Shore City Council’s urban design action plan include:

o Preparation and implementation of town centre plans
o
o Changes to the District Plan to improve the quality of the city’s built environment
o
o The development of non-statutory documents such as Good Solutions Guides to assist designers
o
o The appointment of an urban design champion.
o

The action plan is a result of the council voluntarily signing up to the Ministry for the Environment’s Urban Design Protocol in March last year.

“Good urban design can sometimes cost more up front, but it also offers lasting benefits to the community. But poor design will have significantly adverse environmental, social and economic effects,” says Mr Mackie.

(ends)

© Scoop Media