Kāpiti Coast District Council’s Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee has given the green light to progress further work to explore the establishment of an Urban Design Panel for the district.

The concept was first proposed in August 2023 as part of decisions on Plan Change 2 (Intensification) to enhance the Council’s urban design capabilities.

Councillor Rob Kofoed, a strong advocate for the panel, noted that the idea is not new.

“The Ministry for the Environment supports urban design panels, and many councils already have them in place to drive quality urban design outcomes.

“Urban design panels are typically independent from councils and include a range of expertise from urban designers, architects, cultural design experts and planners.

“The establishment of a panel in Kāpiti would bolster the capability of Council’s planning team, improve urban design quality, and foster better collaboration with developers,” Cr Kofoed said.

Kris Pervan, Strategy and Growth Group Manager, said making sure we have the right settings in place would be critical to the Panel’s success.

“This will involve working with our iwi partners to develop clear objectives and terms of reference for the panel, agreeing the panel’s structure, and developing operating guidelines in consultation with Council staff, our development community, and key stakeholders,” Ms Pervan said.

Ms Pervan also highlighted that funding and resources for panel members and administrative support will be included in a final proposal to be considered by the next Council in early 2026.

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