During 2019 five regional councils (including Auckland) and ten territorial authorities declared a ‘climate emergency’ in NZ. An emergency is a a dangerous situation requiring immediate action. It’s probably fair to say that Council’s don’t have a reputation for acting quickly. Nonetheless, a policy triage of sorts is underway to determine the order of regulation […]
I came across the Tararua District Visitor and Walk-Cycle Strategy and Action Plan recently. One thing that struck me was the use of the word ‘enabler’ throughout. This includes with respect to the delivery of regulatory services (like resource consents). Red carpet provider: Provide regulatory services in a way that expedites and supports visitor development […]
Sometimes it seems like every project goes over time and budget. Here are three tips to help you keep costs and programme under control. Avoid rework There are many professionals and contractors involved in land development. This is especially true during the design process. Getting it right the first time is so important. You can […]
The Road to Zero: New Zealand’s Road Safety Strategy 2020-2030 contains some pretty sobering statistics, including: In 2017, there were 7.9 fatalities per 100,000 population. In 2018, 182 drivers and 5 cyclists were killed. The majority of serious crashes result from simple errors of perception or judgement by otherwise compliant people. It focuses on making […]
Buried in Attachment A for Item 5 of the Dunedin City Council Meeting Agenda from 6 May 2019 is: Action 1.4: The Council becomes a member of the ‘Cities for Adequate Housing’ and implements housing as a human right and ends homelessness in Dunedin. Housing Action Plan for Dunedin, April 2019 The Cities for Adequate […]
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Drive, Park and Ride, Drive
Hamilton is moving forward with a new Transport Hub at Rotokauri. This is despite evidence from at least 2013 that Park and Rides actually encourage car use! I find the psychology of this interesting. Not all transport is created equal. If it doesn’t get you exactly where you want to go these days, what’s the […]
I’m a big fan of Universal Design. Lifemark, a commercial division of CCS Disability Action, is a well known advocate for universal design in NZ. The Lifemark Design Standards focus on dwellings and are based on the following five key principles: Usable Adaptable Accessible Safe Lifetime value The seven principles of universal design are much […]
In May 2019 townhouses comprised 25% of all dwellings consented. But what exactly is a townhouse? Town house A tall, narrow traditional terraced house, generally having three or more floors. A multi-storey house in a modern housing development which is attached to one or more similar houses by shared walls. Google, 2019 I don’t see […]
The recently released Framework for Housing Quality from Stats NZ defines four elements of housing quality: Habitability Environmental sustainability Functionality Social and cultural sustainability Interestingly, the location of a house affects all four of these elements and has a significant impact on overall housing quality. Habitability Habitable houses are physically safe, secure and healthy. Environmental […]
There are currently two landmark housing programmes in New Zealand. One is the somewhat infamous Kiwibuild and the other a lesser known KiwiBuy. But there is an older approach to housing affordability not discussed much these days. Kiwibuild The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development states that KiwiBuild has three core aims: increase home ownership […]