The government has announced that it will undertake a law change to fast-track eligible development. The details are still relatively light but the following types of projects have been singled out for priority at this early stage (my satirical comments added): Roading (to help us re-pollute the air); Walking and cycling (which has been revealed… Continue reading Fast-track Consenting (shudder)
Category: Engineering
Subdivision Infrastructure Basics
In most cities and districts the infrastructure requirements for subdivision are usually different from the NZ Building Code. This is because subdivision infrastructure is often shared and must last longer than the buildings it serves. It serves the land, which will be around a very long time indeed. There are some helpful rules of thumb… Continue reading Subdivision Infrastructure Basics
Parking Regeneration
The Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister recently used legislative power to remove parking requirements from Lyttelton in an attempt to stimulate growth. Parking requirements have long been identified as an insidious planning tool that is criticised by movements like #blackfridayparking. At any given moment there are probably over 3 million cars just parked in NZ, doing… Continue reading Parking Regeneration
3 Tips For Your Land Development Project
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… Continue reading 3 Tips For Your Land Development Project
Designing the Road to Zero
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… Continue reading Designing the Road to Zero
Convergence of the Professions
A typical land development project involves a variety of professionals drawing from their respectively diverse bodies of knowledge. Despite this, the outcome sought by you as a developer remains a piece of land or a new building to use or sell. Achieving this outcome requires unprecedented workflow collaboration, usually under the direction of a lead… Continue reading Convergence of the Professions