I was taking a deep dive on the Tauranga Growth Strategy recently and found a fascinating drawing by Arkhefield + Urbis. It shows ‘conceptually’ how a neighbourhood could change over 40 years from 2010 to 2050. It was a lovely drawing of single family homes gradually being replaced by more intensive housing. Unfortunately, it is… Continue reading Planning is not Predicting
Category: Subdivision
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
Bureaucratic Triage and the Climate Emergency
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… Continue reading Bureaucratic Triage and the Climate Emergency
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
Kiwibuild, KiwiBuy and Kiwi…Land Recycling
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… Continue reading Kiwibuild, KiwiBuy and Kiwi…Land Recycling