Work

Towards a model urban design assessment in Aotearoa New Zealand

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Urban design assessments are becoming more pivotal in planning across Aotearoa New Zealand, as applicants and local authorities utilise them to communicate the quality of spaces between buildings in medium and high-density developments. Applicants commission private sector urban design consultants to prepare these assessments and councils engage separate urban designers to review them, positioning urban design assessments as a fundamental medium for the urban design sector. However, the existing literature does not contain sufficient guidance for how these documents are to be structured and international guidance operates in distinct statutory planning environments. Therefore, this article presents evidence of the current industry model for urban design assessments across five cities in Aotearoa New Zealand and comments on how further guidance regarding forming a model document structure may benefit the sector. It follows the recent establishment of the Urban Designers Institute Aotearoa that seeks to establish educational and professional standards for urban designers in the country.

Source: Urban Governance

DOI: 10.1016/j.ugj.2025.08.003

Author: David Batchelor

Institution: Victoria University of Wellington

Language: English

Topic: Urban Planning and Governance

Subfield: Urban Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,500