Rodney District Development Design Guide

Transcription

rodney district development design guide
PAGE A
rodney district development design guide
Rodney is one of the fastest growing Districts in New Zealand. Demand for all types of
development provides many opportunities to make the quality of life here even better.
New buildings typically last many decades, and development layouts have an even long
lifespan. We all have to live with their effects for a long time if they aren‟t designed to
contribute to the quality of our local sense of place.
CONTENTS
WHY A DEVELOPMENT DESIGN GUIDE?
This design guide features five key themes:
1 urban design as a way to create great
places
3
2 sustainable management in Rodney
4
WHO SHOULD USE THIS DESIGN GUIDE?
This design guide aims to support the District Plan by explaining the building blocks of prosperous,
high-quality outcomes for all interested parties. This may include the Council when it considers
applications for resource consent.
This is a non-statutory design guide which advocates quality design responses to typical development
challenges in Rodney. It also describes how these can relate to processes under the Resource
Management Act 1991, although the statutory District Plan remains the key document to consider in
this regard.
The Rodney District Development Design Guide was adopted by the Council‟s Strategy and
Community Committee on 16 October 2008 (Minute No. 1205/10/08)
FURTHER ADVICE:
Some of the content of this design guide is technical. Don‟t hesitate to contact Rodney District Council
on telephone 0800 426 5169 if we can help you use the design guide.
There are also many other pieces of advice on detailed design elements freely available from other
sources. This guide focuses on the key points relevant in Rodney, providing cross-references to other
sources rather than repeating their content.
We recommend the following key overall references:
 People+Places+Spaces: A Design Guide for Urban New Zealand; Ministry for the Environment,
2002;
 New Zealand Urban Design Protocol; Ministry for the Environment, 2006;
3 issues that affect all development:
site analysis and response
subdivision and urban structure
transport and movement
5
6
8
14
4 issues that affect specific development
conditions
coastal development
rural development
residential
town centres
general employment land
15
17
19
21
28
32
appendix 1 - case examples:
before and after
A-1
B appendix 2 - implications for
resource consents
A-8
A
C appendix 3 - rules of thumb
A-12
 Associated Urban Design Protocol documents; Ministry for the Environment 2006 - today;
 National Guidelines for Crime Prevention through Environmental Design in New Zealand; Ministry
of Justice, 2006;
 www.qualityplanning.org.nz, Ministry for the Environment.
PAGE 2
RODNEY DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT DESIGN GUIDE - October 2008
Prepared with the assistance of Urbanismplus Ltd., Auckland.
Ph. +64 9 302 2488
www.urbanismplus.com
Rodney District Council - Private Bag 500, Orewa
URBAN DESIGN AS A WAY TO CREATE GREAT PLACES

URBAN DESIGN - A QUALITY-BASED APPROACH TO ALL DEVELOPMENT
Urban design has evolved to relate to urban development as well as the urban periphery, countryside
living, and rural development around it. It is broadly defined within the Ministry for the Environment‟s
Urban Design Protocol:
“Urban design is concerned with the design of the buildings, places, spaces and networks that
make up our towns and cities, and the ways people use them….Urban design is concerned not just
with appearances and built form but with the environmental, economic, social and cultural
consequences of design”
It is a tool that can add value and help us all understand how development can make the most of
opportunities in a way that most meaningfully respects local constraints.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The next 25 years will present many challenges to our community, including how we can retain a strong,
recognisable sense of our identity as change occurs.
Growth should primarily serve to strengthen our community, harnessing the benefits of development while
minimising impacts. Urban design can help ensure development reinforces good „place-making‟ while
also meeting other important goals.
HOW DOES URBAN DESIGN FIT INTO THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT?

All development occurs under the Resource Management Act* (“RMA”), which requires the Council to
promote sustainable management. This definition includes enabling wellbeing and minimising adverse
effects on the environment amongst other things. The District Plan is our local expression of what these
matters mean to our community.
Because the RMA emphasises managing the effects of activities rather than activities themselves, many
proposed developments will need a resource consent for contravening rules within the District Plan. The
resource consent process seeks to understand the effects of each proposal based on how it fits into,
interacts with, and otherwise relates to the environment around it.
Urban design and its focus on place-making can help development meet the objectives of the resource
management process, guided by the District Plan. It can help reconcile multiple objectives held by
different stakeholders to unlock the most appropriate win-win outcomes for the circumstance.
PLACE-MAKING - We can learn from good examples in many
other parts of the world. The best places result in public spaces
with a positive private land use interface that people want to go
to and visit. This in turn leads to them being more likely to meet
or make friends, and engage with local businesses.
*Refer to Appendix 2 for a broader introduction to the RMA and Resource Consent process.
PAGE 3
1
WHAT IS WELLBEING?
The RMA definition of sustainable management addresses
enabling social, economic, and cultural wellbeing. This is
a very broad goal - one that everybody will have their own
view on. It relates to quality of life and our ability to meet
our needs.
RMA OUTCOME
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT IN RODNEY
“Promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources”
which means:
Enable social, economic and cultural wellbeing; health; and safety
while:
Minimising adverse effects; providing for the needs of future generations; protecting the biosphere
What can we afford?
What would we like?
PLACE–MAKING INFLUENCES WELLBEING
The built environment can play a large role in either
encouraging or restricting this. People will generally
interact more when they feel comfortable and safe.
These qualities can be maximised in Rodney by ensuring
development contributes to our sense of place. If this
happens settlements will become ever-more thriving and
distinct places within which people can strongly associate
and feel part of.
THE PUBLIC REALM IS CRITICAL
The public realm is the main setting for exchange and
interaction between people. This includes parks, roads,
squares, beaches, and public-use buildings.
The way in which private activities relate to it is just as
critical as the design quality of the public realm itself. The
connections and transitions between public and private
space are important to the creation and strengthening of
communities.
realised through
Maximised potential for social, economic, cultural and environmental exchange
QUALITIES
Wellbeing and quality of life is linked to our ability to
easily engage in interaction and exchange with others
around us - meeting, talking, learning, selling, buying.
this only happens in spaces that support us achieving:
Prosperity
Equity
Safety
Choice
these qualities are best-delivered by:
„Place-making‟ and identity in the built environment
based around
An active public realm
SPATIAL COMPONENTS
2
comprised of the following key elements in Rodney:
An integrated, efficient urban structure:
Positive land use outcomes:
 Obvious land-use „fronts‟ and „backs‟
 Clear connection to public space
 Amenities provided in the most prominent
 Variety, choice, character, affordability,




locations possible
Direct, obvious, connected routes
Viable alternatives to the car
Recognition of ecology, landform, climate in
development patterns
Energy efficiency and conservation
safety, pride
 Walkable lifestyles
 Mixed, street-based land uses
 Development viability and buildability
 Clear circulation / access patterns
 Energy efficiency and conservation
Above: the relationship between wellbeing and the built environment in Rodney.
PAGE 4
ISSUES THAT AFFECT ALL DEVELOPMENT
Site issues
Topography
and landform
Possible responses include:
Respond and follow landform rather than dominate or conflict with it.
Use slope for varied building forms with visual interest.
Use slope to best advantage such as semi-basements, elevated living courts, and
far-field visual outlook.
Consider flooding issues and surface water constraints.
Natural
Accept the limitations of sensitive sites, including the coast.
features,
Consider retaining significant trees, stands of trees, and waterways including
significant
ephemeral streams.
vegetation and
Understand sediment generation, and work to minimise related impacts.
solar
Understand and maintain local biodiversity.
orientation
Incorporate trees into open spaces or streets.
Ensure building platforms and construction needs can viably protect features.
Take soil type and quality into account.
Reflect natural features in the design of buildings.
Design to allow sunlight into living rooms and outdoor areas.
Locate outdoor areas to be sheltered from prevailing winds.
Ensure streets provide a comfortable micro climate by managing street trees and
orientation.
Adjacent land Design buildings to respond positively to and fit with the existing character and
uses
feel of an area.
Look to integrate obvious „fronts and backs‟ (public and private spaces) with
those of existing uses to minimise user conflict and nuisance.
Density should occur where amenities and character support it.
Movement
Understand wider movement patterns and ensure roads provide for this while also
meeting local needs.
Give appropriate priority on all streets to pedestrians and cyclists.
Provide safe and attractive alternatives to motor vehicles.
Use the design of streets and network connections to manage driver behaviour
and vehicle speeds.
Promote the intrinsic relationship between, access, permeability and movement
choice.
Features of
Consider celebrating or respecting features.
cultural
Reflect local heritage or cultural meaning into building design.
significance
Incorporate into open spaces.
Surveillance
Consider how outward views can be utilised.
and privacy
Add most visual interest where it will be will be visible from outside the site.
Consider existing buildings, „fronts and backs‟, and privacy issues.
Use Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approaches.
Site shape
Consider how to respond to the site‟s shape in an efficient manner.
Location of
Ensure site layout meets requirements of underground infrastructure lines and
infrastructure
overland flow paths.
networks and Make efficient connections to existing infrastructure services.
connections
Use low impact design approaches where possible.
SITE ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE
Site and context analysis
Understanding how a proposal will interact with its environment is critical to minimise
adverse impacts and maximise value-adding positive ones. Site and context analysis is
the best way to achieve this.
In many quality designs most of the „concept‟ is drawn from a simple, logical
response to what is already going around it. These are compatible with the
surrounding urban form while still incorporating enough identity and originality to be
distinct. The most inspiring and liveable built environments throughout history as well
as today are the ones that allow intuitive, easy use by people.
An important part of a context analysis relates to the „intended‟ outcomes of the
District Plan and other strategic policies (the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy for
example). Early discussions with the Council to affirm a common view of what this
combined package of policies means for a development will help inform the best use
of a site.
Issues and effects to watch out for:

Development effects will be much more than basic site-related issues of site coverage and
intensity, building height and so on. Sustainable management is related to how a
development will actually ‟work‟ with and within the environment around it.

Analysis will identify „incremental‟ adverse or nuisance effects that can be difficult to
quantify, but these can usually be easily avoided through sensitive, sensible design.

Opportunities to deliver positive effects will be made obvious through quality analysis.

Site and context analysis will identify where reverse sensitivities and operational conflicts will
or may arise.

Inconsiderate designs will tend to create on-going nuisances for site users that can
cumulatively lead to a large loss of amenity.
MORE INFORMATION / RELEVANT TO:
Section 88 and the First Schedule of the RMA - An Assessment of Effects on the Environment;
Rodney District and Auckland Region: Growth, Land Transport, and Economic Development Strategies
(+others);
Local climate, soil, hydrology, infrastructure, and vegetation information (contact the Council: phone
0800 426 5169);
Best Practice Subdivision Guideline; Kapiti Coast District Council;
Good Solutions Guide for Medium Density Housing; North Shore City Council.
PAGE 5
3
Understanding deliverability and its implications for design flexibility
A complex relationship between market conditions, stakeholder expectations, and District Plan provisions
will underlie all development in Rodney. This will have a bearing on the Council‟s overall RMA
consideration of whether sustainable management is being promoted when a development proposal for a
site differs from what the District Plan provisions may suggest.
Decision makers need to be made aware of realistic, bottom lines of deliverability associated with
different options as they apply to the circumstance. Idealistic or theoretical best-uses of sites and
resources that may seem attractive may not by themselves help the right decisions to be reached.
For example, there will always be sites so sensitive or significant that the purpose of the RMA will be best
served by the conservation of resources and the refusal of consent to all viable (at that time) development
scenarios. However, positions that would render sites unusable by disregarding basic market realities will
be unlikely to help enable wellbeing in our District. Equally, the Council will not excuse essential
mitigation measures (such as re-vegetation) on the basis of its cost burden.

When seeking changes to a proposal, look first to make design improvements that also maintain or increase
developer return. This will make it more likely that the developer will voluntarily accept the changes.

Quality design has been found to positively affect property values and prices, and to provide long-term value
through increased human enjoyment of the built environment.

Sometimes it takes time for high-quality environments to develop - it may not be possible or appropriate to deliver
the final outcome immediately. In residential developments it may be beneficial to sell some units with simple
specifications to help make them more affordable. Examples would include providing plain parking pads instead
of garaging, or omitting on-site landscaping. Purchasers can then undertake suitable value-adding improvements
themselves as they accumulate funds over time.
PAGE 6
PROPOSED
OUTCOME
LIMIT OF
VIABILITY
Taking the time to understand these complexities can significantly help understand the context behind
„why‟ a given proposal may be in the form it is in. From there this can lead to identification of what
flexibility for change is available within the realms of deliverability.
BIGGER ISN‟T ALWAYS BETTER - Indicatively illustrated here
is the relationship between viability and developer yield. As
unit yield on a site increases room for at-grade car parking
runs out, requiring either a parking structure or undergrounding to accommodate it. The significant jump in cost of
this action means that many more units will be required
before the development is as viable as it was with less units
and at-grade parking.
CHANGES ARE
UNDELIVERABLE
It is not true that greater development intensity always equals more profit. To give a residential example,
the transition from at-grade to underground car parking is a significant expense and will only be paid for
by a clear jump in unit yield, not just one or two extra units. Each site will have a minimum yield required
for development to break even. Likewise there will be a ceiling above which further units will either return
the same or even less overall return relative to the risk and effort needed to deliver them.
IDEAL
OUTCOME
More development does not always deliver more profit
RANGE OF EXPECTATIONS
BALANCING WHAT WE‟D LIKE WITH WHAT WE CAN
AFFORD - When a proposal does not meet the expectations
of stakeholders, changes can be sought. Seeking changes
that are not realistic or deliverable can effectively promote
refusal of consent. If this is the intention it should be clearly
communicated as such.
(A) INITIAL DESIGN POOR DESIGN OF
LARGER LOTS
(DARK)

View the process holistically
In Rodney, like in many other growing areas, the development process can involve many
parties. It is unusual for a single party to undertake subdivision, build subsequent structures,
market and sell the development - except in high-density developments. This approach creates
problems if all participants do not share responsibility for delivering a quality outcome.
Irrespective of what step in the development process a particular proposal applies to, an
holistic view of the ultimate environmental outcome needs to be kept in mind by all parties. This
will ensure that appropriate steps - including procedural ones - are taken to achieve the right
outcome. It also means that there will be less likelihood of later parts of a process being
expected to compromise viability or profitability in correcting preceding failures.
(B) „DO MINIMUM‟
REVISIONS THAT
WOULD HAVE
IMPROVED THEM

(C) COMPREHENSIVE
REVISIONS TO
IMPROVE ENTIRE
SUBDIVISION

CASE STUDY - lost opportunity
A Council processed the residential subdivision application illustrated by (A), in a zone with a
minimum density of 1:800sqm and a provision that denser housing could occur on sites larger
than 2,000sqm subject to specific provisions relating to land use consent over design matters.
The layout (and application) made obvious that future intensive housing was anticipated on key
large lots all above the 2,000sqm minimum. The Council focused on access, safety and
whether the proposed lots achieved 1:800sqm density, not on how the subdivision would
actually be built and then function.
After approving the lots the Council in question then sought to refuse land use consent
applications for intensive housing on the (since sold) large lots on grounds of urban design
weaknesses. The less-than-ideal building designs put forward were actually the best available
outcome on the poorly-designed lots. A successful outcome was denied by poor management
of the subdivision stage. Designs shown in (B) and (C) demonstrate alternatives which could
have easily avoided this outcome.

It can be difficult to later rectify potentially adverse effects that are created by poor subdivision design.
All subdivision applications should communicate clearly how future land uses are intended to emerge.

Effects relating to future development and maintenance need to be carefully considered to ensure they
do not place unreasonable and / or ultra vires responsibilities on third parties such as neighbours.

Care needs to be taken that changes to a design relate clearly to RMA matters. Pursuing personal
design preferences may enable a „better‟ outcome but may not be an appropriate use of the process.
Best Practice Subdivision Guideline; Kapiti Coast District Council.
PAGE 7
SUBDIVISION AND URBAN STRUCTURE

Respecting the landform and natural patterns
Pastoral landscapes and remnant bush frame many of Rodney District's settlements. They are an
iconic element of our identity - coastal valleys, ridges and rolling dune systems associated with the
coast are a key feature of „who we are‟. Engineering-led approaches to site works can damage
these qualities in the interests of simplifying construction.
Earthworks and site engineering can add considerable expense to development. They can lead to
adverse effects or even property damage if poorly executed or maintained. Trees, ephemeral
streams and other elements shape natural character but are easily lost. Look for design solutions
which limit the extent of necessary earthworks, while sedimentation and erosion can be managed
by site planning and management. Adopt low-impact principles, as referred to on page 13.
Substantial earthworks can, however, be appropriate in delivering usable and safe building
platforms. Lowering buildings into a landscape can make them less prominent, amongst other
benefits. It can also help efficiently maximise the use of suitable land areas, reducing pressure on
less appropriate land for development such as flood plains. The key consideration is whether
proposed earthworks will positively create „place‟ in a development. Earthworks are less
appropriate when they serve only to facilitate either „flat earth‟ or „staircase‟ outcomes.
Coastal landforms allow us to easily appreciate the long-term natural processes of
erosion and accretion around the water edge. Photograph: ChiefBraun


Expensive & complex engineering, and / or vegetation clearance and re-landscaping adds costs to each
lot. Developers may not avoid these if they can recover costs through high sale prices, affecting housing
affordability.

Excessive landform modification for a building platform creates effects that can last a long time - sensitive
dune systems can take centuries to re-establish.

Earthworks can lead to excessive silting, erosion and sedimentation of waterways and estuaries which
damages biota and life-supporting capacity.

Construction in flood plains and sensitive areas can create on-going maintenance problems and stress
for the owners of property.

The long-term financial burden of maintenance for large retaining structures on future owners can be well
beyond the means of individual households.
TP 90: Erosion and Sediment Control Guidelines for Land Disturbing Activities in the Auckland Region; ARC.
PAGE 8
Functional land use located sensitively without dominating far-field views.
Respecting the landform and natural patterns

STREET
BACK LOT
BACK LOT
STREET
POOR DESIGN - in this example the coastal ridge is considered a significant landform but has been insensitively developed:
 Roads locate along ridges and in valleys. 
Landform modified on the basis of carving out lots. 
Along significant ridges units often locate inappropriately due to the placement of the road. 
Heavy
coastal earthworks including palisade walls and removal of important vegetation occurs.

STREET
BACK YARDS - suitable for a privatised coastal
edge - not usually appropriate adjoining a public
area
PRIVATE BACK YARDS
PRIVATE BACK YARDS / DRAINAGE
STREET
BETTER DESIGN - in this example the coastal ridge is considered a significant landform:
 Structures are set back on sensitive ridges to protect coastal character.  Frontage to the street and the coast can be made viable due to unique amenity and value of coastal sites and outlook. 
The
lowest topography is used for low impact storm water management within private back yards (avoiding a „back‟ onto public space).

PUBLIC ACCESS AREA
STREET
PRIVATE BACK YARDS
PUBLIC OPEN SPACE / DRAINAGE
STREET
INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT - Takes
advantage of good development site.
Central service core allows units to
front the street and the coastal edge.
ISSUE-BASED DESIGN - in this example the inland ridge is considered appropriate for development:

Carefully designed intensive building types on suitable ridges allow good frontage to both the street and a public space along the ridge.  This higher density helps afford the protection of low topography
and marginal land from development, which can be used as public open space. 
Low lying area is also designed to receive good frontage. 
Earthworks occur where impacts are the most appropriate.
For all drawings: RED = Cut; BLUE = Fill.
PAGE 9
Integrate the coast, edges, waterways and linkages
The connection between people and our coast, distinctive vegetation, landforms and unique
waterways is a defining part of Rodney District‟s identity. The retention and integration of these
elements into development is a key method of providing character and a sense of amenity for
users. It is also one of the best ways of meaningfully improving ecological values and
environmental protection. If done properly these will also commonly combine to deliver higher,
consistently stable property values over time.
It has become common for development to „back‟ onto these features, where they are typically
fenced off for the privacy and security of property owners. Their value is reduced through
public access and awareness issues, and poor-interface driven safety issues.
Development which provides good connections and „frontage‟ to these features provides much
better opportunities for the see-and-be-seen principle of natural surveillance. It also gives
much better public access to the features. This approach is well proven as a crime deterrent.
Use landscaping to enhance identity
Street trees contribute to micro-climate, identity, pedestrian amenity, and shade. They should
be provided on all streets with a species type reflecting local climate, character and vegetation
as appropriate. Careful species selection is important to ensure adequate passive surveillance
and clear sightlines are retained - contact the Council for assistance in making these choices.

Retained flora contributes to habitat, improving biodiversity and amenity for users.

Careful species selection having regard to crime avoidance principles (such as ensuring dense
foliage is located above eye level) improves safety for users of features by ensuring they are within
sight of activity and other people.

As areas intensify and „infill‟ over time, the loss of vegetation can place significant pressure on street
trees and vegetation in reserves to serve as the only available biodiversity corridors for many birds
and other fauna. The species-selection of street trees should reflect this if appropriate.

Poorly integrated features will be used less. This inefficiency affects the community‟s social and
economic well-being.

Pedestrian-friendly environments help reduce vehicle use, emissions, and congestion on roads.

SECLUDED, SEMI-PRIVATISED PUBLIC AMENITY
 PROMINENT, ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC AMENITY
Looking after the Natural Environment; Rodney District Council;
The Value of Public Space: How High Quality Parks and Open Spaces Create Economic, Social, and
Environmental Value; CABE, UK;
Vision Rodney & Long Term Plan; Rodney District Council (character, identity, and sense of place).
PAGE 10
Prominence improves the usability of public amenities
ING E
V
ENC
D F RESER
I
L
SO UND
O
AR
Subdivisions commonly create new open spaces but other key land uses such as corner shops, community
facilities, and schools will also be provided. The location and relationship of these amenities to activities
and networks around them will influence how well and efficiently a neighbourhood can meet its needs.
Y
TR T
EN JUS AY
VE IKE EW
R
L RIV
SE
RE OKS R D
E
LO TH
O
AN
Recreation amenities that are located so that awareness of them and pedestrian access to them is
obvious and easy provide the best opportunities for healthy lifestyles. Casual contact between pedestrians
is also a key building block in achieving a sense of community. People knowing each other then helps
lead to neighbours exhibiting guardianship. In turn a wider sense of public safety can be developed.
Open spaces can also critically offer a protected outlook from surrounding sites that if marketed well can
add value through their guarantee of never being built-out.
Amenities should deliver an appropriate use ‗return‘ on their investment


POOR LOCATION - Amenities like this often operate as de-facto
communal private space benefiting only a few local residents (the only
people who know the amenity exists).
PREMIER LOCATION - The contribution open spaces and amenities
can make to promoting community wellbeing is maximised when they
are prominent, easy to find / use, and add to the sense of „place‟.
Open spaces have often been provided on „left-over‟ land or land that is the least desirable for building.
These spaces are commonly located in hard to find, enclosed parts of subdivisions where awareness and
use of them is minimal. Such outcomes are often not accidental - internalising open space requirements
on land that is the hardest to access and service can give substantial savings to developers.
This saving is effectively transferred to the public as reduced benefit and increased cost. Maintenance and
other on-going investment that must be spent on these amenities‟ upkeep is notable. Cutting one hectare
of grassed park eight times annually can cost over $200 per year, requiring a significant budget funded
by ratepayers. Associated carbon dioxide emissions are also a cause for concern. The failure to ensure
that open spaces deliver an appropriate use benefit in return for these costs could be considered an
adverse effect on the social and economic well-being of communities.

The legibility (obviousness and prominence) of an amenity is much more important than a minimum quantum of
size in defining how well it will function and be used. A smaller open space that is safe, well located, usable and
„friendly‟ will be much more beneficial for the community than a larger, less obvious, and less integrated one.

All amenities need direct frontage to a street in order to be easily seen, accessed, and contribute optimally to
their neighbourhood. This avoids adverse effects on safety, health (recreation), identity, and social well-being.

A variety of neighbourhood experiences and amenities is preferable. Avoid providing something that is already
available. A quality site and context analysis will highlight what amenities will be of value in the area.
Standards for Engineering Design and Construction; Rodney District Council;
Does Money Grow on Trees? (research on the value of quality urban spaces), CABE, UK;
Decent Parks? Decent Behaviour? The Link Between the quality of parks and user behaviour; CABE, UK;
The Cost of Bad Design; CABE, UK.
PAGE 11
Defining the use and ownership of space
The clear definition of space between areas of private and public use is a critical element
of successful built environments. Designing layouts to face activity ‟fronts‟ with other
fronts, and activity ‟backs‟ with backs is a basic method of achieving this.

Optimal street blocks are only two lots deep on one side to minimise rear lots.

Rear lots are often provided in the belief that they maximise lot yield and
minimise the expense of creating more roads. The resultant requirement of long
driveways for rear lots will typically still overall require at least the same amount
of physical space as a quality road layout (although allocated differently). Long
driveways of rear lots offer lower amenity for residents & create servicing issues.

Private streets often do not achieve the benefits of public streets and impose a
maintenance burden on residents. They should be avoided where possible.

Design lots so that public access is limited to one side, except for corner sites.
Focussing on the interface between buildings and public spaces creates the safest, most
efficient settings for interaction between people to occur. It also produces environments
that are highly legible, navigable, and interesting for visitors. This offers the most
engaging treatment for public space edges and in so doing helps establish priority to non
-vehicular movement (walking, playing, general recreating, cycling, and so on).
The safest outcome is not always the most intuitive one
Poor delineation of public and private space will not deliver these benefits, and may MORE INFORMATION / RELEVANT TO:
Best Practice Subdivision Guide; Kapiti Coast District Council;
unintentionally encourage opportunistic crime. It is often assumed that the safest
The Value Handbook: Getting the most from your buildings and spaces; CABE (UK);
environments are secluded, exclusive (often solidly fenced and gated), and away from
Designing Out Crime; London Borough of Sutton (principles / guidance);
highly trafficked routes. In reality these isolated settings often create the ideal
Designing Out Crime; Australian Institute of Criminology (theory);
circumstances for crime to occur. This is due to a lower risk of observation or detection
mixed with often homogenous land use patterns (such as residential subdivisions that lie
Does Money Grow on Trees? CABE, UK (research on the value of quality urban spaces);
empty for most of the day).
Safer Places: the Planning System and Crime Prevention; Home Office / ODPM, UK.

„BACKS‟
ORGANISEDPRIVATE
- Users
will
have little doubt over who
is entitled to use which
space. Activity is focussed
towards public spaces
offering the safest, highest
-amenity environments
possible.
PRIVATE „BACKS‟
PUBLIC „FRONTS‟
PRIVATE „BACKS‟


DISORGANISED - Users are
less likely to use some parts
PUBLIC „FRONTS‟
of space due to poorly
defined „ownership‟. Many
public spaces are treated
with weak interfaces, poor
lighting, and so on. Safety
and quality declines, as
does social interaction.
PAGE 12
PUBLIC „FRONTS‟
PRIVATE „BACKS‟
AMBIGUITY
PRIVATE „BACKS‟
PUBLIC „FRONTS‟
INFERIOR - The private driveways shown here take
as much space as a street. They lack dedicated
pedestrian or cycling space; lighting for safe evening
use; and opportunity for many vehicles to park
close to the houses. They require the concentration
of weekly rubbish from many dwellings on the berm
outside an unlucky neighbour‟s property. Multiple
individual driveways are also a long-term
maintenance cost for individual households.
TYPICAL TREE-PIT

Low impact design
Stormwater discharge should be carefully managed to avoid (often cumulative) problems of
flooding, the erosion or pollution of water bodies and our coastal environment. They can help
reduce heat build-up in denser urban areas. Water systems should attenuate stormwater flow /
volume and optimise interception, detention and removal of waterborne pollutants prior to
downstream water discharge. This can include making vehicle carriageways as narrow and
permeable as operationally practical.
A range of techniques are available that can collectively provide significant mitigation. Some relate
to site treatments including swales, permeable paving, or rain gardens. Others relate to building
elements, including water tanks for the re-use of captured water by washing machines and garden
irrigation. The overall cost for low impact infrastructure is typically comparable with traditional piped
services. The main difference is that low impact solutions pay for improved „off-site‟ environmental
betterment with the „on site‟ cost of more regular maintenance needs. Planted roofs offer the
additional benefit of improved insulation of buildings resulting in lower heating costs.
TYPICAL SWALE

Every engineered asset needlessly created will add to the overall maintenance cost of the
environment for users. While energy efficiency initiatives can at face value increase development
costs, they will typically pay for themselves over time. The positive externality of improved
environmental outcomes may also justify the use of low-impact design being considered as a positive
effect and cumulatively significant mitigation in the resource management process.
TYPICAL RAIN GARDEN


Keep in mind the possible cumulative degradation of marine ecosystems, the risk of flooding and erosion,
and potential for resilience to extreme weather events.

Low impact design often adds negligible additional physical or visual effects but can bring environmental
benefits that are often hard to retro-fit in the future.

Integrated solutions improve public awareness and sensitivity to environmental issues, improve the amenity
and identity of developments and improve long-term values.

On-going maintenance burdens should be acknowledged and incorporated into consent decisions.

Higher-quality, custom-designed low impact solutions can add to the costs of subdivisions. The Council may
wish to acknowledge these as having positive effects on the environment.
www.smarterhomes.org.nz;
Sustainable Home Guidelines; Waitakere City Council;
Countryside and Foothills Storm water Management Code of Practice; Rodney District Council & Waitakere City Council
(Residential sites >4,000sqm);
Low Impact Design Manual for the Auckland Region; Auckland Regional Council.
PAGE 13
TRANSPORT AND MOVEMENT
Connected environments
The first deliberate cul-de-sacs relied on a combination of dead-ends and carefully designed curves to limit
visibility and actively discourage non-residents from entering. They remain popular today, often supported by a
perception that they deliver greater levels of privacy and safety than other roads. This can be self-reinforcing as
the consequential channelling of all traffic onto the few connected routes available can further result in a
perceived association of connectedness with heavy traffic nuisance and high vehicle speed.
Modern levels of vehicle usage amplifies the effects on key arterial and collector streets created by the
‟channelling‟ attributes of cul-de-sac patterns. This can prematurely result in congestion effects and can lower
amenity for people living along these roads - adverse effects caused by cul-de-sac layouts elsewhere. Networks
that allow multiple routes and real choice for all modes (with residential blocks of no greater than 120m length)
remains the best approach to avoid adverse effects and provide for wellbeing.
CASE STUDY EXAMPLE (theoretical):
A cul-de-sac serving 40 lots that requires on average 100m of additional driving for every car trip that could
have been avoided with a more connected layout would result in:
 40km cumulative additional driving each day; 14,600km per year; or 292,000km in the first 20 years of
use, which is not even half of the expected lifespan of the buildings within that subdivision.
 That 292,000km would require around $87,600 expenditure ($2,190 per household) on vehicle operating
costs that could have been put to more beneficial use (gross 2007 cost excluding GST and 20yrs‟ inflation).
 It also equates to around 130 tonnes of CO2 released into the environment*.
We often fail to avoid, remedy, or mitigate these adverse effects. Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) indexing is a
relatively straight forward exercise but is dependent on a range of factors. Resource consent applicants should
provide their calculations which demonstrate their modelling assumptions take all effects into account.
„A‟ to „B‟ and back = 1,600metres
A
B
 THREE STEPS FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK - Through
movements and connectivity is deliberately avoided.
Inefficient movements are required, which can be a
disincentive for pedestrians particularly in adverse weather
conditions. Minimal route choice (if any) is available.
„A‟ to „B‟ and back = 300metres
* Key assumptions for this conservative calculation include $0.30/km VOC obtained from the 2002 EEM (private vehicles in low speed 30-50km/h use) and corrected for 2007. CO2
emissions calculated pursuant to LTNZ’s Economic Evaluation Model of VOC*0.0015.

Easier access to shops, services, and amenities will improve patronage by customers and mean the subdivision better
enables social and economic wellbeing.

Cumulative environmental degradation results from inefficient layouts.

Unnecessary expenditure on transport equates to household income lost from the local economy (including economic
multipliers / spin-offs that would have occurred from increased local spending or saving / investing).

Passing traffic at the right speed and volume decreases opportunities for crime to occur and improves safety. Good
design and urban structure can still deliver connected roads that behave and feel like cul-de-sacs to residents.
A
B
 MAXIMISED CONVENIENCE - Connectivity is available in
numerous configurations that allow a range of routes both
on and off the main roads. Potential congestion effects are
avoided, remedied or mitigated. Safety benefits arise
through interaction between passing traffic and site users.
Liveable Arterials Plan; Auckland City Council;
Manual for Streets; Department for Transport (UK).
PAGE 14

Delivering safe streets for all users
Approaches to road safety have often focussed on providing wide, sweeping turns with long sight-lines,
sterilising the road to reduce distraction or confusion for drivers. This can induce driver automation where
a lack of stimuli dulls the senses of motorists. Wider carriageways also lead to increased driving speeds.
Research has shown that one of the most effective ways to ensure safe and more considerate behaviour
by drivers in the road environment is to place other users and activities (safely) in their view. This forces
drivers to acknowledge potential hazards and respond accordingly.
The art of inducing cautious driver habits
A good method of helping to ensure drivers‟ attention is regularly re-focussed around them is to provide
as much variation within the road as possible - on-street parking, street trees, furniture, interacting land
uses, property access, and so on. Well connected urban blocks of no more than 120m length will also
help reduce speeds. This contributes to extracting the greatest possible use of the road by all users,
allowing a good amenity / use return on the investment made by the community in maintaining its road
network. This is an effect on wellbeing (the relative efficiency of resource use vs. the on-going cost).
Strategies such as walking school buses work best when supported by a
high-quality backdrop of pedestrian friendly roads and linkages. This
makes users feel safer and helps make parents feel more comfortable
about not driving children directly to school.


Pedestrian and other non-vehicle based modes will not be optimally used unless the road environment actively
offers an attractive alternative to the ease and convenience of driving.

Self-explaining roads help create greater legibility and representation of non-vehicular activities in the
environment. This brings positive amenity, character, and environmental (less vehicle use) effects.

Well-designed roads will be more likely to see land uses develop and form positive streetscapes, rather than
disconnected „garage-scapes‟ with setbacks & solid fences / barriers. Attempts to enforce an ideal streetscape
condition will be difficult and counter-productive when the road environment is hostile or unwelcoming.
When land uses relate well to public open spaces they provide a greater
feeling of safety due to the number of potential „eyes on the street‟ that
act to discourage crime from occurring.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Streetscape Strategy and Guideline; Kapiti Coast District Council;
Manual for Streets; Department for Transport (UK).
„Tighten‟ intersection corners to ensure slower vehicle movements.
Delineate different mode space with different materials.
Raised intersections & material differentiation for prominence helps to slow vehicles
Develop tables (essentially large, flat speed humps) to aid pedestrian crossing.
Speed bumps (up to 1.0m wide) or humps (essentially a long speed bump up to 4.0+m
wide) can also effectively manage vehicle speeds.
Chicanes or „neckdowns‟ at key points to slow movement. Mountable kerbs provide
wider radii for large & emergency service vehicles.
Incorporate landscaping into parking bays rather than on berms to make the
carriageway seem psychologically narrower to drivers.
Avoid long stretches of straight local roads with regular bends / „shifts‟ in the
carriageway.
Incorporate islands or raised berms for landscaping or an aid to pedestrian crossings.
0
5
5
10
1
3
7
4
2
6
8
9
PAGE 15
Understanding the needs of non-motor vehicle users
use of a full street is demonstrably un-viable or un-necessary;
the link is direct, wide, straight, and short;
the link provides sufficient lighting to support night-time use if appropriate; and
the link aligns to the „fronts‟ of lots / uses, not the sides or rear. Covenants
should control the maximum height of front fences for adjacent lots / uses.

Car




Bus
Separated mode-specific links (i.e. pedestrian only connections) are difficult to make
safe and visible. They should be avoided due to their numerous limitations, unless
they create a frontage condition comparable to a street. A full street should be the
default mode for any linkage, with segregated routes only considered when:
Cycle

Skate
A key issue for non-vehicular modes is the relationship with route „edge‟. Quality
land use frontage and natural surveillance are essential to stimulate interest and
promote safety, especially for vulnerable users - children, single women, the elderly,
and the disabled. These conditions can also help deter vandalism and crime.
Critical elements to
sustain movement
Pedestrian
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles emphasise the
need for multiple routes and permeable, direct movement. But providing footpaths
and route choices will not in itself attract pedestrian activity or make an outcome
walkable. Linkages need to achieve all the critical qualities needed for safe
pedestrian use. This includes locating land uses in a manner that allows people to
meet their daily needs on foot, and providing adequate amenity and lighting.
Vulnerable
Pedestrian
Streets need to provide for a range of users, featuring varied amenities to efficiently
cater for them. Pedestrians prefer spaces that stimulate interest, offer convenience,
and feel safe - not just in relation to vehicles, but to land use activities around them.
Allocation of space &
„carriageway‟
     
Mode vs Mode based
safety
     
Relative trip time/
distance efficiency
    
Route convenience
   
Route quality (design
and amenity)
  
Regular points of
interest / stimulation
 
Land use interaction and
natural surveillance
 
Specific initiatives
(Design for walkability,
Walking school bus)



Poor linkages will have less use, lowering the efficiency of resources use.

Poor linkages will offer less safety, and make it easier for property / personal crimes to
occur including vandalism and intimidation.

Routes that are „out of the public eye‟ are more likely to fall into disrepair.

Providing public routes around the „backs‟ and „sides‟ of lots as well as the road at the
front lowers lot value and can create a lower sense of privacy for residents.

Routes that are well integrated will provide amenity, safety, and property value benefits.
Promoting Physical Activity and Active Living in Urban Environments; World Health Organisation;
Designing Out Crime London Borough of Sutton (principles / guidance).
PAGE 16
Segregated movement routes are rarely a good solution. They often create routes that lack
lighting and opportunity for surveillance - e.g. land uses tend to face away and tall solid fencing
and vegetation is common for site privacy / security. When narrow and enclosed they deter use
for visual and physical reasons. Wider linkages may avoid the visual issue but do not address the
many other deficiencies.
ISSUES THAT AFFECT SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS
COASTAL DEVELOPMENT

Respecting the coast
The RMA highlights the national importance of coastal character. For an island
nation this is recognition of a powerful geographical and landscape feature. It
also recognises the sensitivity of areas which are highly significant for ecological
and social reasons. The coastal interface hosts complex biodiversity conditions
and plays a critical role in natural ecology cycles. Beaches, cliffs, marshlands,
coastal meadows and the sea itself are natural attractors for both wildlife and
people, and this poses conflicts which require responsible and careful resolution.
Buildings kept back
from the cliff edge
Development on cliff heads should be formed and located respectfully. Photograph: Allan Lee

Avoiding conflict with natural coastal erosion / accretion processes and
protecting sensitive coastal edge and dune ecology systems should be a priority.
The use of palisade walls, whose long-term effects are not always fully
understood, are appropriate only as a last resort to ensure health and safety is
maintained around inherited subdivision patterns. New developments that
require palisade walls for basic habitable safety may not promote the sustainable
management of natural and physical resources. Setbacks also more readily allow
continuous foreshore areas and esplanade reserves to be maintained in public
ownership for safe recreational enjoyment.
Rodney District: distinctive coastal landscape elements. Photograph: Ubahn

Substantial setbacks can be the appropriate solution, particularly in highly sensitive locations.
PAGE 17
4

Reflecting the coastal character
In coastal locations the built form should have an obvious marine character and identity related to the
water edge. It must protect the natural character of the coast. The use of traditional bach vernacular and
building typologies such as smaller scale buildings with narrower faces towards the coast are most
sympathetic. Development on the coastal edge should be of a low scale which is appropriate to the high
sensitivity of this particular type of environment. High value views from buildings can be possible without
compromising the striking landscapes or vegetation of cliff and ridge systems. Expenditure on coastal
development should prioritise construction quality rather than maximising the size of buildings.
The application of „in-between structures‟ in the design of buildings to act as a transitional space between
the land and sea, inside and outside are helpful. Examples of such structures that could be included in
the design of buildings are verandas, pergolas, balconies, and patio platforms. Compatible colours are
considered to be those which match the predominant background although appropriate contrast can
often be beneficial around key architectural details. Reflectivity and glare need to be managed. Plastered
finishes can stand out in an insensitive manner when compared to timbers, higher quality concretes and
non-reflective metals. On-site landscaping should incorporate species tolerant to coastal conditions, and
native coastal species should be used instead of exotic or invasive species. It will be beneficial to use
vegetation which is native to the Rodney area, to use seeds or plants sourced from suppliers in the area
and which supports local wildlife.
Coastal patterns inspire contextual responses. Simple natural colours on
a building nestled into vegetation do not undermine the strong textures
and colours of the natural environment. Photograph: Dr Ropata



Avoid unnecessary land form and vegetation modification.

Avoid locating near current or future hazards.

Maximise amenity opportunities to access the foreshore and beach.

Promote retention of coastal ecosystems - flora and fauna. Protect natural character and ecological values.

Provide engagement between the built environment and the beach / coast.

Improve passive surveillance of coastal margins and walkways.

Retain & develop New Zealand‟s vernacular architecture and identity based around the „Kiwi bach on the beach‟.

Create individual identity for developments.
Vision Rodney and Long Term Plan; Rodney District Council;
Auckland Regional Plan: Coastal; Auckland Regional Council;
Auckland Regional Coastal Planting Guides; Auckland Regional Council.
PAGE 18
Coastal architecture can exploit interesting and diverse materials and
styles to create stimulating places. Photograph, left: Justine Sanderson

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Addressing rural land use and identity
The countryside in Rodney District is predominantly a working environment. The “low-density industry”
which operates here is a critical part of the economy, and is inherently rooted in our history and identity.
Whilst around 80% of the New Zealand population lives in urban areas, rural conditions and functions
are symbiotic with urban conditions, and their importance should not be underestimated.
Animal movements are a regular part of livestock operations.

Rural industry necessarily involves use of industrial machinery,
sometimes for extensive hours. Photograph: Maree Reveley.

Rural development - especially residential - should be approached cautiously due to the potential effects
created by locating living environments adjacent to rural industry. The archetypal idyll suggested by the
„lifestyle block‟ concept can be very different from the reality of life in a working landscape, where
activities may create noise, dust, waste materials and other nuisances at all hours. Machinery operation
and animal activities can regularly impact negatively on modern expectations of residential amenity, but
are necessary in rural settings.
Development in rural areas is appropriate, but it is important to consider support for rural functions as a
high priority when making decisions. The balance between sustaining the stock of productive land and
the desire to meet demand for countryside retreats or other uses needs careful assessment.
The character of the countryside also needs to be recognised as a product of industrial development,
through which the open and green far-field views that we enjoy in many parts of the District were created
by clearing the natural forest conditions that existed previously. We cannot take these views for granted as
the needs of rural industry change over time, and the operational needs of rural industries change. Many
users of the rural landscape rely on ‟borrowed amenity‟ from adjacent properties which cannot be
protected, especially in terms of far-field outlook. Intensive horticulture and shelter belts are examples of
the kind of elements critical in a rural landscape which may conflict with expectations for large,
perpetually open and largely un-used green space. Care should be taken if a proposed development is
relying on this borrowed and unprotected amenity to achieve a desired outcome.
Planting and structures for rural industry shape the countryside,
especially if associated with intensive horticulture or viticulture.
PAGE 19

Reflecting rural character
One of the most difficult aspects of rural or low-density development is the efficient and effective
provision of infrastructure networks and community facilities. Public transport in particular is not easily
provided here. Site utilities can be expensive to connect - attention should be paid to whether good
telecommunications can be established which may help offset isolation from the community. Options for
on-site renewable energy production which may be cost-effective where mains networks are distant
should also be considered.
While rural development often seeks to achieve a sense of privacy and relative isolation, there are
benefits to be gained by clustering development in a way which makes local services affordable and more
sustainable. Co-locating developments within walking distance, and making even basic provision for this
movement mode creates conditions which reduce individual and communal burdens. This is especially
relevant to amenity provision for local working communities.
Simple forms and materials complement countryside settings.

The economy of rural industrial functions should not over-ride the need for sensitive design. Locating
buildings, driveways and open spaces should be based on good site analysis, and seek to minimise
negative effects on the landscape. Driveways should avoid creating sweeping ‟concrete scars‟ cross the
landscape. Buildings should nestle into existing topography and vegetation rather than dominating. They
should be located and massed to work with existing landforms - generally aligned parallel to contours.
Single-level layouts with wings enclosing court spaces positively reflect traditional farm layouts.
Building forms should be simple, with „additive‟ massing and openings limited to 20% of elevations.
Gentle roof pitches with emphasised horizontal eaves give good appearance and performance - add-on
parapets are not generally appropriate - whereas chimneys can help „anchor‟ a building composition.
Materials should reference traditional farm materials, and use finishes with darker or natural colour tones.
Buildings are sheltered and given privacy by judicious planting.


Promote options for strengthening community & movement networks through co-location & sensitive site design.

Be aware of reverse-sensitivity considerations within working countryside environments. Residential amenity and
preserving views should not compromise the essential functions of the countryside.

Building locations should minimise visual impacts, avoiding prominent positions by setting into the contours &
planting, and reducing the extent of driveways.

Positive character can be achieved by adopting traditional building patterns and appearances. More modern
designs should create links to existing traditions through colour, materials and contour-sensitive massing.
County Clare Rural House Design Guide; Clare County Council (Ireland);
County Cork Rural Design Guide; Cork County Council (Ireland).
PAGE 20
Driveways should create little visual impact and interesting
approach movements toward buildings
RESIDENTIAL
High intensity residential
Each of the residential zone types in the Rodney District Plan has different
characteristics to be addressed by development proposals.
Terraced housing and very compact detached townhouses (and in some
instances apartments) are appropriate in existing town centres and local nodes.
This relationship is important - higher density living offers lower standards of
„private‟ amenities. These need to be compensated if adequate living standards
are to be maintained.
Low intensity residential
Low intensity housing in Rodney refers to larger lot subdivision, typically
encompassing lots in the vicinity of 4,000-8,000sqm. Such sites provide for
significant „private‟ amenity opportunities as the generous lot sizes provide ready
opportunities for landscaping, visual outlook, seclusion and privacy. These large
sites offer the ability for greatest building variation and design. Spatially these
provide countryside living around the edge of the urban form.
The lack of population density within these areas often precludes the provision of
public transport services and making viable catchments for local shops is
difficult; however pedestrian links for social contact and recreational needs are
still important. Generous road berms offer an ideal opportunity for recreational
walking and cycling, and these are important aspects to be considered at the
initial subdivision and development phase.
This also helps create vibrancy, increased population densities and improved
viability for businesses in local centres. Given the reduced amount of on-site
landscaping, greater scrutiny over internal building design and design &
construction quality is often necessary.
Keeping in mind the Rodney identity, outdoor living and dining is important.
When a balcony is needed for outdoor living space it should be made as large
as possible - ideally between 6sqm-10sqm minimum usable area, depending on
the number of bedrooms provided within the unit. Awkward shapes such as
triangles can meet a specific minimum area, but in reality deliver significantly less
usable space.
Medium intensity residential
Medium intensity housing in Rodney generally consists of a single dwelling on
sites of approximately 600sqm. Typically these sites are amongst the most
affordable (due to small land allotments), however, are increasingly becoming
out of reach for many young families and first home buyers. Nevertheless this is
the development form that currently accommodates the majority of urban
residents in the District.
Housing lots at these densities are still relatively low in terms of total densities per
hectare (around 10-12 units). Lots within this zone display many qualities found
in low intensity housing, and provide better support for public transport services
(although population densities are still too low to enable efficient bus services).
Local service centres are often located at prominent locations such as key arterial
intersections.
LOW INTENSITY RESIDENTIAL 4000sqm +
LARGE URBAN 1000sqm - 2000sqm
MEDIUM INTENSITY 600sqm +
COMPACT DETACHED
350sqm - 450sqm
BACK LANE OR
TERRACED 250sqm
MIXED USE /
APARTMENTS
As with the District‟s low-intensity residential areas, this type of housing offers a
greater balance of „private‟ amenities rather than „public‟ ones. Key to quality
development is ensuring good connections between these „suburbs‟ and village
centres.
PAGE 21
SOME COMMON HOUSING TYPOLOGIES
Resilience to change over time
The District Plan states minimum lot size requirements dependant on the underlying land zone.
Whilst delivering consistent development patterns in terms of scale and built form, and critical
certainty in network infrastructure planning, this approach can contribute to a reduction in
household diversity. This can lead to a mismatch between housing stock and household makeup
as communities change over time.
Providing an appropriate range of housing densities and types within environments will avoid this.
This could include designs that allow buildings to be added to over time, which has the advantage
of broadening the market that may buy into a development. Housing affordability can become
easier to manage in more diverse developments. Specific locations also enjoy strategic advantage
- for example being close to shops or employment areas or enjoying special views. An emphasis
on a single product has the effect of „exclusivising‟ these advantages of that part of the urban
form to the detriment of all other groups in the community.
Areas identified for intensification need flexibility, and development needs to avoid lost
opportunities. Communities in Rodney and the Council need to work together proactively in
ensuring the right long-term development frameworks are in place.

Variety is essential to long-term environmental resilience, and confidence that social and economic wellbeing will be retained over the life of a subdivision.

Lot variety will lead to development variety and more interesting, unique built environments. This will
amongst other things help make pedestrian movement more desirable to users.

It is critical that appropriate living opportunities are provided - higher density living is not viable in
settings without adjacent “public” amenities to balance the loss of “private” amenities that accompanies
more intimate living conditions; and vice versa. The failure to ensure living type combines with adjacent
context to allow people to meet their daily needs is a notable adverse effect on well-being.

1.) Multi-level apartments
(density >1:100sqm)
2.) Back-lane or terraced
housing (density >1:250sqm)
The different types of residential living and basic balance of “public” and “private” amenities that comes
with each needs to be understood when determining adverse effects. It is not appropriate to apply a
suburban expectation of residential acoustic amenity to a dense, vibrant urban town centre or
employment area - this should be compensated by other amenities which still achieve an overall
appropriate quality of life for residents.
3.) Townhouse / duplex housing
(density >1:350sqm)
4.) Compact detached housing
(density > 1:450sqm)
TOWN CENTRE
Vision Rodney and Long Term Plan; Rodney District Council;
6.) Larger-lot detached housing
(density >1:1,000sqm)
Rodney District population and household size projections; Statistics New Zealand (see also the Auckland Regional
Growth Strategy and associated research, Auckland Regional Council).
PAGE 22
5.) Conventional detached
housing (density >1:600sqm)
7.) Lifestyle / semi-rural housing
(density >1:1ha; not shown)

DIRECT SUNLIGHT
ACCESS
LOUNGE WITH
GLAZING TO THE
STREET
Management of sunlight and solar radiation (heat) is a key contributor to healthy environments
without excessive and costly use of energy for heat or cooling. Studies show a direct link between
damp homes and probability of residents (particularly children) developing asthma.
Development on a site will be inherently limited by the design of that site itself; building design
cannot always remedy poor site design. The orientation of roads and urban blocks should ensure
that lots receive adequate sunlight in a manner that will still allow buildings and other activities to
provide a „public front‟ to the street and a „private back‟ as a basic operational necessity.
NORTH FACING
OUTDOOR LIVING
SPACE
PRIVATE SPACE
LOCATED AT BACK
Site responses to climate: enabling healthy living / working conditions
HIGHLY PROMINENT
ENTRY
North-south streets are preferable where possible, with garaging to the south of the habitable
building. East-west roads can be problematic, as lots on the south-side can have conflict between
providing for good street frontage and also good sunlight access to private amenity spaces (often
necessitating tall solid front fencing for privacy). While tools are sometimes available to mitigate
these issues, they often deliver sites that are less usable for residents.
GOOD
FRONTAGE
GARAGE TO SOUTH, SET
BACK FROM FRONTAGE
Design for solar gain is closely related to the use of materials and insulation in buildings. It also
involves the manipulation of ventilation and movement of warm / cool / dry air through buildings.
Combinations of techniques can also have differing synergies; „less‟ direct solar access coupled
with thermal mass and heat transfer approaches can create a much healthier outcome than
„more‟ solar access alone.
A

A. EAST / WEST oriented lots: Ideal configuration; buildings able to front the
street and also orient (with garaging to the south) for good solar access.

B

B. NORTH oriented lots: The most problematic orientation. Desire for good
solar access to outdoor living areas can see this space placed in front of
buildings, necessitating solid fencing along the boundary. This prevents good
street frontage from occurring. This can justify wider but shallower lot layouts.

C


Highly energy-inefficient living environments for residents with effects on personal health, public health
services, and wellbeing. These will typically have greater implications for lower income households;

Inadequately integrated built environments with less identity and safety for users of the public realm;
increased potential for crime (evidence shows that tall fencing for internal privacy also provides
excellently screened opportunities for crime); and less likelihood of attracting greater pedestrian trips
or lowering unnecessary vehicle use.
Increasing energy costs means that reliance on heaters or air conditioners/fans may not be options for
householders. The impractical costs of retro-fitting or changing existing buildings may mean within the 50
year life of structures future users may inherit settings that do not enable social & economic wellbeing.
Sustainable Home Guidelines; Waitakere City Council;
C. SOUTH oriented lots: Good orientation. Buildings front the street with
north-facing outdoor living spaces behind. This justifies narrower, deeper lots.
Subdivision designs that have little regard to providing both good solar access and street frontage will
inherently generate the potential for either or both:
Best Practice Medium Density Housing Guideline; Kapiti Coast District Council.
PAGE 23

Fronting the street
For residential properties to promote wellbeing they should create adequate connection to streets
and public spaces. This will ensure outcomes that convey a sense of safety, interest, activity, quality,
and value. Emphasising the front door within the dwelling frontage, preferably including a canopy
or other cover, helps direct visitors and organise on-site planning. A direct path or connection
between the front door and the street should be provided to reinforce this. Clearly defined
approaches deny opportunity for thieves to excusably access private parts of a site looking for entry.
To support this connection or „frontage‟, houses should be located as close to the street as
possible. This maximises private outdoor recreational space behind a house. Maximising the
amount of glazing from an active living room (a kitchen, dining room, lounge, or family room) on
the front elevation helps to reinforce a sense of surveillance and security to and from the street or
public space. This again helps ensure a sense of personal safety for all users.

These outcomes are precluded when garaging dominates a frontage. Garages should be to the
side of houses, set back behind the building front by at least 1.0m. Vehicle crossings should be
limited in number and be only the minimum practical width for entering the site.
Outdoor spaces function best when located to the side (set back from the front elevation) or rear of
a house, with the building forming a visual barrier to the public realm. Solid fences around the
sides and rear are appropriate, but not for protecting privacy in frontage locations. When a house
minimises the front yard it is more viable for this to be used as a visual buffer space, allowing a
shorter fence of 1.0m or less to be erected.

Lastly, maintaining a clear visual connection is important to deliver a sense of interest and quality.
A well-composed frontage can add value to the property and make it more attractive to people.

Providing regular „eyes on the street‟ will help discourage crime and improve perceptions of safety for road
users (and sites). This is essential for community wellbeing and helps improve pedestrian use of space.

All buildings should clearly connect to the street. In turn this helps foster a sense of community and „place‟.

Site efficiency is improved when all users can clearly interpret how and where they should move.

Security of private property (including cars parked on the street) is improved and potential effects are better
managed when land uses are at a proximity and orientation where the potential for criminals to be seen or
apprehended increases to the point that opportunistic crime is discouraged.

Poor subdivision layouts may make achieving good frontage very difficult.

What to Look For When Buying a Terraced House or Apartment; North Shore City Council;
The Home Buyer’s Guide; Alex Ely & CABE (UK);
PAGE 24


Visual quality
For the public realm to become an environment that encourages use an emphasis on visual quality is
needed in addition to a good connection with the street. Visual quality helps to stimulate character,
identity, and pride in users. The psychology of space is important because areas exhibiting good visual
quality suggest to viewers a higher value. People often react subconsciously to prompts around them.

This basic rationale underpins why town centres feature more elaborate art, paving designs, and
character elements to help induce greater use of the public realm by pedestrians. Interesting spatial
experiences encourage people to walk along streets and engage with the built form around them,
reinforcing the street as a „place‟ for people to enjoy rather than a purely utilitarian space for traffic.

The design, architecture, materials, colours, and style of houses (and fences) will also play a large part in
establishing a sense of uniqueness and place. Sensitive design responsive to adjacent styles helps
communicate a clear sense of local coherence while still enabling individuality. This can be undermined
when designs fundamentally disassociate from their context but claim through a contrivance of shape or
colour that local character is being respected or even improved.
Above: Lack of interesting detail, and low quality finishes result in
lack of interest in the streetscape, undermining local character.
Below: Expressing variety, interest, and individuality enhances local
„place‟.


The incorporation of these elements will help to avoid, remedy, or mitigate the effects of building mass
and development intensity. Eaves and window sills help add variation in a building face, and through the
play of light and shadow add additional interest. Facades that are flat and passive tend to read more like
solid blank walls, discouraging the attention or interest of street users. The use of colour to accentuate or
highlight features is a cheap and highly effective tool to help convey a sense of attention to detail.
Poor quality or weak detailing can lead to higher maintenance costs. ‟Fake‟ elements or synthetic
materials which imitate natural finishes rarely help in this respect. In contrast, good detailing can provide
a double benefit, by creating interesting features which also prevent maintenance problems such as water
ingress or water staining. Achieving these outcomes does not take much effort, and can transform a poor
or ordinary building into a positive element in the local area.


Achieving visual quality does not mean additional construction costs on designer materials or finishes. But it does
require a basic level of design attention on those facades facing the public realm.

A lack of visual quality will have a direct flow on to a lessening of local identity and uniqueness.

Visual quality can help mitigate the effects of building bulk and mass, improve property value & enable wellbeing.

Consideration of long-term weathering is critical relative to materials and finishes. Short-term beautifications can
deteriorate rapidly and mean that visual quality becomes an excessive burden that gets neglected.
Good Solutions Guide for Medium Density Housing; North Shore City Council;
PAGE 25
Housing resilience and its affordability benefits
FIRST FLOOR—STAGE TWO, 3 BEDROOMS
Future extension
FIRST FLOOR - STAGE ONE, 2 BEDROOMS
BEDROOM
2
BEDROOM 1
The most basic way of improving resilience (the ability to retain building suitability as user needs change)
and affordability of all housing types is to deliberately enable the „staging‟ of a house and its ancillary
amenities over time. This involves selling units at a particular level of completion which allows purchasers
to add key components over time as they need, and could include addition of full garages or additional
bedrooms. It can require house designs that allow future additions at minimal expense (such as not
having to radically redesign the roof of a building). Procedurally this means an acceptance that building
sites may not reach their final or „ideal‟ level of mitigation / completion for up to 10 years. This outcome
cannot occur in developments that release units to the market that are already built to the limit of site
coverage, bulk and location, and yard setback controls.
BEDROOM 3
As our population density has increased over time, the relative value of land has increased. This has
occurred in the context of many wider changes in socio-economics meaning that just providing more land
for housing will not suddenly make the price of housing notably cheaper; the problem is much more
complex than that. Houses should be designed to allow users to continue enjoying them as their
circumstances change over time, to maximise use of the land resource and promote stable community
membership.
Large-scale providers will also often be able to purchase energy efficiency devices (solar water heaters;
micro wind turbines, low water-use fittings and so on) at lower prices than individual households could
through their bulk purchasing abilities. Opportunities to factor in life-cycle efficiencies is as much of an
affordability consideration as is a focus on lowering initial housing market entry costs. Householders that
are consistently unable to meet basic operational costs such as heating or cooling are more likely to
develop adverse health, safety, and wellbeing outcomes (notably in children).
GROUND FLOOR
People can feel more „equal‟ with their peers when they share a similar asset ownership (property). This has
particular application when considered in terms of socio-economic groups rather than individuals.
GARAGE
Housing Our People in Our Environment—Queenstown Lakes District’s Affordable Housing Strategy; Queenstown Lakes District
Council;
www.designadvisor.org (USA based affordable housing guidance).
PRIVATE OPEN
SPACE

KITCHEN
A sense of ownership increases pride and belonging for individuals within communities, as well as making their
links with a place more permanent. Unlike Europe, New Zealand lacks a strong tradition of long-term stable
house occupancy (as distinct from ownership). This problem may increase as house affordability decreases.
LIVING

DINING
Above: example house layout with flexible capacity for extension
PAGE 26

OUTLOOK: The tight proximity between units in higher
intensity configurations coupled with what is often a
single, repeated floor plan can create unnecessary
privacy issues. Each unit‟s windows can be parallel with
the next unit, promoting visual exposure directly between
units. Consideration of minor manipulation of floor plans
and the location of widows within a scheme can make an
outcome notably more liveable and can avoid adverse
effects associated with more intensive living.
LOW QUALITY

Dealing with bulk, mass and repetition (high intensity housing only)
When several units are provided in one larger building mass the loss of domestic scale can convey a non
-residential character akin to institutional uses. Adverse dominance effects are commonly possible. To
ensure an appropriate scale is maintained, the management of both vertical and horizontal mass
together is necessary, with the mitigation afforded by high visual quality also typically relevant.
Height is also often touted as a key character or amenity effect, but in general it is an expression of
overall mass in relation to adjacent spaces that creates any incongruity rather than actual measured
height alone. Pitched roofs in particular can offer practical benefits with very little height related adverse
effects - flat roofs often undermine rather than enhance massing.
The use of balconies, recesses and voids as well as careful roof design are important tools as they can
help retain the distinctive individuality of each unit. Given that balconies can be the only outdoor living
space provided, consideration of their all-weather use is appropriate. Typically in Rodney there will be
inclement weather for between one third and one half of each year; balconies that are exposed to the
elements may receive maximum sunlight access but be functionally the most limited. The provision of
louvres, shades, and screens around balconies can be one of the most effective ways of ensuring a
modulated, varied, interesting façade which individuals can adjust to suit conditions.
Character effects arising from repetition are highlighted in intensive housing developments. The sense of
mechanical regularity and rigid conformity can conflict aggressively with the less formal, more relaxed
urban character typical of Rodney‟s townships. Avoid presenting long blank walls to public spaces; these
are not appropriate and will exaggerate adverse mass and character effects.


Excessive, unbroken building mass will typically be out of scale with the character of adjacent uses. In particular
for user legibility it is important that a residential building clearly expresses its overall function and the individuality
of each unit at a domestic scale. When large buildings „read‟ as commercial or industrial buildings they can
undermine amenity values and identity as well as give negative quality connotations.

The compact proximity of units in high intensity configurations will aggravate negative character effects caused by
blunt repetition. This can sometimes be avoided through simple colour and the regular „mirroring‟ of typologies
to disrupt the progression of buildings along a street.

Configurations that run in a linear „strip‟ perpendicular to a street will often present a poor side interface to the
street (easily fixed) but more critically an awkward pedestrian access along the length of a busy driveway made as
operationally narrow as possible to provide house width and usable living courts at the rear.
Good Solutions Guide for Medium Density Housing; North Shore City Council;
HIGH QUALITY
Best Practice Medium Density Housing Guide; Kapiti Coast District Council.
PAGE 27

TOWN CENTRES
Our centres are the most intense concentrations of activity within Rodney. They provide for our daily
needs including employment, interest, entertainment, and support. These areas will predominantly consist
of 2 to 3 level retail / commercial uses although residential apartments on upper floors may also be
appropriate. One limitation with residential uses in town centres is that they can immediately jeopardise
the on-going viability of adjacent activities: restaurants, bars, bakeries, and gymnasiums are examples of
uses that generate noise at hours that are likely to disturb residents expecting a level of amenity and aural
privacy akin to a purely residential setting. A key consideration needs to be the protection of land viable
for business in and around centres - locations that work for businesses are much fewer than for
residential.
Varied, diverse
facade
Parking to side or rear
In Orewa and other suitable centres, building heights of 5-6 levels (or more) may be appropriate given
the intensity of activity occurring in those locations and the amenities available to support such intensity.
The key challenge will be demonstrating that development still enhances the local sense of place.
Maximise frontage

Successful town centres feature a number of key design elements. Critically these relate to an energised
public realm that, aside from facilitating „core‟ economic transactions, facilitate as much as possible the
opportunities for additional exchange in the form of economic multipliers and „chance encounters‟. As an
example, a couple walking to a shop to pick up a loaf of bread and a newspaper in the morning may be
enticed on their journey to have breakfast in a café, then buy a new pot plant, then run into an old
acquaintance and organise a casual dinner to catch up.
The value of these flow-on transactions to enabling wellbeing can be greater than just being able to
undertake the initial ‟core‟ transaction in the first place. They cannot occur in vehicle dominated spatial
patterns where only origin and destination points (typically in controlled private spaces) allow exchanges
to occur.


Create tight, continuous building frontages with pedestrian shelter from the elements - such as canopies.

Narrow, varied shop facades encourage pedestrian trips as a combination of small individual movements rather
than daunting, long single journeys.

„Activate‟ space through use of entrances, areas of glazing, and reception / checkout spaces facing the street
where people in both public & private spaces can readily „see & be seen‟ to create a sense of safety.

Balance car parking - on-street parking is often essential to allow „passing trade‟ to conveniently stop; on-site
parking needs to be managed to avoid separating buildings from the street, maintaining good pedestrian appeal.

In all of the above consideration of how lighting, surveillance, and appropriate mix of land use activities in the
built environment can encourage safe movement & connections at night time is critical.

Never let on-site car parking determine design outcomes.
PAGE 28
Town centres are the focal points of activity within Rodney. Their
prosperity and effectiveness at encouraging all members of the
community to come and engage in exchange are critical to our social,
economic, and cultural wellbeing. The way in which developments relate
to public spaces and the environment will have a large bearing on the
success of town centres in enabling wellbeing.
Retail vitality in town and village centres
Vitality refers to the cumulative „energy‟ that a group of businesses exhibit, in terms of the range of
activities available, their popularity / patronage, and their quality in terms of sustained tenant presence
and lease rates. This is important because our predominantly low-density way of living can make it
difficult for many businesses to remain viable if they are served by a small catchment of local customers.
Many businesses try to solve this by locating on busy roads and intersections rather than in the middle of
a community. This is to exploit the „movement economy‟ of passers-by. By locating in accessible,
prominent locations they maximise exposure to traffic and can increase their customer catchment. This
has driven the development of the „main street‟ in all of Rodney‟s centres.



CREATING A „BUZZ‟: Retail vitality helps attract high use of centres by
communities and visitors. This in turn helps generate further social and
economic exchange such as street-based buskers, performers, and
others that further help add to the sense of activity within a small centre.
Vitality is also based around diversity, choice, and visual quality. This helps make an area seem
interesting to potential customers which is critical for all street-based, pedestrian focussed uses. When
these qualities are achieved people are willing to more efficiently use the space for other functions such
as entertainment, recreating, socialising, and so on beyond just satisfying a consumer need. Signage
should be carefully managed to not detract from pedestrian amenity.
Key elements of delivering a sense of diversity, choice, and quality commonly include: land use
orientation towards the street / public realm and good frontage; large areas of glazing allowing two-way
visibility; clearly identified entrance points that are separated for different functions (i.e. residential and
retail); varied architecture and façades; narrow, connected tenancies that entice continued pedestrian
movement along a „strip‟ of shops; continuous pedestrian canopies; robust ground floor stud heights
(3.5m+); and the use of materials, furniture and trees within the public realm. The emphasis placed on
these elements should increase with the level of pedestrian traffic on each street.


DISINCENTIVES: Retail vitality is undermined by a lack of clear „front‟
connections with public spaces and streets. A common problem is the
regular accumulation of wastes on streets themselves from building
service areas and „backs‟, physically blocking and offending the senses
(sight, smell, sound) of users. This serves to discourage, rather than
encourage, more use.

„Internalised‟ retail developments that present blank external walls do not typically enable community wellbeing in
its broadest sense as by their very nature they isolate away from „place‟, instead seeking to act as the „place‟
themselves. This ties into marketing strategies for consumers and is reflected in the level of internal planning that
goes into their layout to best entice consumer spend within them (this is very efficient from a retail point of view).

Retail vitality is extremely sensitive - a disruption of even 50m (such as a negative development along a main
street) can have a notable impact on pedestrian flows.

Main streets can work best when a clear relationship between „anchors‟ (such as a supermarket) is established
that helps to draw in the greatest possible pedestrian use between them.

Flexible and innovative approaches to managing car parking may be appropriate to encourage intensive
redevelopment of under capitalised sites in constrained activity centres.
Towards Excellence in Growth Centres; Manukau City Council;
Good Solutions Guide for Mixed Use Development; North Shore City Council.
PAGE 29

Residential - mixed use in town and village centres
Residential activities should never undermine the continued viability of business activity in centres. Reverse
sensitivity considerations need to be carefully examined to ensure existing and future business activities
are not compromised by new residential development. The temptation of immediate or short-term returns
on property investment from selling residential units rather than long-term investment in commercial
buildings can also lead to an inappropriate quantity of residential being proposed within centres.
The residential component of any development should never occupy ground floor in a centre‟s primary
retail streets and additionally should never be built to the common boundaries where future
redevelopment of adjoining sites could compromise amenity. The use of a ground floor for residential
uses does not contribute to vitality, and will also often create privacy and security issues for residents.
Ideally ground floors will have a stud height of between 3.5m-4.0m to suit commercial uses.
Despite these limitations, community wellbeing is well served by providing for as much residential as
possible within centres. It helps to boost business catchments and the efficiency (use) of premier public
spaces, with further well-documented benefits from reduced vehicle dependence. Well planned mixed use
developments can enhance perceptions of safety and improve wellbeing, such as large windows and
balconies overlooking pedestrian areas, and 24 hour occupation of buildings.
Residential
Residential
Business
3.5m - 4m
ground floor stud
Residential entry points differentiated
from business ones

Car parking is also a key consideration for residential schemes - spaces for customer use should never
conflict with longer-stay resident or visitor use as this will undermine the performance of local businesses.
Car parking for short-stay customers and visitors should take priority, with workers better able to utilise
other modes for commuting, or at worst accept the inconvenience of parking up to 10 minutes walk
away. Parking areas should not orient towards or dominate the frontage.


Residential uses within centres should never be approved on the basis of being „first off the block‟. Viable and
likely uses on adjacent sites needs to be kept in mind when ascertaining whether Part II of the Act is being served
by a development. Units that are built, sold, then undermined by development on adjacent sites will create
nuisance, loss of amenity, and frustration of well-being due to compromised living or working environments.
Good examples of town centre mixed use development including
residential units above complimentary ground floor commercial uses.

It can be tempting for developers to provide a single product in large residential high-density developments; such
as single bedroom units of an identical floor plate and layout. This may provide practical construction efficiencies
but will typically not contribute to wider social, economic, or cultural wellbeing. Lack of choice and variety
undermines diversity. Economic multiplier benefits will be narrowly focussed to only one or a few amenities (those
needed by a homogenous group of residents) rather than more broadly serving a town centre‟s activities.
Good Solutions Guide for Mixed Use Development; North Shore City Council;
PAGE 30

MINIMISE FOOTPATH DISRUPTION - Pooling parking to the sides of
uses and sharing vehicle access / manoeuvring can give more land for
development. It can also help justify a reduction in the individual
parking requirement on each site.

Car parking and strong street frontage
The provision of large at-grade car parking areas between the public realm and land uses will adversely
affect local character and amenity. They can often be proposed along a frontage, reflecting a perception
that a vehicle-oriented customer catchment will not be engaged without a number of obvious, clearly
located dedicated spaces for them. This connection between drivers on the street and parking spaces is
often justified due to our overall low density settlement pattern. But providing parking is only one
dimension of a good development: wellbeing is not improved if development serves passing traffic but
fails to contribute to ‟place‟ or appeal to other modes (most obviously pedestrians). At grade parking is
chosen because it is usually overwhelmingly cheaper per space than structured or underground parking.
Visually obvious and conveniently accessible parking spaces can be accommodated readily at the side or
rear of sites. Often one aisle of parking along the frontage for very short-stay, courier drop off, and
operation mobility cardholder spaces will still allow an effective street connection to occur. Safety in
parking areas is an overriding concern. Tools such as clear signage and sightlines, logically located
activity anchors or generators, and the careful location of long and short term parking are valuable.
Non-exclusive street parking is valuable
MAXIMISE MAINSTREET CONTINUITY - Providing parking behind uses
accessed by narrow lanes (4m maximum width) can minimise
disruption of street-based business uses. This helps maintain pedestrian
amenity.

The role of on-street parking is critical in centres. Aside from providing good pedestrian buffers from
traffic and noise they help businesses connect with customers, and can be shared between multiple uses.
Providing obviously located pools of parking for general use can be highly beneficial in centres, but are
best if accessed off a side or back street rather than disrupting the amenity of a „main street‟.
Thinking about the long term
Strategically, large parking areas can have a role as land-banks for the future. As land values increase
the eventually viable redevelopment of large at-grade car parks into smaller, multi-level structures with
new land uses can be amongst the easiest and most reliable ways of intensifying centres.
COMPREHENSIVE EFFICIENCY - Large scale planning can allow
pooled parking areas to be highly screened by development within a
block.

The accessibility of all uses to as many potential users as conveniently possible is an important element of the
efficient use of resources and wider wellbeing. But when the bias given to any one movement mode becomes
over-emphasised it can negatively prejudice other modes, lowering appeal and typically making the most
vulnerable modes the least viable: people will not walk through a wide, vehicle right-of-way carriageway that is
used by 100 cars as readily as one of the same width, design, and relationship to land uses that is instead only
used by 10 cars. Ideally each mode will have a dedicated connection to the street.

Parking needs should be assessed against the context of how parking spaces will actually be used in reality,
rather than a purely mechanical „quantum‟ basis where every parking space is assumed to have equal utility. This
assessment should also include how car parking may negatively drive design and the ability to intensify.
Good Solutions Guide for Mixed Use Development; North Shore City Council;
PAGE 31

GENERAL EMPLOYMENT LAND
Employment trends since the 1970‟s have seen less emphasis on segregated, industrial /
manufacturing-based activity „zones‟, and more on mixed, smaller-scale, „residential
compatible‟ business settings. But despite this a core of dedicated, employment-focussed
land will inevitably be vital for economic sustainability in Rodney.
These are areas where larger-scale employment uses are currently occurring or are
anticipated. Typically these will have lower levels of on-site amenity, being focussed on
economic productivity for the District and Region. Warehouses, manufacturing, storage /
distribution facilities, business parks and agricultural machinery servicing are anticipated.
Critically this land needs to have good accessibility to strategic transport routes and
relate to product markets, and be sufficiently protected from higher amenity or more
sensitive uses (to allow loud, noxious and 24-hour activity). They also need to be of a
value that makes the development of large, relatively low intensity and low value
structures (such as warehouses) viable. Unlike residential uses which can locate almost
anywhere, suitable land for employment uses is (and is increasingly) scarce in the region.
Non-employment oriented uses proposed on employment land (such as residential,
community, or retail) needs to be scrutinised very carefully on a case by case basis given
that once lost it is extremely difficult to reclaim land back for lower-value general
employment use.
While these areas will relate to district-wide ecological corridors and wider open space,
walking, and cycling networks, they will typically lie outside the normal areas of high
intensity use. Notwithstanding this, the periphery of many town centres will be attractive
for light industrial and commercial uses. These areas will not provide the level of amenity
found within premier retail „main street‟ conditions but will be used by town centre
workers and visitors for parking, and pedestrians walking to the centre from areas
beyond it.
LARGE-SCALE: WAREHOUSING, MANUFACTURING, OR GENERAL
INDUSTRIAL USES

MEDIUM SCALE: SINGLE OR MULTI-TENANT COMMERCIAL OR LIGHT
INDUSTRIAL USES AND SHOWROOMS

Accordingly while the economic function of general employment land is of greatest
importance, these uses must still create a basic positive relationship with public spaces
and the „place‟ around them, given their lesser but still important role in supporting nonemployment related activity.
Large scale, vehicle-based retail outlets are usually an inappropriate use of this scarce
resource.
SMALL-SCALE: COMMERCIAL, STORAGE, AND LIVE / WORK USES
PAGE 32
Entrances and the front face
Large-scale business buildings can create significant adverse effects due to their size and the intensity of
traffic that can be attracted to them (including conflicts between visitors, staff, and large freight vehicles).
Yard-based and building supply retail are examples of this. Their scale and often operationally necessary
large blank building forms can make a highly surveyed, attractive street scene difficult to maintain. Site
legibility can be difficult for visitors and the scale of uniformity can undermine any sense of „place‟,
identity, or character - a poorly designed industrial park in Rodney could be mistaken for one in Penrose,
Manukau, or anywhere else.
POOR OUTCOME - No attempt to respond to front.
BETTER OUTCOME - Good delineation of entrance.
To help manage these issues, site entrances need to be clearly obvious and located next to vehicle and
pedestrian entrances from the street (clear pedestrian carriageways should be provided directly from the
front door to the public footpath). Sites and buildings should be designed to present a narrow face to the
street, with mass provided longwise away from the frontage. If buildings are set back no more than 10m
from the front boundary they are also still able to help form a positive relationship with the street and a
sense of connection. Signage should be clear but minimal, given the reduced need to advertise to
customers - 4sqm is usually adequate.
Office components should locate in the front where some activity and interaction is possible with passersby. The greatest attention to façade design, material variation, and colour should be used along the front
elevation. Ideally this will include staff balconies or open areas facing the street to allow a direct sense for
users of the street that people are readily around. This can maximise safety benefits and allow a cheaper
and more utilitarian treatment for the sides and rear of buildings with less risk of adverse sensitivity issues.

The provision of regular „eyes on the street‟ will help discourage crime and improve perceptions of safety for road
users (and in particular large sites with lots of property but few staff).

Visual quality, identity, amenity, and legibility are all improved when large-scale employment uses are able to
connect well to the public space of a street.

Site efficiency is improved when all users can clearly interpret how and where they should move, notably given the
practical hazards to personal safety that can exist on industrial sites.

Basic attention to entrances and key parts of a façade can effectively mitigate the visual effects of very large,
geometrically basic and utilitarian building forms.
BEST OUTCOME - Highly articulated front façade.
Towards Excellence in Growth Centres; Manukau City Council.
PAGE 33
Servicing and loading
Employment uses can require substantial loading and servicing. Warehouses and
distribution buildings essentially specialise in this activity. It can generate noise,
odour, and visual issues that can undermine the quality of an area and the security
of goods on a site.

Loading and servicing areas inherently read as private, non-public places. When
they are located at the front they undermine user legibility and the clear
demarcation of public / private space. They can also create practical security
risks for property stored on sites, by placing them in direct view and easy access
from the main public thoroughfare.
When these spaces are provided for at the rear or (screened) sides of a building it
can allow for the more convenient storage and collection of waste products, goods,
and property without undermining the quality of sites to the public and other users. It
also reinforces the sense of a public „front‟ and private „back‟, with safety and
security advantages such as less risk of visitors wandering into dangerous areas.
While the use of landscaping and other similar devices can superficially hide
servicing spaces, they will still negatively contribute to inactive edge treatments and
fail to mitigate noise or odour nuisance.

The accumulation of wastes for collection will present visual, odour, and
sometimes aural nuisance; lowering the character and amenity of adjoining
public spaces and creating potential health and safety risks.

The reduced visibility and pedestrian safety risks associated with large
commercial vehicles manoeuvring around sites can create unnecessary potential
adverse effects when associated with public entrances and movement routes.

Parking spaces are often shared with servicing space. This is appropriate for staff
parking, but having separate parking areas for customers can be beneficial.
General employment land uses do not typically have a large customer parking
demand. This will allow most car parking to be provided at the side or rear of most
uses, although customer and visitor parking should be close to the entrance and
highly visible from the street. This again minimises the risk of people entering unsafe
or hazardous parts of a site.

Business Parks that provide several smaller units around a communal parking
core will often present service entrances adjoining main unit entrances. These
should be set back from the main building face (no less than 2.0m or sufficient
to allow waste storage) so that deliveries or wastes are not left in prominent
positions.
Toolern Business Park Development Guideline; Shire of Melton (Victoria, AUS).


LOW QUALITY - Loading and waste storage located in full view of street.
DISCREET - Loading and servicing at rear side of building, screened by front façade feature.
PAGE 34
Servicing
Main Entry

Landscaping
Due to the scale of activity on commercial sites, landscaping is an essential requirement. It helps to soften
the appearance of large buildings, screen sensitive uses, and provide both amenity and human scale. It
also helps to moderate the generic, large-scale character of these environments.
The use of landscaping can significantly add to identity, character, and distinctiveness as well as mitigate
effects associated with building mass or large parking areas. If integrated into stormwater mitigation
systems landscaping can require very little regular maintenance and help to incrementally reduce reliance
on piped services.
GREEN EDGE: - Heavy landscaping is provided along the frontage,
giving the site a feel more akin to a high-tech, high-value research
facility than the warehousing and manufacturing use it is.

Parking areas of more than 20 pooled spaces should only be located at the sides or rear of a site as
landscaping will not mitigate the effects of land use disconnection, pedestrian inconvenience, or vehicledominated character. While landscaping can be much more than just visual „garnish‟, it is also only able
to provide part of a good solution. Care needs to be taken to ensure that landscaping is meaningfully
contributing to a scheme, and is not being used as the most easy form of mitigation available. When this
occurs landscaping can become easily neglected. Landscaping should be provided at the rate of one tree
every five car parking bays, with adequate space around the tree to assure long term survival.
GREEN POCKETS - A large parking area broken up by regular
planting, which is located to act as a feature for all site users.

On-site amenity, legibility, and usability can be notably enhanced by landscaping; but landscaping alone will
seldom be sufficient to mitigate a poor design or interface.

Landscaping can become a significant cost in terms of both initial outlay and on-going maintenance.
Consideration of low-maintenance but visually / ecologically effective species and long-term, durable materials
should be taken seriously. Outcomes that require frequent, expensive maintenance will easily fall into disrepair.
To help manage this, landscape maintenance schedules covering the reasonable length of establishment (up to
three years) should be provided with large scale development proposals.

As landscaping grows it can interfere with visibility and lighting. Given the generally low occupancy of these
environments this can create negative safety outcomes inconsistent with accepted CPTED principles. Landscaping
designs should reflect consideration of how features for safety will be maintained over time.

PEDESTRIANS - Clear demarcated connections including lighting help
compliment landscaping and add to safety for users.
Toolern Business Park Development Guideline; Shire of Melton (Victoria, AUS).
PAGE 35
appendices
PAGE 2
A1 C A S E
EXAMPLES: BEFORE AND AFTER
The following pages briefly outline a number of case studies from across New Zealand where real rules-dominated designs
have been improved through the use of the design-with-rules development principles outlined within this design guide.
Alternative outcomes based around place-making more successfully promote liveability, wellbeing and the sustainable
management of natural and physical resources.
The case studies are focused on the „before‟ design that was prepared in accordance with typical planning processes; and
the „after‟ designs that deliver the core outcome sought in a way that takes greater account of local context and
opportunities to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects.
The case studies include:
1.) Peripheral Residential:
A mix of densities based around larger-lot development typical in semi-urban areas at the more rural periphery. Lots range
from 700sqm to 5,000sqm+ in size.
2.) Typical Residential:
A typical residential development with lot sizes around 600sqm each and an engineering / surveying emphasis on design.
The focus on lot yield rather than on quality environmental outcomes is key feature of the approach.
3.) Mixed Density Urban Residential:
A typical residential development which includes a range of approximately 600sqm lots with clusters of higher intensity lots.
Open spaces are provided largely as a means of dealing with difficult issues rather than consideration of how to use open
spaces to the best advantage of the outcome.
4.) Shopping Centre:
A typical enclosed shopping centre expansion based on „more of the same‟ to increase building bulk, mass, and a lack of
cross connectivity. A minimal contribution to the amenity of „place‟ outside of the mall is a feature of this approach.
5.) Car-based Retail:
A typical car-based retail development focussed on a State Highway and car access. It backs onto and provides no
contribution to the „place‟ within which it seeks to take advantage of the land use zoning.
6.) Office Park:
A typical, medium-scale office park in a business area based on commercial tenants and car parking. The context includes
a range of commercial and ancillary / supporting services: food, professional services.
PAGE A - 1
CASE EXAMPLES: BEFORE AND AFTER
CASE STUDY 1 - PERIPHERAL RESIDENTIAL
―BEFORE‖ - a typical ‗rules-dominated‘ design response
―AFTER‖ - outcome-focused ‗design-with-rules‘ response
This scheme is based on providing lots at the minimum requirement of three specific
land use zones. While a connected road network is provided, and the lot layout reflects
a good organisation of „fronts‟ with „backs‟, there is little logic behind the relationship of
different lot intensities with each other. Areas of open space are provided for both
recreational (small spaces) and ecological (large spaces) use, although large properties
„back‟ onto the ecological corridor. The design reflects abstract requirements of a zone
overlay and legal title boundaries, not the site or local characteristics.
This alternative is based on providing the highest amenity settings around a combined
ecological and recreational open space network (including retention of key site
vegetation and topographical features). The layout seeks to locate intensity around the
principles of „like with like‟ perimeter edges and the placement of higher intensity sites
around amenities that help mitigate less private open space. The movement network is
laid out to highlight a sense of ‟place‟ and character based on its relationship with
natural features, helping to establish genuine distinctiveness and identity.
LEGEND
LEGEND
Residential lots
700sqm—1200sqm
Residential lots
1200sqm—1800sqm
Residential lots
3000sqm—5000sqm
Residential lots
700sqm—1200sqm
Residential lots
1200sqm—1800sqm
Residential lots
1800sqm—3000sqm
Residential lots
3000sqm—5000sqm
PAGE A - 2
CASE STUDY 2 - TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL
Existing conditions on the main road preclude direct property access, with an internal series
of driveways provided. The existing road is backed onto, faced with uniform solid fencing.
Internally a series of cul-de-sacs is proposed with private common driveways for property
access. Many sites lack any frontage and minimal pedestrian routes are proposed. Reserves
are proposed but with an inefficient integration with the housing development. A heavily
engineered stormwater pond is proposed within the open space.
Improvements to the existing road allow direct property access and good frontage
along it. The internal roads provide greater connectivity and fewer „back‟ lots
accessed by long driveways. The reserve is integrated in the open space network,
which is drawn into the development and connected to the existing road. The
stormwater pond requires less engineering and works with natural contours. A
greater sense of interest results, in a more pedestrian friendly outcome.
LEGEND
LEGEND
Proposed Residential Lots
(size 600sqm-750sqm)
Public Open Space
No access to main road,
properties back it with
solid fencing
Proposed Residential Lots
(size 540sqm—720sqm)
Existing Development
Public Open Space
Private Open Space
Existing / Proposed Trees
Existing Creek Alignment
Pedestrian Footpaths
On-Street Parking
Storm water Treatment—
Pond Location
Gateway Entry / Traffic
Calming to Beach
Primary Vehicular Access
PAGE A - 3
CASE STUDY 3 - MIXED-DENSITY URBAN RESIDENTIAL
A mix of conventional and higher intensity sites are proposed in a new
subdivision. Higher intensity houses are clustered „internally‟ away from the roads
with public reserves proposed largely around boundaries and an existing cluster
of notable vegetation which is retained. Open spaces relate poorly to
development or streets and are likely to be treated with solid fencing resulting in a
lower quality environmental outcome. Most of the higher intensity lots have only
private driveway access creating enclosed, dense clusters of units with little
amenity available to offset the reduced private on-site space provided.
Open spaces are re-located to still retain existing vegetation but also to become
an identity / character feature for the development. They relate strongly to the
main route and enjoy a genuine frontage condition. Higher intensity housing is
better justified, being distributed around the public open spaces to most
efficiently manage the amenity trade-offs of less private on-site open space that
comes with this kind of living. Specific hosing typologies were developed to
confirm that a quality outcome can be delivered in the subdivision. Greater road
connectivity is proposed to help make vehicle trips more convenient and give
greater pedestrian choice.
LEGEND
LEGEND
Residential lots
around 700sqm
Residential lots
around 700sqm
Residential lots
around 450sqm
Residential lots
around 450sqm
Open spaces
Open spaces
PAGE A - 4
CASE STUDY 4 - SHOPPING CENTRE
A shopping mall and associated car park (pink) is proposed to expand in a pattern
based on the existing. This presents solid blank walls to all external sides except for
controlled entry points offering no contribution to local „place‟ amenity, or the
pedestrian environment. Interface issues with the adjacent properties (residential) are
notable, with only landscaping proposed as mitigation. A new link road will create
nuisance issues for existing residential units that are not oriented or configured to
provide an adequate frontage condition (solid fencing is proposed as a default).
Based on detailed retail / market analysis a range of complimentary tenancies that
can operate as street-based units open up the site and allow cross access. Small
public spaces at key locations help to focus activity and amenity. A „sleeve‟ of streetbased retailing around a key edge of the existing mall helps to make best use of
existing open space. Residential and live / work units along the interface with open
space and other land uses create the most appealing, appropriate and compatible
interface. Parking is provided on the roof of new buildings.
LEGEND
LEGEND
Existing shopping
centre
Existing shopping
centre
Proposed shopping
centre expansion
Proposed shopping
centre expansion
Existing parking
structure
Existing parking
structure
Proposed parking
expansion
Private open space
EXISTING SHOPPING
CENTRE
EXISTING
CAR PARKING
STRUCTURE
Public open space
Proposed parking
expansion
Private open space
EXISTING
CAR PARKING
STRUCTURE
EXISTING SHOPPING
CENTRE
Public open space
Existing
development
Existing
development
NEW RETAIL „SLEEVE‟
NEW PUBLIC SPACES
SHOPPING CENTRE
EXPANSION (PROPOSED)
NEW RETAIL „SLEEVE‟
PROPOSED
CAR PARKING
STRUCTURE
NEW SHOPPING CENTRE
RETAIL UNITS
RESIDENTIAL / MIXED USE BUFFER
EXISTING RESIDENTIAL
EXISTING RESIDENTIAL
PAGE A - 5
CASE STUDY 5 - LARGE FORMAT RETAIL
Proposed development oriented and accessed from a State Highway with no
relationship with the nearby town centre. A one way street at the rear is used solely
for service, with no access, surveillance or amenity. Access requirements produce
complicated movements in close proximity to existing State Highway intersections,
creating an inefficient and unnecessarily complicated turning environment that is
more likely to conflict with the State Highway‟s function. There is no relationship with
context other than exploiting the zone, where the retail use is explicitly provided for.
Now, no direct access is provided to the State Highway, but building orientation
gives good exposure to passing traffic. A small strip gifted to the Council allows the
one way street to become a full two way street for site access from the State Highway
via existing intersections. Site tenancies are re-oriented for a range of access /
visibility points for vehicles and pedestrians with key access from the town centre. The
outcome delivers on developer / tenant expectations as well as supporting the town
centre with more legible and attractive connections than previously proposed.
LEGEND
LEGEND
Retained buildings
Retained buildings
Proposed large
format retail
Proposed large
format retail
Key entries / glazed
areas
Key entries / glazed
areas
Main vehicular
ingress
NTRE
N CE
TOW OX 800m
APPR
Orientation /
outlook of premises
Orientation /
outlook of premises
STA
TE H
NG
STRO TATE
INS
ETA WITH S G
IN
NT R
N
PME ECTIO T PASS
C
ELO
DEV L CONN ATTRA
O
A
VISU HWAY T TRAFFIC
HI G
Y
IVE
LUS
EXC TATE
S
IDES
ROV N WITH SING
S
NT P
O
PME NECTI ACT PA
R
ELO
N
DEV AL CO TO ATT C
I
VISU HWAY TRAFF
HI G
WA
IGH
WA Y
IGH
TE H
S
OVE
IMPR ITH
R EET
D W S HELPS T
N
A
Y ST
T
-WA ITION POIN OPMEN
L
TWO OND
KEY
EVE
C
NEW
E AT THE D
G
A
TING
EXIS FRONT EGRATE WN
O
T
G
HE T
DIN
LY IN
BUIL NUINE INTO T
GE
TO
STA
R EET
Y ST BLANK
-WA
ONE K‟ WITH NLY
O
AC
TING
EXIS AS A „B VICING
SER
TED
TREA LLS AND
WA
Main vehicular
ingress
NTRE
N CE
TOW OX 800m
APPR
PAGE A - 6
CASE STUDY 6 - OFFICE PARK
This office park is internally organised, with all access from the „back‟ of an at-grade
parking area. Basement parking is proposed, two levels in each building. Despite having
excellent street frontage, street connection is missing and the development‟s identity relies
heavily on substantial investment in architectural facades to create character. Provision for
pedestrians or cyclists coming to the site is missing, and there is little sense of connection
to „place‟ within the design.
Basement parking replaced within a parking structure, relieving the amount of parking atgrade. Two buildings are set back, allowing all buildings to enjoy greater daylight and
sunlight access. Two „feature‟ public spaces are provided, linking all building entrances to
the street. This integrates „place‟ and pedestrian access, creating character and identity
around the squares. The cost differential between basement (excavated) and structured car
parking per space means this scheme is actually cost neutral against the original.
LEGEND
LEGEND
New commercial
buildings
New commercial
buildings
Main vehicular
access to site
Main vehicular
access to site
Main entry to
buildings
Main entry to
buildings
Car parking
Car parking
Public space
N
N
PAGE A - 7
IMPLICATIONS FOR RESOURCE CONSENTS
What does the resource management act require?
COMMON RESOURCE CONSENT APPROVAL THRESHOLD
Commonly (although not
always an appropriate
test), a key consideration
of whether adverse effects
have been avoided,
remedied, or mitigated for
the purpose of RMA S104
is whether the overall
actual and potential
effects of an activity will
be (adversely) no more
than minor. When this is
the primary determinant of
suitability rather than a
broader Part II
contemplation of
„sustainable management‟
approval can become
little more than a rubber
stamping exercise of
automated approval or
refusal.
What does the Council need applicants to do to help it make an
effects-based decision?
Applications for resource consent need to be based on demonstrating a
clear line of logic. A proposal to use or develop resources should be
based around a clearly articulated progression of:
 Identifying the context and issues relevant to what „sustainable
management‟ actually means for the site;
 Identifying the key implications this has for the proposed use or
development of resources; and
 Identifying how the proposed design actively responds to these, in
minimising adverse effects and maximising positive ones.
To make the right decision the Council needs applications to focus on
communicating the logic behind a design. Contriving a checklist or
comparison with Rules may not actually be relevant to the circumstance.
The RMA seeks to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical
resources. Part of this encourages us to actively try and create the best environments we
can. But the overall purpose of the Act may also be achieved through allowing those using
or developing resources to generate adverse effects on the environment around them
(significant ones in some cases) so long as they are suitably “avoided, remedied or
mitigated” and other matters are satisfied. Exceptions to this are Non Complying activities
which, if contrary to the District Plan‟s Objectives and Policies, may only generate minor
adverse effects.
While acting in the spirit of the RMA and proactively seeking the best possible outcomes,
the Council must also act in accordance with accepted legal and procedural limits over
what it can or cannot approve, and why. The RMA gives development rights over the use
of land to landowners - the District Plan‟s Rules can only take them away (S9); and over
subdivision to the Council - the District Plan‟s Rules can only grant them to users (S11).
District Plan Rules can create expectations and de-facto property „rights‟. People are often
acting lawfully when seeking development outcomes in accordance with those „rights‟. But
we all need to accept that designs which do nothing more than reflect minimum rule
requirements may not make the greatest contribution to the quality of local environments.
What is an ―effects-based‖ approach?
Every site and proposed development is, in reality, subtly different. Different outcomes can
meet the purpose of the RMA depending on the design, context, and mitigation available.
In an area of uniform zoning there will be opportunities and constraints that justify, for
example, varying an otherwise uniform height limit. Focusing on opportunities (and
likewise constraints) is called being „effects-based‟, and underpins how the RMA should be
used.
What does this mean if I want to use or develop resources?
While most of the methods the District Plan to implement Objectives and Policies are
“Rules”, these are ultimately only one way of achieving those Objectives and Policies. In
some instances the Rules (generic in nature across a zone or the District) may not actually
reflect the most effective or efficient use of resources available on that land.
Those who want a quick, easy way to use and develop their resources (accepting the risk
that this may not deliver the best possible utility to them) are encouraged to comply with
these Rules. But those who are prepared to invest the time, effort, and possible risk needed
to apply for a resource consent are equally encouraged to look beyond the Rules to the
actual effects relevant to their site and context.
PAGE A - 8
A2
3 KEY DESIGN APPROACHES
Avoid, remedy, mitigate?
What about the permitted baseline?
Section 17 and Part II of the RMA require those using resources to
avoid, remedy, or mitigate every adverse effect on the environment irrespective of whether a District Plan Rule allows the activity in question.
A limitation of the effects-based system is that while it may sound flexible
and efficient in theory it can quickly run into practical problems. The
complexity and scale of interactions within the built environment mean
the amount of information (and time) needed to enable a confident
effects-based decision to be made on some even relatively small
development issues can become unworkably excessive.
This is a procedural tool based on a range of natural justice- 1: THE „PLACE MAKING‟ APPROACH:

based arguments to allow an effects-discount on the basis of Understanding wider trends, patterns, issues, and opportunities.
is based on the broadest range sensitivities to
that portion of a proposed activity‟s environmental effects that Design
positively contribute as an integrated ‟piece of urbanism‟.
have otherwise been provided for within the District Plan as
Permitted activities. This is a legitimate tool and should
typically be included rather than excluded from resource
consent assessments.
The easiest effects to measure can also be the least important in
understanding whether a particular use or development will compatibly
integrate with its setting, create disruptions or conflicts, and resultantly
generate less or more adverse effects on how that particular part of the
built environment actually functions. Rules are often used as a
benchmark to measure effects, but mostly they are just descriptions or
indicators. Knowing whether a site is 10%, 20%, or 50% under or over
a rule‟s standard does not in itself help ascertain what tangible effect (if
any) may result on that specific site and that specific environment.
There will also always be effects that are so subtle, continuous and
interconnected, or inherently cumulative in nature, that they fail to meet
a fair burden of presence, proof, or certainty that would justify refusing
a consent. Focusing on good design can help to ensure these are
minimised, helping genuinely meet the intent of the RMA.
A misuse of the baseline can occur if a proposal has the
Permitted aspect discounted as a „nil effect‟, and then the
remainder is assessed against whether it is a „minor‟ extension
to what the Rules allow. Effects here are determined not on the 2: THE „SITE‟ APPROACH:

basis of what the context and environment can absorb or how Listening to the site / immediate surrounds and respecting
unique character and potentialities. Design responds
to best serve the purpose of the RMA. Instead it is on the basis its
sensitively to site characteristics but can fail to give an
of a purely abstract proportional comparison with what has equal consideration of the wider context.
already been provided for. Using this approach can also
directly prejudice an ability to understand all elements of
potential cumulative effects.
Generic Rules, while often being overall the most appropriate
method available (refer S32 RMA), cannot always address
every issue facing every site - this is just not practical. Purely
Rule-based approaches to design (bottom right) can fail to
take this reality into consideration, delivering outcomes that
lower the quality of Rodney‟s built environment.
The context defines the effects
Will it undermine
pedestrian route
appeal / viability?
Is it consistent with
local character?
Does it dominate
its neighbours?
How tall is it?
(MOSTLY DISCRETE)
TYPICALLY ‗ACTUAL‘
EFFECTS
PAGE A - 9
If the nature of a site‟s context is not adequately understood
then effects - especially when as externalities beyond basic
issues like ‟height‟ - may often not be considered or even
identified. Inadequate assumptions and rationalisations can
present decision makers with very poor, incorrect information
on which to base their decisions.
It‟s also important to keep in mind the lifetime of
developments - in the case of structures it‟s up to or more than
50 years. While the future is unknown there is a wealth of
reliable information that will often be highly relevant under
S104(1)(c) of the RMA if time is taken to understand their
meaning over the life of a consent at the individual site level.

3: THE „RULES‟ APPROACH:
Basing design around abstract, rights-driven development
„envelope‟ of Rules and the Permitted Baseline. Design
has weakest emphasis on genuinely understanding issues
and actual environmental effects.
Based on rules, e.g.:
HEIGHT: 8m
HiRB: 2.5m + 45o
Part that
complies with Rules
is seen as having
nil or de-minimise
effects. Only the
part that falls
outside the Rules is
looked at.
(MOSTLY CONTINUOUS)
TYPICALLY ‗CUMULATIVE‘
‗ACCUMULATIVE‘
‗POTENTIAL‘ EFFECTS
Rules alone can not deliver good design outcomes
The process can be expensive
Focusing on the actual environment first before using the District Plan‟s Rules will
enable outcomes which inherently minimise their tensions, conflicts, and
incompatibilities with the urban patterns around them, properly giving effect to
section 17 of the RMA.
An applicant for a big development can easily spend upwards of
$150,000.00 just in preparing a consent application. Changes sought by
participants at the end of the consent process to improve a design can be
sometimes resisted solely due to the cost implications of revisiting so much
material. In this scenario, only changes of a critical ‟consent killing‟
magnitude tend to be taken on board, and borderline ones are
unconstructively debated out at expensive hearings. Many practical, positive
opportunities to address less significant issues can get lost in the process of
ever more complex rebuttal and counter-rebuttal by experts.
This will reinforce the logic behind why a particular outcome will promote the
sustainable management of resources and hence should be approved.
Confidence in outcomes may be lowest when similarity to a collection of non site
-specific rules are the only rationale behind why an application should be
granted consent.
The RMA hierarchy is not an effects hierarchy
Early collaboration is essential
The resource consent process is based on a hierarchy of activity status from
Permitted (no consent required) to Controlled, Restricted Discretionary,
Discretionary, Non-Complying, and Prohibited activities. Each successive status
gives the Council a greater discretion to change or refuse an application.
For a meaningfully positive approach to be possible, it is critical for all parties
to meet as early and as frankly as possible. This is commonly provided for
through a pre-application process. The Council will support all practical
attempts (formal and informal) to meet and discuss the issues at hand before
a design or response becomes „locked in‟. This enables acceptable solutions
that can meet all interests and save what is often the scarcest resource - time.
Prohibited activities are so incompatible with achieving the purpose of the Act
they cannot happen in any circumstance. All other activity status‟ in the District
Plan requiring resource consent reflect only a possibility of adverse effects: an
activity is not necessarily more or less adverse simply by virtue of its activity
status. In many cases a well designed Non-Complying or Discretionary activity
can be notably less adverse than an insensitively designed Permitted activity - it
all depends on how the use integrates with its surroundings and what the
resultant effects will be.
Non-Complying or Discretionary activities can also reflect the practical inability
of the District Plan to foresee all eventualities. A failure to have explicit provisions
for an outcome does not automatically suggest that they are undesirable or will
create adverse outcomes.
An activity status relates to the process that needs to be followed in an
application‟s consideration - it should not be mistaken for indicating whether a
proposal will inherently be more or less able to promote sustainable
management. Applications should focus on the best possible outcome and not
be undermined by confusing the process with outcomes or effects. The Council
in its conduct will support this in the way in which it executes its functions, so as
to not unintentionally prejudice better (but possibly more procedurally complex)
environmental outcomes.
What about notification?
The question of notification or non-notification can be a red herring - the real
procedural issue is on agreeing the facts and arguments between parties. The
costs and time of a drawn out non-notified process can easily exceed that of
an up-front notified or limited-notified application. Non-notified processes
generally also place greater restriction on what can be approved than
notified ones (particularly relating to the scale of effects that can occur).
The other key attraction of non-notification can a perception of certainty. Its
requirement that effects must be no more than minor (and be „de-minimis‟ on
affected parties) can suggest a forthcoming approval much more strongly
than a longer, anything-can-happen notified process. This assumption can be
validated when notification decisions are made not on effects (including how
adverse and undesirable outcomes that comply with the Rules may actually
be) but on undermining design quality and ignoring site potential in favour of
strategic permitted-baseline led ‟de minimis‟ levels of Rule contravention.
Notification needs to be seen as a purely procedural issue that in no way
predisposes, influences, or binds subsequent decisions of whether to grant or
refuse a resource consent under Sections 104, and 104A-D of the RMA.
PAGE A - 10
This is represented more completely in the diagram
on this page, but in summary ensures that effects
are fully acknowledged and understood, informed
by policy expectations, and corrected to take into
account other process requirements.
Understanding spatial context and design issues in
addition to just „the rules‟ is an inescapable
necessity if an effects-based approach is to be
correctly delivered.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT
Other
Policy
Context
Site
analysis
Context
analysis
POLICY
PROCESS
SPATIAL DESIGN & LAYOUT
IMPLICATIONS
IMPLICATIONS
IMPLICATIONS
DISCOUNTED EFFECTS
INTENDED EFFECTS
Strategic
Spatial
Issues
Demographics, mobility,
wealth, housing / working
needs etc.
District
Plan Policy
Context
Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities,
Constraints, etc.
Strategic
Policy
Context
>>>>>> most important
Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities,
Constraints, etc.
District
Plan Rules/
Methods
Growth, Business
Location, Open Space;
LTCCP etc.
3. What are the „discounted‟ effects, based on
legal, technical, and other procedural
corrections to the analysis.
Activity
Status
Consent requirements /
procedure etc.
2. What are the „intended‟ effects for the site,
based on consideration of a range of policy
statements and strategic aspirations.
Notify or
NonNotify?
Time, cost, other risks
(actual and perceived) etc
1. What are the „environmental‟ effects (actual
and potential), based on site and context issues
and how a proposal sits within its environment.
Process
factors
Permitted baseline,
existing use rights,
affected party approvals.
There are however three key and quite distinct
aspects to a sound effects-based assessment:
POLICY CONTEXT
PROCESS CONTEXT
EFFECTS
Regional Policy
Statement; Reserve
Management Plans etc.
The resource consent process requires a complex
series of considerations that overlap and do not
always sit easily together.
<<<<<<< SIGNIFICANCE IN UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
Issues, Objectives,
Policies
least important
Minimum requirements:
Height, Yards, Density etc
THE CONTEXT–EFFECTS MODEL
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
Design development and response
OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
POSITIVE, BENIGN,
AND ADVERSE
ACTUAL
AND POTENTIAL
CUMULATIVE AND
DISCRETE
IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER MATTERS,
FORMAL NOTIFICATION AND CONSENT
DECISIONS
MADE BY THE COUNCIL
PAGE A - 11
RULES OF THUMB
The following provides general urban design guidance relevant to some of the
key Rules within the District Plan. These are „rules of thumb‟ and should not
replace specific analysis to identify the opportunities and constraints on each site.
MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT
Key Consideration: how has additional height been designed to compliment a
site and adjacent activities, and minimise adverse impacts on neighbours or
character?
Location: suburban (medium intensity areas)
This control seeks to ensure buildings do not:
Think about: not compromising the amenity of adjacent sites through
overlooking, physical dominance, or loss of domestic scale.
 Dominate* adjacent buildings and spaces;
 Undermine important views; and
 Result in activities of an incompatible scale with the amenity values of that
locale.
*Dominance effects are highly subjective, but always involve a physical aspect
that occupies a field of view. They typically occur as a combination between
height with any of horizontal mass, proximity, intensity, materials, or orientation.
Location: rural (including low intensity residential areas)
Think about: not compromising the limited prominence and low numbers of
buildings in the rural landscape.
Landscapes are typified by wide, open vistas and buildings that are large,
spacious, and usually only one level high:
 Non-rural industrial buildings higher than 2 levels which do not have an
operational requirement for more height are very rare.
 Buildings taller than 3 levels will generally be incompatible with rural amenity
values and such excessive height will undermine the expansive and / or
largely undeveloped landscape views that typify rural character.
 Even with low-height structures substantial mitigation in building design,
colour, and landscaping will usually be necessary.
 Height can help accentuate the main entrances in buildings on large sites.
Due to the large size of land parcels, it is almost always cheaper to build
outwards rather than upwards although taking advantage of coastal or other
high-amenity views may justify up to 3 levels. Height also helps on-site legibility
such as defining a main entry point or communicating an architectural character
to visitors. House styles tend to be dominated by „traditional‟ / „colonial‟ or
‟homestead‟ / ‟barn‟ styles featuring brick or weatherboard cladding, welldefined pitched roofs and often dormer style windows. Italian or Spanish-colonial
plaster-finished styles are also popular. Avoid ridge-top locations, make use of
natural features to avoid silhouettes, and avoid locating buildings such that long
driveways stand out in the landscape.
Buildings are proximate with one another, with shadows from one building
almost always falling onto adjacent properties. The protection of sun and
daylight access into outdoor and indoor living spaces is a critical consideration
(as opposed to service areas such as driveways where shadows from building
height are less likely to cause an unreasonable loss of site utility).
 As the general residential area intensifies and more housing locates on slopes
and marginal sites, the use of stepped house design with at least two-tone
colour schemes to break up vertical mass can become the only practical way
to manage dominance effects on downslope properties.
 Additional height sought for a building at maximum horizontal site coverage
should be looked at with caution - the combination of vertical and horizontal
mass combine to create the most excessive dominance effects and can be
difficult to relate to the notion of a „domestic‟ scale.
 Additional height is usually appropriate when it is of relatively minor
horizontal mass, and helps to reinforce an overall domestic scale of activity or
interest in a building‟s form.
 In general heights of up to 3 levels are appropriate (especially if on steep
sloping sites). There will however be some very unique sites that may, due to
adjacent amenity, separation distance to adjacent uses, mitigation caused by
vegetation and topography, and appropriate access to services, justify height
of up to 4 or 5 levels.
PAGE A - 12
A3
RULES OF THUMB
 Areas of height are usually best located in the centre of sites and towards the
north boundary (subject to the location of adjacent buildings and spaces) so
that shadows are internalised as much as possible.
 Height and bold forms are also often appropriate at junctions between
streets. This helps form local landmarks for wayfinding and pedestrian
interest.
A general consideration of what is being delivered by any additional height is
also important:
 Height to deliver a varied or interesting roof design; to most efficiently use an
awkward site; or to deliberately pull a building away from a neighbour for the
overall best-amenity outcome has notably different effects to height that
creates habitable space which allows adjacent properties to be overlooked.
 Neighbours will feel significantly more dominated by height that results in
them being directly overlooked from more obtrusive spaces such as bedroom
and lounge balconies, or kitchen windows, as opposed to small service
windows such as frosted bathroom windows in a well designed wall.
The height limits in the suburban type areas of Rodney also relate to the intensity
of living that can be supported by infrastructure and amenities. This is balanced
by things such as access to services, passenger transport, site-based urban water
management, and so on. Buildings that seek significantly more height than is
provided for to deliver more households on a site will usually not be appropriate
due to available amenities being inadequate for such intensity. Significant
amenity would need to be provided with such proposals for site users and locals.
Location: Orewa and centres
Think about: not compromising the amenity or character of key public spaces notably beaches and parks, and the „main street‟ retail condition in smaller
centres.
Our main centre at Orewa is a critical node for our District and also the Region.
It is important that visitors can easily interpret its role as our premier centre for
business, leisure, and amenity. We also need to consider the efficiency of
passenger transport, public open space and other recreation amenities, and
business prosperity by maximising opportunities to cluster intensity where it can
support these. This will also help achieve sustainability-related goals such as
more walkable lifestyles.
PAGE A - 13
 Although care must be taken to protect the critical amenity of Orewa
Beach, heights of up to 6 or 8 levels could be appropriate if designed
sensitively in Orewa‟s central core. This will entail slender building forms
that present their narrowest aspect to the beach. „Wall‟ type buildings that
present long facades to the beach will not be appropriate.
 Heights beyond this will most likely only be appropriate if designed to be
considerably narrower than the building‟s „base‟, as very slender,
lightweight structures to minimise visual intrusion and shadowing.
 It is still unlikely that a building of more than 8-10 levels will be suitable
without substantial mitigation, supporting analysis, and quality design.
 Height should be designed so that shadows fall internally in sites, and on
service areas in adjacent properties as much as possible.
 Sun and daylight access to parks and amenities is critical. While as much
sunlight as possible should be provided to streets, this is not always
possible.
 The moderate climate of Orewa means that some shadowing of streets to
provide for better quality in the design of buildings may be an appropriate
trade off for overall amenity. Key performance issues are that buildings be
designed to actively contribute to the visual character and amenity of streets
(including active street-based ground floor uses, clear points of access,
avoidance of vehicle crossings and service / loading docks at the front).
Aside from Orewa the remainder of Rodney‟s centres are very character driven.
Typically they are small strips of no more than 2 level structures. Heights of up
to 3 and possibly 4 levels (but only to define key junctions and other
landmarks) may be appropriate. Off the main street conditions of these centres
it may however be possible to provide for buildings of 4 to 5 levels if building
height is significantly mitigated and the availability of conveniently walkable
services and amenities justify the increased intensity.
Location: Coastal
Think About: enhancing and protecting the natural character of the coast.
Buildings along the coast should be of a design that emphasises solid bases
and roofs that help to convey a sense of depression into the ground. Horizontal
rather than vertical emphasis in designs is more appropriate.
RULES OF THUMB
 Some coastal locations are not suitable for development.
 The careful management of colour, the reflectivity of surfaces and finishes,
and landscaping are critically inter-related.
 Buildings located directly at the coast should in general be no higher than 2
to 3 levels, however, further back behind this domestic-scale coastal buffer
additional height to take practical advantage of high value views may be
appropriate provided that topography or other factors does not make such
buildings highly prominent.
 The provision of additional height in proximity to the coast should mostly
focus on accentuating design or supporting environmental protection, such
as to pull buildings back away from coastal edges and avoid the need for
palisade walls or earthworks along cliff tops or faces.
 Due to the horizontal mass component of large homes that have the widest
dimension possible oriented towards the coastal edge (for views) it is unlikely
that additional height will be suitable along the entire length of a building.
 To mitigate mass effects consideration should be given to turning facades to
not directly face the coastal edge. This creates more opportunities for detail
and interest, as well as shadow and light variation to help reduce the
conveyed impression of building mass. See also pages 27 and 29 for
discussion on the role of supporting intermediary elements such as pergolas
to help manage overall building mass.
HEIGHT IN RELATION TO BOUNDARY (HiRB)
Key Consideration: do buildings dominate neighbours including interfering with
adequate sun and daylight access?
 Dominate adjacent buildings and spaces; and
 Prevent adequate sun and daylight access to neighbours‟ living spaces.
Location: all areas
Think about: how to maintain the amenity of neighbouring sites.
The bulk and mass of buildings in proximity to boundaries can create a number
of nuisances on neighbours. The key issues relate to much more than just the
physical extent of domination by building mass and resultant shadows. These can
often be fully or partially mitigated by boundary fencing and landscaping, quality
design and materials of the building in question, and the orientation of activity
on affected sites.
 The most critical considerations relate to any loss of sunlight, daylight, and
warmth in outdoor living spaces. This can also include internal spaces if they
have been designed to maximise sunlight access (more so if designed as part
of a passive solar device such as thermal mass concrete floors).
 Care must be taken to ensure that such spaces receive adequate access by
solar radiation to enable an appropriate level of health. As a minimum, two
hours of continuous sunlight between the hours of 10:00am - 3:00pm as
measured on June 21 (the Winter solstice, the shortest day) should be
available to every outdoor living space and lounge in Rodney.
 Shadows that fall onto driveways, garages, or service areas will not typically
result in any adverse effects of concern other than the sunlight needs of
landscaping.
The second major concern with HiRB relates to overlooking and exaggerated
dominance effects from the resultant building. This occurs when additional
habitable space with living areas and windows / balconies that would otherwise
not have occurred can allow neighbours to be much closer to adjacent living
spaces and rooms. This can allow significant nuisance effects that considerably
lower user amenity on adjacent properties. The height and proximity of „prying
eyes‟ in private spaces can be very difficult to mitigate without dense screening
that will further reduce sun and daylight access, and which can also worsen
dominance effects.
As a general Rule, the greatest flexibility to the HiRB Rule will occur when
affected boundaries relate to streets or open spaces (if the resultant outcome will
not dominate and will also create opportunities for passive safety benefits). When
a commercial site is the affected neighbour this may also signal greater
opportunity given the lower amenity threshold that affects these work-based sites.
In all instances northern boundaries can absorb greater effects given that
shadows will be predominantly cast back onto a subject site‟s building mass.
Refer also to discussion on the Maximum Height Rule.
PAGE A - 14
RULES OF THUMB
SITE COVERAGE
FRONT YARD
Key Consideration: does the outcome result in development beyond the
domestic intensity that is consistent with local amenity values?
Key Consideration: does the outcome make the street more attractive, safe,
liveable, and well-defined spatially (public vs. private / fronts vs. backs)?
 Undermine the amenity of adjacent sites or a neighbourhood; and
 Undermine the character of the District‟s streets (including adverse
dominance effects caused by buildings);
 Contribute to cumulatively significant storm water ground flow and eventual
outfall issues.
Location: all areas
Think about: how to maintain an appropriate scale and sense of openness
between activities.
Where a site coverage Rule applies the effects will typically relate to two key
issues: dominance and amenity effects on neighbours, and cumulative issues of
piped stormwater within the District.
 Maintain an appropriate and safe delineation of public and private space;
 Ensure that adequate space is provided on-site for vehicles to safely ingress
and egress without creating a hazard affecting the street environment; and
 Maintain high-amenity viewshafts such as down ridges out to the coast.
Location: all areas
Think about: how to improve the overall quality of the street environment.
 Given that many sites can provide solid fencing on all boundaries, and most
neighbours will only experience one or two side elevations, the effects of
more site coverage at ground level can be difficult to establish other than
those relating to storm water and impacts on a site‟s reduced outdoor living
or service space.
Where a front yard applies, the street will usually only be undermined when a
very significant amount of building mass is proposed very close to the boundary.
It also relates to where within the street the footpath is located. If it is by the road
with several metres between it and a private property boundary then this distance
between pedestrians and a building face will play a part in mitigating adverse
dominance effects.
 Often an operational requirement such as design for disability can justify
larger one-level dwellings where multi levels are not always appropriate.
 The most significant effect relates to the relationship between streets and
properties (refer also to pages 24 to 35).
 At ground level, additional site coverage should be supported by providing
high quality on-site stormwater management to remedy or mitigate the effect
or more water being sent into the District‟s piped services.
 The dominance of streets by garages and solid, tall fences (even if only one
level high) will deliver amongst the lowest quality outcomes.
 A very advantageous trade off for mutual win-wins is to tie in the avoidance
of tall front fencing with a reduced front yard.
 Neighbours will be more likely to feel dominated by large building mass and
obtrusive windows / balconies from the first, second, and higher levels.
 There will typically need to be a very strong rationale and considerable
mitigation (commonly by way façade design) for managing additional height
beyond one level if the building mass is beyond the limit of permitted site
coverage.
PAGE A - 15
 Reducing the space in front of a house will reduce its usability or
attractiveness for private outdoor recreational space, and help lower the cost
effectiveness or need for solid front fencing.
 It makes sense to locate garages at least 5m back from the boundary, as this
allows a visiting vehicle, courier, or ambulance to stack on-site on the
driveway in front of the garage should on-street parking spaces be occupied
and without blocking the public footpath.
RULES OF THUMB
 More private internal spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms should be
located elsewhere; entrances, kitchens, dining rooms, and living areas are
more suitable at the front. These can more appropriately function in closer
proximity to the street and be easily privatised by louvers or thick curtains
without losing functionality. They are also the busiest rooms in a house and
those most likely to be occupied, helping reassure street users that there are
eyes on them for safety.
The variation to this may be to try and orient a garage to the side within the front
yard, still allowing stacking space for vehicles without requiring a setback. These
should be treated with caution as it is difficult for a garage to have a positive
relationship with the street. Even if well designed and including a window to the
street, all pedestrians will immediately perceive its function and know it will be
rarely occupied. It will not therefore help to improve levels of actual or perceived
safety for street users.
Lastly, there will always be an important role for landscaping and the quality of
design, materials, and colour of buildings within a front yard give their higher
prominence and obtrusiveness.
SIDE AND REAR YARDS
Key Consideration: is the privacy, amenity, and liveability of neighbouring sites
being maintained as a consequence of nuisance and building bulk?
suitably managed. The Side and Rear Yard controls relate more to the way in
which activities will operate in close proximity to adjacent property.
Activities located within a yard are appropriate when they are lower use,
„passive‟ service uses such as garages rather than „active‟ lounges, bedrooms, or
dining rooms. These are more likely to generate noise and concentrate people
around the private space of others over the boundary. Laundries can be
problematic as although serving a passive service function, the noise of
machinery and extraction fans (such as for dryers) that locate above ceiling
height can create a notable noise nuisance for neighbours. These should be
designed to face away from the affected boundary.
Entrances and doors should be avoided from buildings within side or rear yards especially if they face the boundary - as they will similarly create nuisance and
activity directly on the boundary. Likewise, areas of large glazing in buildings
within a yard create less nuisance if positioned in walls perpendicular to the
boundary rather than in the wall that faces it. Windows that do face boundaries
when within a side or rear yard may need to be frosted to retain appropriate user
amenity.
Overall the location of buildings within side and rear yards will create many
more operational issues than physical-based effects. But provided the use is
passive and suitable mitigation is proposed they are appropriate in almost all
instances.
This seeks to ensure buildings do not:
 Result in activities located in such proximity that they conflict and create
practical nuisances between neighbours (such as competing noise from
television sets or exaggerated noise from celebrations);
 Undermine health and safety for neighbours, as structures can be better
supported and retained on-site by earthworks or engineering; and
 Structures and activities can be maintained entirely on-site without need to
negotiate access from neighbours.
Location: all areas
Think about: how to maintain the amenity of neighbours.
The Height in Relation to Boundary Control will ensure dominance effects are
PAGE A - 16

Rodney District Development Design Guide

Transcription

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