Urban form, design and development encompasses the physical form and functions of a city – how the layout of buildings, roads, open spaces, and physical and social infrastructure including transport can be best devised to maximise economic opportunity, social wellbeing, cultural diversity and environmental health.
Urban form design and development creates the built environments in which people live, work, socialise, play and travel, and has long-term sustainability implications for its residents. The quality and efficiency of the built environment also has implications for economic prosperity. Cities are engines of economic growth, providing the critical mass necessary for specialised services and facilities. In order to attract innovators, cities must be good places to live.
The stated objective of the UFDD work strand was:
To encourage, promote and guide more sustainable urban form, design and development in the Auckland region, including building design location and construction.
Desired outcomes included:
• Sustainable building standards and practice.
• Increased knowledge, understanding and buy-in to sustainable urban form, design and development.
• Strategic public investment decisions by Auckland local authorities and central government contributing to sustainable urban form and function (including location of services).
The work strand was co-chaired by Matthew Everett, Ministry for the Environment and Ann Magee, Waitakere City Council. The team is undertaking work in the following areas:
- Sustainable Standards
– promoting the development of a sustainable building index and inclusion of sustainability considerations in existing legislation.
- Sustainable Practice
– establishing practical public sector leadership in sustainable building.
- Applying Research
– connecting urban research and practice.
- Encouraging Uptake
– ensuring sustainable urban form is considered in other programmes and processes.
- Evaluation
– identifying and sharing lessons from the work strand.
