A Future Development Strategy for the Whangārei District, planning urban growth and infrastructure delivery for the next 30 years.
The Challenge
As part of the new National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD), Whangārei District Council was required to prepare a Future Development Strategy. The strategy needed to guide the future development of Whāngarei, by setting the vision and spatial strategy for growth over the next 30 years.
The Solution
TUA, in partnership with MRCagney and InPlace, were engaged by Whangārei District Council to develop the strategy to spatially identify where long-term growth and infrastructure delivery should be focused.
TUA supported the development of strategic objectives and outcomes, to direct the growth of Whangārei as a well-functioning urban environment that enhances the four key aspects wellbeing.
Long-list scenarios, short-list scenarios, and refinements to the preferred scenario were co-developed; and TUA worked closely with the WDC to support their internal engagement process.
The Future Development Strategy resulted in consolidating and prioritising growth along a north-south ‘Primary Growth Corridor’, including the city centre, to make the most of investment in transport and three waters infrastructure in existing urban areas. Transport resilience was a key element of the preferred scenario, including public transport, rail, road and active travel elements.
The Journey
Developing the engagement plan was a core part of TUA’s role early on in the project. It informed the project throughout; including the establishment of a Working Group of key stakeholders. TUA provided a range of graphic inputs, maps for scenarios at each phase, workshop facilitation, as well as technical planning and strategy advice to support the development and refinement of Future Development Strategy growth scenarios.
