Evaluating the Environmental Sustainability of Neighbourhoods

Set within a larger piece of work as part of the  government funded National Science Challenge 11: Building Better Towns and Cities (NSC11) programme, TUA collaborated with Dr Paola Boarin and Professor Errol Haarhoff from The University of Auckland to develop a Post Occupancy Evaluation framework based on international best practice. The framework was tested using Hobsonville Point, Auckland as a case study neighbourhood.

TUA provided a peer review of the initial literature review and developed an evaluation framework matrix informed by international tools. The framework was refined through the case study process to produce the final environmental sustainability framework in collaboration with Dr Paola Boarin. TUA also provided advice and assistance with data collection, developing the case study analysis of the proposed framework and writing the final report.

The Hobsonville Point case study tested the framework at a neighbourhood-wide and block scale. The research was considered novel for New Zealand as no equivalent analysis of neighbourhood sustainability outcomes at this scale had been previously undertaken. 

The case study highlighted how improvements could be made to a) the environmental sustainability performance of New Zealand neighbourhoods and b) the applicability of the framework overall to support urban development outcomes.

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