The New Zealand Urban Design Protocol was published in March 2005 by the Ministry for the Environment

Ministry for the Environment

Ministry for the Environment may refer to:* Ministry for the Environment * Ministry for the Environment * Ministry for the Environment...

 to recognise the importance of urban design

Urban design

Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...

 to the development of successful town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

s and cities. The protocol is a voluntary commitment by central

Parliament of New Zealand

The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...

 and local

Territorial authorities of New Zealand

Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils, 53 district councils, and the Chatham Islands Council...

 government, property developers and investors, design professionals

Urban design

Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...

, educational institutes and other groups to undertake specific urban design initiatives.

Six Essential Attributes

The protocol identifies six essential attributes that successful towns and cities share;

• Competitive places that thrive economically and facilitate creativity and innovation
• Liveable places that provide a choice of housing, work and lifestyle options
• Environmentally responsible places that manage all aspects of the environment sustainably
  Sustainability
  Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
  
  
• Inclusive places that offer opportunities for all citizens
• Distinctive places that have a strong identity and sense of place
• Well-governed places that have a shared vision and sense of direction.

The Seven Cs

The protocol is centred on “The Seven Cs”, which are considered the essential design qualities that create urban design;

• Context
• Character
• Choice
• Connections
• Creativity
• Custodianship
• Collaboration

Authorship

The New Zealand Urban Design Protocol was prepared with input from the following professionals;

Urban Design Advisory Group

• Penny Pirrit, Manager Environmental Planning, Auckland City Council
  Auckland City Council
  Auckland City Council was the local government authority representing Auckland City, New Zealand, and was amalgamated into the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. It was an elected body representing the 404,658 residents of the city...
  
  
• Robert Tongue, City Architect, Dunedin City Council
• Patrick Fontein, Principal, Kensington Properties; President, Auckland Branch of the Property Council of New Zealand
• John Sinclair, Consultant, Architectus
• Chris McDonald, Senior Lecturer, Victoria University
  Victoria University of Wellington
  Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
  
   School of Architecture
• Ernst Zollner, Lecturer, University of Auckland
  University of Auckland
  The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
  
   Department of Planning; Chief Advisor, Strategic and Economic Development, Wellington City Council
• Doug Leighton, Principal, Boffa Miskell
• Karen Goodall, Executive Director, City for Auckland
• David Fox, Managing Director, Fox and Associates
• Simon Whiteley, Policy and Strategy Manager, Land Transport New Zealand
  Land Transport New Zealand
  Land Transport New Zealand was a Crown entity in New Zealand, tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, and includes responsibilities such as driver and vehicle licensing...
  
  
• John Tocker, Principal, David Jerram Architects
• Alison Dalziel, Advisor, Department of Prime Minister
  Prime Minister of New Zealand
  The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
  
   and Cabinet
  New Zealand Cabinet
  The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...
  
  ; Chair of the Sustainable Cities Senior Officials Group

Ministry for the Environment

• Lindsay Gow, Deputy Chief Executive and Chair of the Urban Design Advisory Group
• Luke Troy, Senior Advisor
• Yvonne Weeber, Senior Advisor
• Frances Lane Brooker, Seniro Advisor
• Erica Sefton, Senior Advisor

External links

• Ministry for the Environment: Urban Issues: The New Zealand Urban Design Protocol (summary)
• Ministry for the Environment: Publications: New Zealand Urban Design Protocol (document)