The Tauranga Urban Design Panel provides free independent design review of built environment projects across our city.
What is the Tauranga Urban Design Panel and why should I use it?
- The Tauranga Urban Design Panel (the Panel) seeks to facilitate high quality design outcomes in our city.
- The Panel is voluntary, free of charge, and provides applicants (private and public sector) with an opportunity to receive targeted urban design feedback and recommendations.
- The Panel brings together industry-leading urban designers and planners, architects, landscape architects, Māori designers, transport planners, and property developers from within Tauranga and around New Zealand.
- The Panel is advisory and does not have statutory decision-making powers. Panel recommendations are considered as part of resource consent processing, along with other technical reports.
- Receiving panel recommendations early on in your design development process may help to resolve any design issues prior to lodging. This may reduce your project’s overall timeframes and costs which could lead to a more efficient consenting process.
Meet the panelists
How do I request a Panel review session?
If you have a site and a vision for a project and think you might benefit from an independent Urban Design Panel review session, please contact us at urban.design@tauranga.govt.nz or complete the request form below. We will be in contact with additional information on how to best prepare, and how the session is conducted.
Tauranga Urban Design Panel Request Form
Is my proposal the right fit for a Panel review session?
Any project that could have an impact on the surrounding area or where the Panel has the clear potential to add value will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
You can gauge if your project is suitable for Panel review by viewing the prompts below. There is however flexibility – so please contact us.
- Any medium to large scale development within or near an identified centre (as defined in the City Plan)
- Apartment buildings, office / commercial buildings, or large mixed-use developments
- Multi-unit residential developments
- Masterplans for any new greenfield or brownfield development
- Council Capital projects including streetscape upgrades, public realm and community facilities
- Public works by government departments and other organisations (i.e., schools, health, transport).
When should I contact Council for a Panel review session?
We encourage applicants to have a Panel review early on in their design process – ideally before the pre-application stage.
You don’t need to have a fully formed development plan for an initial discussion – if you have a site and an idea of the bulk, densities, form, function, and vision for your project, please get in touch.
Additional Panel review guidance and information is contained in the link below
Panel Review Guidance and Information (2mb pdf)
What is good-quality urban design and how does our city benefit?
Operating across a wide range of scales, from city-wide initiatives and interventions down to the design of individual buildings and streetscapes, urban design aims to create places where people thrive. In Tauranga, urban design is essential for fostering lively and attractive environments, from our neighbourhood centres to the city's waterfront. Urban design continues to play an important role in driving economic growth by creating attractive spaces and places throughout our city that attract residents, visitors, investors and businesses.
Urban design in Tauranga plays an important role in shaping our city's identity, functionality, and liveability. As Tauranga continues to experience rapid urban growth and as our population grows and diversifies, there is a need for greater emphasis to be placed on the role of urban design in our city. By bringing together a range of stakeholders and disciplines (reflecting the diverse perspectives and needs of our community), urban design extends beyond structures and spaces, delving into the relationships between them, the surrounding environment, the underlying economy, the diversity of our people and the history and culture that shape it all.
Urban Design Resources
The key documents which help to guide and inform quality urban design in Tauranga include:
- Residential Outcomes Framework (2.7mb pdf): this document outlines desired outcomes and high-level guidance for multi-unit residential development in Tauranga.
- Tauranga Moana Design Principles: the guide to culturally appropriate design, and design responses to enhance appreciation of the natural, landscape and built environment.
- Area-specific spatial plans:
- Tauranga City Plan: includes urban design considerations in residential and commercial zones.
- Example Residential Layouts - Option Development and Analysis: The Auckland Urban Design Manual provides an excellent source of ‘example designs’ for residential development – detailing the advantages and disadvantages of different layouts for terrace home and apartment typologies. This is a useful tool for applicants in the early stages of their design process particularly during option development and analysis.
* Please note that these example designs have been prepared by Auckland Council and are shared here as an example of best practice with the permission of the Tāmaki Makaurau Design Ope.
- Urban Design Action and Investment Plan: this document outlines the importance of urban design and sets the key directives of design leadership and design excellence to further promote quality urban design outcomes in Tauranga through a series of actions.
Additional design guides will be prepared over the coming years.
Terms of reference – Tauranga Urban Design Panel (244kb pdf)