Urban growth management: collaborative approaches to integrated land use and transport planning in New Zealand

Abstract

The majority of the world's population lives in urban areas or its peripheries - showing an upward trend. Cities or metropolitan areas are the biggest source of human made environmental damage, pollution, and space consumption. Urban growth management is crucial to reduce the negative impact on the environment. A key to achieve a more sustainable urban development is the incorporation of land use and transport in management strategies. Compact city, intensification, linking growth and public transport system, and corridor development are just a few key words in context of integrated land use and transport planning.

The present thesis focuses on integrated land use and transport planning in New Zealand. Like in other 'western' metropolitan areas, most of New Zealand's metropolitan areas pursue a non-statutory, collaborative approach to long-term integrated land use and transport planning. The thesis examines the role of such non-statutory planning documents in the New Zealand urban planning framework. Supplementary, the thesis analyses the approach and the implementation of non-statutory integrated land use and transport strategies of three New Zealand case studies:

• Auckland Regional Growth Strategy, • Bay of Plenty "Smart Growth" Strategy and • The Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy.

Results of the study suggest that the role of non-statutory documents should not be underestimated. They can fulfil a crucial role in the New Zealand planning framework representing an overall planning document. Non-statutory documents create links between the three urban planning statutes in New Zealand (RMA, LGA, and LTMA) and achieve consistency between land use and transport planning documents, developed under these three statutes.

The non-statutory, collaborative approach enables participants and stakeholders to discuss metropolitan issues outside the 'statutory arena' and sets up a basis for the preparation of statutory documents in a collaborative manner. Harmonised definitions of projects, objectives, and outcomes result in concerted major infrastructure projects to apply for government funding with good prospects.

To ensure the success of a non-statutory document it is essential to take the wide range of existing statutory planning documents, as well as non-statutory instruments, into consideration. A high level of commitment by the responsible body and a sophisticated governance structure has to be in place, to develop a non-statutory document and keep it ongoing.

After the three case studies are analysed the thesis finishes with recommendations for urban growth management in New Zealand.