Towards a model urban design assessment in Aotearoa New Zealand

Urban design assessments are becoming more pivotal in planning across Aotearoa New Zealand, as applicants and local authorities utilise them to communicate the quality of spaces between buildings in medium and high-density developments. Applicants commission private sector urban design consultants to prepare these assessments and councils engage separate urban designers to review them, positioning urban design assessments as a fundamental medium for the urban design sector. However, the existing literature does not contain sufficient guidance for how these documents are to be structured and international guidance operates in distinct statutory planning environments. Therefore, this article presents evidence of the current industry model for urban design assessments across five cities in Aotearoa New Zealand and comments on how further guidance regarding forming a model document structure may benefit the sector. It follows the recent establishment of the Urban Designers Institute Aotearoa that seeks to establish educational and professional standards for urban designers in the country.