Integrating sustainable transport into urban planning A case study - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Planning for a low carbon future: Integrating sustainable transport into urban planning

A case study of Porirua city’s Northern Growth Area Structure Plan 2014 Pattern Reid

Context

• Climate change

– Urban areas emit ~70% of energy related GHGs globally – large proportion attributable to car dependent transport

• Hence carbon benefits of compact urban form
• Co-benefits of sustainable urban design (e.g.

access; land consumption; active travel)

(New Climate Economy Report 2014)

The 5Ds: key features of a sustainable urban layout

• density
• diverse land uses
• destination accessibility
• design
• distance to public transport.

(Ewing et al. 2005)

Strategic spatial planning

• Proactive vs reactive planning approach

– long term thinking > 30 years – Holistic, integrated – Urban form blueprints

• Provides a unique opportunity to

– Plan transport alongside land use – Consider alternative approaches to urban form

Key question:

• How well are features of urban form that

induce more sustainable transport outcomes being incorporated into strategic urban planning?

Porirua: A case study

• A satellite town for Wellington City, a key node

in the regional transport network

• Existing urban form is low density, and car
• rientated
• Drivers for new development: population

growth, housing prices

Northern Growth Area Structure Plan

• Planning context
• Strategic planning aimed to

ensure ‘sustainable, coordinated and integrated urban and rural development’

• Multi criteria assessment of

development options

• Existing opportunities for more

sustainable urban form

Development scenarios

Rural residential density Standard residential density Standard residential density Low density residential

• Med. residential

density

No density suggested

0.35 dwellings/ha 10 dwellings/ha 10 dwellings/ha 6 dwellings/ha 40 dwellings/ha

• (Figure adapted from Boffa Miskell. 2014. Porirua Northern Growth Area Structure Plan: Technical Report prepared by Boffa Miskell Ltd

and Aurecon Ltd for Porirua City Council July 2014.)

Why wasn’t scenario 5 chosen?

• Planning objectives
• Limitations of a comparative methodology

– Only one option with credible medium density

• Perceptions of density
• Roading capacity
• Development uncertainty
• Returns on investment

Conclusion

• Missed opportunity in Porirua for a more environmentally

sustainable urban form

• Framing of options tended to reflect status quo & public

resistance to medium density housing

• Under RMA, presumption of permissiveness, and limited

ability of local govt to direct development to prioritise sustainability

• Difficult to reshape conventional thinking about the shape
• f cities (including options for more sustainable transport )