Whangārei Future Development Strategy

A Future Development Strategy for the Whangārei District, planning urban growth and infrastructure delivery for the next 30 years.

As part of the new National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD), Whangārei District Council was required to prepare a Future Development Strategy (FDS).The FDS guides the future development of Whāngarei by setting the vision and spatial strategy for long-term growth over the next 30 years. 

The Urban Advisory (TUA) in partnership with MRCagney and InPlace were engaged by Whangārei District Council to develop their Future Development Strategy (FDS) to spatially identify where long-term growth and infrastructure delivery should be focused. We supported the development of strategic objectives and outcomes to direct the growth of Whangārei, as a well-functioning urban environment that enhances the four wellbeings. We co-developed long-list scenarios, short list scenarios and the refinement to the preferred scenario, working closely with the WDC team and supporting their internal engagement process. The FDS identifies a preferred growth scenario which will inform planning and development-related decisions, including the Long Term Plan. The FDS consolidates and prioritises growth along a north-south ‘Primary Growth Corridor’, including the city centre, to make the most of investment in transport and three waters infrastructure in existing urban areas. Transport resilience is also a key element of the preferred scenario, including public transport, rail, road and active travel elements.

Developing the engagement plan was a key part of TUA’s role early on in the project. This plan for enagement informed the project throughout, including the establishment of a Working Group of key stakeholders. TUA provided a range of graphic inputs, maps for scenarios at each phase, workshop facilitation, and technical planning and strategy advice to support the development and refinement of FDS growth scenarios.