Urban Terms Gossary

In this glossary, we aim to make it easy to understand what we here at TUA mean by these terms, and maybe introduce you to some innovative urban ideas. Keep this guide bookmarked, and you’ll be able to decipher any urbanist gibberish in no time.

Accessibility: The quality of being able to be reached or entered. In urban planning and design, accessibility refers to designing and implementing infrastructure and public spaces that supports the access of a diverse range of users. Infrastructure and spaces should especially account for the ease of access of children, the elderly, people from low socio economic backgrounds, and those with a disability.

Built form: The form and function of buildings as well as their configuration and relationship to urban spaces such as streets and open spaces.

Circular Economy: As defined by the The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, it is a practice that decouples economic activity from the extraction and consumption of finite resources. It is a resilient, self-healing and sustainable practice that is good for business, people and the environment. In a circular economy, materials are never wasted, and nature is “regenerated.” This term is also known as Regenerative Practice or Regenerative Economy. 

Learn more about circular economies here.

Community wealth building/local economies: A collaborative approach that puts people back at the centre of their local economy and ensures wealth is circulated within the community. The approach is tailored to the area/communities it is implemented in, focusing on strengths and opportunities. The result is greater equity, economic resilience, and community wellbeing. 

Density: The degree of how compact or concentrated something is. In this context, we are referring to how compact or concentrated housing is by typology or by neighbourhood/residential zone. 

• ‍Density by housing typology: Refers to the number and type of dwellings on a site.‍
• Low density housing: Standalone houses, generally 1–2 storeys, on an individual section‍
• Medium-density housing: Housing that is multi-unit dwellings (up to 6 storeys).‍
• High density housing: Housing that is multi-unit and over 6 storeys.

Density by neighbourhood/residential zone: Refers to the average density of an area, generally measured by dwellings or population per acre, hectare, m² or km². These areas may include a mix of typologies up to the maximum size as per the zone rules. The categories below are defined by the Ministry for the Environment in the National Planning Standards, November 2019.

• ‍Low density Residential Zone/Neighbourhood: Areas used predominantly for residential activities and buildings consistent with a suburban scale and subdivision pattern, such as one- to two-storey houses with yards and landscaping, and other compatible activities.‍
• Medium density Residential Zone/Neighbourhood: Areas used predominantly for residential activities with moderate concentration and bulk of buildings, such as detached, semi-detached and terraced housing, low-rise apartments, and other compatible activities. ‍
• High density Residential Zone/Neighbourhood: Areas used predominantly for residential activities with high concentration and bulk of buildings, such as apartments, and other compatible activities.

Design thinking: a process in which planners study and interact with the community to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of the end user. This is a way of ensuring the final product will be fit for its intended purpose and the needs of the community. It often involves challenging common assumptions and creating innovative solutions to address existing problems. By challenging the existing process in design and planning, we can produce better outcomes because continuing to do what we have always been doing is not enough to create cities that can overcome challenges and support their communities. More may be learned about design thinking here.

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Integrated neighbourhoods: a community-focused place which provides for the diverse needs of all residents; this means a neighbourhood with varied housing options across price points, a variety of amenities that serve daily-life needs (e.g. mental health services, a supermarket, parks, social care) and other opportunities for inclusiveness and social mobility. 

Land development: The process in which improvements are made to a piece of land to make the area more useful, e.g., clearing land for agricultural use or using land for the construction of buildings.

Masterplanning: A process of visioning for a place that draws together diverse stakeholder opinions and aspirations and balances these with sustainable and other project imperatives.

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A masterplan: A planning and design document that sets out the conceptual layout for a site or area to guide future growth and development.

Mixed-use development: A type of urban development that integrates two or more uses, such as residential, commercial or retail in a development. 

Mobility: How far an individual can physically move or travel in a given time period. Mobility is also not just about having access to one mode of transport - it is about having access to a range of quality and reliable mobility options.  

Placemaking: We like Placemaking Aoteroa’s definition: “an approach where people work together to make places better, not only for themselves but for others and for the place itself”.

Place delivery strategy: A comprehensive process for delivering places, spanning across the scoping, engaging and testing, designing and refining, and delivering and activating phases of any infrastructure or development project or programme of works. It includes roles of different players across the built environment industry, and considers governance arrangements, the importance of treaty partnership and mana whenua, and the inputs required from professional services, the property sector, communities, and citizens. 

Public realm: The publicly owned places and spaces that are for everyone’s use e.g. streets, parks.

Smart cities/smart growth: A city or urban area that has become more efficient through the use and development of digital technology.

Streetscape: The appearance or view of a street (e.g. buildings, footpaths and landscaping).

‍Systems thinking: A holistic approach looking at the relationships and interactions within a system, and how they connect and influence one another, rather than focusing on the different parts in isolation. 

Tactical urbanism: A prototyping process within urban development; experimenting with or showcasing potential changes with the intention of improving local neighbourhoods and city gathering places using low-cost, temporary change to the area e.g. temporary bike lanes, pedestrian-only streets. These are often intended to pressure government organisations into installing a permanent or more expansive version of the improvement. This process can be led by residents or community organisation groups, but can also be initiated by government entities demonstrating the positive outcomes of a project that is controversial or receiving resistance from the public. 

Transit-oriented development: A type of urban development that focuses compact, mixed-use and higher-density development around or close to public transport, allowing people to enjoy easy access to jobs, services and amenities.

Universal design: The process of designing environments to be accessible to all people, regardless of age, disability or other factors. 

‍Urban amenities: Facilities that contribute to the urban experience of residents. They are linked to daily life needs, e.g., food, entertainment, health and wellness facilities, public transit, education, retail, community facilities, public spaces, etc. 

‍Urban amenity: A broad term that describes the perceived quality or character of a space or place which makes it appealing to residents. The convenience, accessibility, and design of urban amenities is only a contributing factor to the urban amenity experienced in an area. Urban amenity is also affected by environmental factors such as perceived noise levels, air or water quality, and socio-cultural aspects such as a sense of community. 

Urban economics: The study of urban environments using the tools of economics to analyse urban issues. 

Urban form: The physical characteristics and the built environment of an urban area.

Urban intensification: An urban development process in market conditions, characterised by increased housing and infrastructure provision in line with planning for projected population growth.

Urban morphology: The study of urban form, focusing on the formation of urban forms and how they change over time.

Urban regeneration: An urban development process with a large degree of transformation at its core to support improved social, cultural, economic, and environmental outcomes. It is characterised by significant intervention, a coordinated approach across government councils, community and private sectors, and new planning policy. The use of strategic partnerships and brokerage among Delivery Agents to deliver the coordinated approach required is also fundamental in order to change the economic and social geography of a place. Citizens are empowered as part of the process.

Urban renewal: An urban development process that addresses the physical urban decay or decline of an area within the existing hierarchy of planning policy. It is characterised by physical interventions – such as the large-scale replacement and provision of housing, infrastructure and amenities – usually over a shorter period of time than regeneration. Communication and engagement with the community is a priority.

Urban strategy: Urban strategy is about shaping the development of cities through a systems thinking approach. It is about bringing together different ways of thinking, improved systems and more collaborative processes to improve the wellbeing of people through interventions in the built environment.

Walkability: The ability to safely walk to services and amenities within a reasonable distance of the home. 

‍Wellbeing: The Treasury’s official definition states “Wellbeing refers to what it means for our lives to go well. It encompasses aspects of material prosperity such as income and GDP. And it also encompasses many other important things such as our health, our relationships with people and the environment, and the satisfaction we take in the experience of life.” They consider wellbeing analysis as “economics done well”  because “it creates a more complete picture of societal progress.” Wellbeing is being recognised internationally as a critical factor in economic development and is now being considered at the forefront of public policy. In 2019, the Labour-led New Zealand Government announced the first Wellbeing Budget as an effort to consider “the wellbeing of our people, the health of our environment and the strength of our communities'' (Robertson, 2022). It adopts the evolving “Living Standards Framework” (LSF) to recognise all aspects that play a role in our wellbeing. He Ara Waiora has also been developed to provide a framework helping the government to understand the Māori perspective on wellbeing alongside the LSF. The first Wellbeing report was published in November 2022 and assessed how wellbeing has changed and areas that require further effort. 

Other predecessor terms in the built environment covering aspects of wellbeing:

• ‍Liveability: The features that create a place where people want to live.
• ‍Quality of life: A person’s perception of their life satisfaction. It is a non-financial measure of happiness that factors in a person’s values and culture, as well as things like job satisfaction, health, safety, financial position, interests, achievements and relationships they have with the people around them. 
• ‍Quality of Urban Life: Related to quality of life, this is a branch off that considers the satisfaction of residents within a neighbourhood.  

‘20-minute neighbourhood’: The concept of a neighbourhood with convenient, safe and primarily pedestrian-focused access to services and amenities that residents use nearly every day and are within an approximate 20-minute walk. More may be learned about the 20-minute neighbourhood concept here.

‘15-minute city’: A concept in urban planning where all the basic things a resident needs (shops, parks, health care, schools, etc) can be accessed within 15 minutes on foot or on other micromobility (e.g. bikes and scooters).