Urban Design a hot topic in Johnsonville
Media release: 21 November 2006
Australian urban design expert, Raeburn Chapman, is the key note speaker at an urban design champions’ workshop in Johnsonville today.
Mr Chapman heads up the urban design team at the Road and Traffic Authority in New South Wales. He also has a wealth of experience in Australia and the United States.
Johnsonville’s population is growing and has been ear-marked as a key regional centre and transport hub in the Wellington Regional Strategy. Today’s workshop is being held in cooperation with the Wellington City Council.
Deputy Chief Executive for the Ministry, Lindsay Gow, who is the Ministry’s own urban design champion, said the Ministry was pleased to have been able to "loan" the services of Raeburn Chapman to the event.
"This is a great opportunity for local urban designers to access his specialist knowledge of transport infrastructure and strategy within city transport hubs," Mr Gow said
"Successful towns and cities do not happen by chance. They require planning based on a vision and co-ordinated implementation, this is why building up the knowledge in New Zealand is vital as our populations continue to go up."
The Ministry holds workshops for local groups of champions to work together and learn from each other. The workshops focus on real-world case studies and locations.
Each of the 119 businesses and organisations that have signed up to the New Zealand Urban Design Protocol has appointed a champion to lead their efforts to improve urban design. The protocol works through the commitment and actions of the signatories to creating high quality urban design.
