District Plan contribution to integrated land use and transport planning

District Plans have an important role to play in the integration of land use and transport planning. ViaStrada engineers and planners have recently undertaken a review of the Selwyn District Plan and have prepared a plan change updating the Plan's transport provisions. Jeanette Ward, Lisa Williams and Kathryn Stapleton were the key ViaStrada team members. At the IPENZ Transportation Conference held in Christchurch in March 2010, Jeanette presented a paper prepared by herself, Kathryn and Andrew Mazey of the Selwyn District Council. The paper and the presentation are available online.

Abstract

The Selwyn District Council (SDC) is revising its District Plan's transport provisions to ensure they reflect the strategic direction of Council, current national and regional policy, the need for better integration of transport and land use planning and good urban design. ViaStrada engineers and planners have worked closely with SDC staff to review the District Plan and prepare the resulting plan change. This paper details the gap analysis undertaken on the existing plan, the considerations made to address the gaps and the resulting proposed plan changes.

The Plan moves from the traditional, narrow focus of safety and efficiency to a Plan that considers wider issues such as network connectivity and accessibility for all modes of transport. This is achieved through the introduction of new issues, objectives and policies, which requires Council, developers and other parties to take an integrated approach. New and updated rules introduce a more flexible and relevant local road classifications, allow for closer intersection spacing in low speed urban areas, requirements for walking and cycling linkages, layout considerations for car park areas and much more. This paper discusses how these changes can contribute to better integration of land use and transport and concludes that integration is promoted and achievable through the proposed Plan update.