Life in the City, a City that is constant motion! Wondered how your city and/or region works. Wondered what Planners do to enable (that is enable not disable) the ongoing … Continue reading Ben goes Planning Part 6: A City in Motion
Life in the City, a City that is constant motion! Wondered how your city and/or region works. Wondered what Planners do to enable (that is enable not disable) the ongoing … Continue reading Ben goes Planning Part 6: A City in Motion
Cities are living organisms Wondered how your city and/or region works. Wondered what Planners do to enable (that is enable not disable) the ongoing evolution of your city and region … Continue reading Ben goes Planning Part 5: The City Pulse – How Cities Breathe: The Secret Dance Between Transport and Land Use
So, can real world planning, and the mixed reality of virtual planning via Cities Skylines exist side by side? Wondered how your city and/or region works. Wondered what Planners do … Continue reading Ben goes Planning Part 4: State of Play between Digital Urban Simulator and Real World Planning by a Planner
Planning the engines of urban prosperity Wondered how your city and/or region works. Wondered what Planners do to enable (that is enable not disable) the ongoing evolution of your city … Continue reading Ben goes Planning Part 3: Marsden Point Economic Development Strategy: A Master Plan for Integrated Urban Development and Economic Growth
So, was I the City Cereal King or just a Planner enabling the economic development of the city and/or region? Because while Marsden Point is in Cities Skylines 2, in real life while my main wheelhouse right now is Policy Planning or Land Use Planning, I draw upon other aspects of planning ensuring the best for the area I am representing and/or advocating for!
Proposals to make Mixed Use as of right, and defining walking catchments and transit corridors! Imagine, amenities within walking distance. Imagine, actual non car alternatives to work, school, places of … Continue reading Finally some sensible planning: Mixed Use, and Transit Oriented Developments wanted in latest Planning Reforms
The consequences of those deliberate choices made earlier on In developing Manukau City Centre in Cities Skylines 2 through my 3.x series, I pondered about how much complexity goes on … Continue reading The Very Definition of Planning Complexity
Knowing ones place in Planning to deliver desirable outcomes The frank discussions with Hamish Rennie over the weekend on LinkedIn about the National Standardised Zones got me thinking two things: … Continue reading Placemaking: Public vs Private Realms and the Role of the Planner
Aotearoa is diving headfirst into the National Standardised Zones (NSZs), ripping apart over 1,000 zoning categories to embrace a mere 17-20, mirroring Japan’s and Victoria’s models. This radical overhaul promises uniformity across cities, but is it truly beneficial? While gamers cherish the consistency of zones like those in Cities Skylines, the real question looms: Will this homogenization in planning stifle diversity and creativity in urban design?
Minister Christopher Bishop champions mixed-use development, citing global examples and touting its benefits for urban areas. He stresses its potential to enhance accessibility to amenities, promote social interaction, and improve transit efficiency. Bishop argues that mixed use can lead to better outcomes in traffic, pollution, productivity, and community cohesion. He also advocates for embracing low-density mixed use through terraced housing. This model integrates commercial or office spaces on the lower floors and residential units above.