Proposal Cities
While we aim to change places everywhere in New Zealand, we realistically can’t create individual plans for every city. So, we’ve chosen four that show both the problem and what’s possible.
No two New Zealand cities need the same fix. Between them, these four cover almost every situation a town in this country faces: rebuilding, protecting, blending old with new, and repairing a big city at street level.
Christchurch
Rebuilding a centre worth living in. A once-in-a-century chance to rebuild the heart of a city with care.
Dunedin
Protecting the country’s finest heritage, and making sure what is built beside it lives up to it.
Wellington
Modern and traditional, side by side, on streets where new buildings too often ignore their neighbours.
Auckland
Fixing the ground floor of a big city. The skyline works. Eye level is where it needs help.
Each city is different, but every plan is built from the same few principles.
A design code
A short, illustrated guide to what new buildings on each street should look like, agreed before anything is built.
Heritage first
Restore and reuse what we already have before replacing anything, and stop demolition by neglect.
Streets for people
Active ground floors, trees, seating and squares, so the centre is somewhere to spend time, not just pass through.
Public buildings lead
Libraries, stations and council buildings paid for by everyone should set the standard for everything around them.
Four cities. One standard.
These plans are a starting point. The same principles, cohesive streets, a human scale and buildings made to last, apply to every town in New Zealand.
civic excellence
contact@civex.nz
Parklands, Christchurch 8083, New Zealand