Like all communities, the people of Franklin wish to see the district flourish and fulfil its potential to become the best place it can be – a place that enriches the quality of life for all residents, now and in the future. Good design is fundamental to achieving this potential.
The way Franklin looks, works and feels depends on the quality of design. The concept of urban design involves the application of design principles to make better places for people - whether on private or public land. It is concerned with the design of buildings, spaces, infrastructure, and the natural environment, and the relationships between them. It is applicable at a wide range of scales – the region, district, town/village, neighbourhood, street, site, and building, and in both urban and rural areas.
In 2005 the Council joined with many other private and public sector organisations in becoming a founding signatory to the New Zealand Urban Design Protocol. The Protocol is a joint commitment to creating better places for people to live, work and play. Under this Protocol the Council has developed an Urban Design Action Plan which spells out its programme for fostering better quality design in Franklin.
You can download the Franklin District Council Urban Design Action Plan.
Giving attention to design can generate many benefits for both developers and the wider community. It can contribute to creating distinctive and memorable places, strengthening community identity and pride, developing attractive town centres and neighbourhoods, celebrating culture and leisure, providing easy access and movement, improving health and education, reducing crime, and safeguarding the natural environment. It can lead to improved competitiveness, greater returns from developments, enhanced property values, and reduced life cycle costs, as well as attracting more customers, generating greater sales, and drawing in new investment, skills and businesses – altogether contributing to what is known as the ‘design dividend’.
Decisions made every day impact on the appearance of our communities and the way they function. Each decision has the potential to make a town, village or countryside a little more welcoming, pleasant, engaging and memorable, or a little more unsightly, unsafe and unpleasant. Over time, these decisions work together to either enhance or erode the character of a place. All people can play a part in working with the Council, the development community, and others, to harness the power of design to enhance our communities, and make them economically stronger, healthier, and increasingly attractive places.
This webpage provides resources to assist people contribute to making Franklin better by design.
Resources
To assist people to become more familiar with the concepts and techniques of place-making and design, a range of useful references are provided, as follows. Although several of these are resources that have been developed for other councils, they have been included as they contain guidance that is relevant to Franklin.
New Zealand:
International: