Key new urbanist projects in Australia and New Zealand

Editor’s note: Due to space considerations, New Urban News is unable to print the full list of projects and codes compiled by the authors. Please contact us at (607) 275-3087 and we’ll be happy to send you a copy of the list. A preliminary survey of new urbanist development car ried out by Chip Kaufman, Wendy Morris and other practitioners counts 17 greenfield projects and 15 infill developments in Australia and one greenfield project in New Zealand. However, Kaufman and Morris estimate that these may only account for about half the projects in development. Six of the infill projects have been completed, while eight are in advanced stages of construction. Greenfield projects are not as far along, only five of the 18 projects are under construction. Western Australia has at least six greenfield projects in planning, with activity centered in Jindalee near Perth. An overall concept plan for the area was designed by Taylor Burrel and Ecologically Sustainable Design (ESD) and covers approximately 5,000 hectares. Jindalee Beach, a mixed-use seaside village is designed by the Roberts Day Group, and the design firm Chappell and Lambert has designed town centers and surrounding neighborhoods in the area. Infill development in Western Australia includes two projects connected to below-grade rail stations, Northbank and Subicentro. They were designed by Donaldson, Smith & Hooke and The Planning Group, respectively. The area around Sydney in New South Wales is another center for new urbanist development. Design firm Annand Alcock has planned two infill projects, Hunterford & Oatlands and Kings Bay, both 7 hectares. Hunterford is located in an inner ring suburb, and Kings Bay is built in conjunction with a new ferry terminal. Planned greenfield projects in the area include Tullimbah Village by ESD, an extension of an existing town, and Stanhope Gardens by Annand Alcock and Allen Jack & Cottier, an new suburb with several village centers. In addition to Beacon Cove (see above) the Melbourne area has another completed infill project. Kensington Banks, designed by Robin Edmond and Ken Marr of Hassell Pty, is a dense neighborhood that incorporates a historic cattle sales yard. Australia has its own Seaside, a 119 hectares oceanside village in Queensland with three-story live/work units and studios built on the rear lanes. Seaside is designed by Down & Neylan. Larger urban revitalization plans, covering areas from 500 to almost 2,000 hectares, are being implemented in Waitakere, NZ; Kiama, New South Wales; and Armadale, Gosnells and Midland, all in Western Australia. Newcastle, the second biggest city in New South Wales, has adopted the citywide “Newcastle Urbanism” code, which consists of a collection of incremental redevelopment and growth plans. The code was developed by EDS and other firms. The growing number of new urbanist practitioners in Australia and New Zealand includes approximately 40 members of the Congress for the New Urbanism. The first Congress outside the US will be held in Melbourne on April 26 to 29.