Belfast Area Plan - Urban Design Study - Christchurch City Council

3.0. FRAMEWORK
PRINCIPLES FOR GROWTH
AREAS
It is important that new growth areas are
planned and executed to integrate with
existing urban form and activities,
recognise and build on landscape context
and character, and become new
sustainable places where communities
develop. The following components
combine to create a framework for growth.
3.1. Movement networks –
roads, cycleways and pedestrian
paths
The layout of urban areas should be
designed to minimise vehicle travel
distances, maximise the opportunity for
walking and cycling and support bus
services. This means well connected
movement networks with direct and easy
access to and through new developments.
A connected network of roads, as opposed
to a series of unconnected culs-de-sac,
increases accessibility for residents,
allows for safer and more efficient
movement of traffic, and enables more
efficient infrastructure provision. However,
it can be difficult to create a network which
can be constantly extended, particularly
where there are a series of small
developments. For various reasons,
developers are often reluctant to link up to
adjacent subdivisions. Therefore it will be
important for provisions to be put in place
to ensure that a well connected roading
pattern eventuates.
reserves, shops and other community
facilities and bus stops. Residents of new
subdivisions should be able to connect to
longer distance cycleways.
Road layouts should be designed to
support bus services, for example, there
should be spine or loop roads.
Connecting roads and footpaths and
potential locations of bus stops will need to
be considered to ensure that all users will
be within 400m walking distance of a stop.
3.2. The green network
Open green space is an important element
of the urban environment. It provides
visual contrast with built form, a sense of
spaciousness, contact with nature,
opportunity for exercise and social contact.
It plays a valuable role in structuring and
adding character to, residential
neighbourhoods and also in the
establishment of ecological corridors.
Open space must be appropriate to the
needs of residents, accessible and safe. It
will be necessary to create and continue
green corridors and linkages and establish
whether there is a need for playing fields,
expansion of adjacent reserves or creation
of new reserves and small amenity areas.
Parks and open spaces must be
integrated in such a way as to maximise
their potential use. This includes
maximising road frontage, ensuring views
into and from the park, creating easy and
obvious access to the park, siting parks
and open spaces in strategic locations and
a sympathetic interface between the park
and adjacent land uses and activities.
Parks and open spaces can provide a
focal point for new development and unify
new and existing places. Extending
existing parks or restructuring them may
result in a better open space layout in
some cases.
Existing trees and vegetation should be
retained wherever possible as they can
provide the foundation for an attractive
place. In residential areas, mature trees
are best located in public spaces.
Residents will want to, and should be
encouraged to, walk and cycle rather than
use private motorised transport. Provision
therefore needs to be made for practical
linkages from residential areas to
Particular attention will need to be given to
the landscape treatment of the edges of
new land development, especially where
they interface with rural areas or limited
access roads.
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