Axiom Foundation

Purpose The Metropolitan Centre Zone meets the sub-regional needs of communities, businesses and residents in a manner that supports the City’s strategic direction for compact urban growth and its sub-regional role and function in the City’s hierarchy of centres.

Accommodating growth The Metropolitan Centre Zone plays a significant role in accommodating growth and has sufficient serviced, resilient development capacity and additional infrastructure to meet commercial and residential growth needs.

Amenity and design Medium and high density mixed-use development is achieved that contributes to a good quality, well-functioning urban environment that reflects the changing urban form and amenity values of the Metropolitan Centres and their surrounding residential areas.

Activities Activities will be of an appropriate scale and type to enhance the vibrancy of Metropolitan Centres, support walkable neighbourhoods and reflect their sub-regional purpose.

Accommodating growth Provide for the use and development of the Metropolitan Centre Zone to meet the City’s needs for housing, business activities and community facilities, including: A variety of building types, sizes, tenures, affordability and distribution of a scale and intensity that supports the purpose of the zone; A mix of medium and high-density housing; Convenient access to active transport and public transport options; Efficient, well integrated and strategic use of available development sites; and Convenient access to a range of open spaces.

Enabled activities Enable a range of activities that contribute positively to the purpose of the zone and meet sub-regional needs including: Commercial activities; Residential activities; Community facilities; Educational facilities; Arts, culture, and entertainment activities; Marae activities; Emergency service facilities; Community corrections activities; Visitor accommodation; Recreation activities; Repair and maintenance service activities; Industrial activities; Public transport activities; and Hospital activities and healthcare facilities.

Managed activities Manage the location and scale of commercial activities that could result in cumulative adverse effects on the vibrancy of centres, the retention and establishment of a mix of activities within the Metropolitan Centre Zone, and the function of the transport network.

Potentially incompatible activities Only allow activities that are potentially incompatible with the purpose of the Metropolitan Centre Zone, where they will not have an adverse effect on the vibrancy and amenity values of the centre. Potentially incompatible activities include: Carparking visible at street edge along an active frontage or non-residential activity frontage; Demolition of buildings that results in the creation of vacant land; Ground floor residential activities on street edges identified as having an active frontage or non-residential activity frontage; and Yard-based retail activities.

Heavy industrial activities Avoid heavy industrial activities from locating in the Metropolitan Centre Zone.

Housing choice Enable medium and high-density residential development that: Contributes towards accommodating anticipated growth in the City; and Contributes to a range of housing price, type, size and tenure that is accessible to people of all ages, lifestyles, cultures, impairments and abilities.

Quality development outcomes Require new development, and alterations and additions to existing development at a site scale, to positively contribute to the sense of place, quality and amenity of the Metropolitan Centre Zone by: Fulfilling the intent of the Centres and Mixed Use Design Guide; Recognising the benefits of well-designed, comprehensive, development, including the extent to which the development: Reflects the nature and scale of the development enabled within the zone and responds to the evolving, more intensive identity of the neighbourhood; Optimises the development capacity of land, including sites that are large, narrow, vacant or ground level parking areas; Provides for the increased levels of residential accommodation enabled in this zone; Provides for a range of supporting business, open space and community facilities; and Is accessible for emergency service vehicles. Ensuring that the development, where relevant: Responds to the site context, particularly where it is located adjacent to: A scheduled site or area of significance to Māori; A heritage building, heritage structure or heritage area; Residential zoned areas; and Open space zoned areas; Provides a safe and comfortable pedestrian environment; Enhances the quality of the streetscape and public / private interface; Integrates with existing and planned active and public transport movement networks; Allows sufficient flexibility for ground floor space to be converted for a range of activities, including residential; and Positively contributes to the sense of place and distinctive form of the Metropolitan Centre where the site or proposal will be prominent. Recognising the benefits of well-designed accessible, resilient and sustainable development, including the extent to which the development: Enables universal accessibility within buildings, ease of access for people of all ages and mobility/disability; Incorporates a level of building performance that leads to reduced carbon emissions and increased climate change and earthquake resilience; and Incorporates construction materials that increase the lifespan and resilience of the development and reduce ongoing maintenance costs.

On-site residential amenity Achieve a good standard of amenity for residential activities in the Metropolitan Centre Zone by: Providing residents with access to adequate outlook; and Ensuring convenient access to private and/or shared communal areas of outdoor space; Fulfilling the intent of the Centres and Mixed Use Design Guide; and Providing residents with adequate internal living space.

Managing adverse effects Recognise the evolving, higher density development context enabled in the Metropolitan Centre Zone, while managing any associated adverse effects including: Shading, privacy, bulk and dominance effects on adjacent sites; and The impact of construction on the transport network and pedestrian linkages.

City development outcomes Recognise the positive outcomes that developments over the height limits in the Metropolitan Centre Zone can make to a well-functioning urban environment, as compensation for adverse effects, through the provision of enduring outcomes that provide public benefit and positively contribute to the sense of place and distinctive form, quality and amenity of the Metropolitan Centre, including: Positively contributing to public space provision and the amenity of the site and surrounding area, particularly in areas of deficit public space; Positively contributing to public accessibility and connections; Restoring and reusing heritage buildings and structures; Recognising or responding to adjacent sites and area of heritage or sites and areas of significance to Māori; and Incorporating assisted housing into the development; where this is provided, legal instruments are required to ensure that it remains assisted housing for at least 25 years.

Retirement villages Provide for retirement villages where it can be demonstrated that the development: Fulfils the intent of the Residential Centres and Mixed Use Design Guide; Includes outdoor space that is sufficient to cater for the needs of the village; Provides an adequate and appropriately located area on site for the management, storage and collection of all of the solid waste, recycling and organic waste potentially generated by the development; Is able to be adequately serviced by three waters infrastructure or can address any constraints on the site; and Is of an intensity, scale and design that is consistent with the amenity values anticipated in the Zone.

Commercial activities

Community facilities

Educational facilities

Arts, culture, and entertainment activities

Marae activities

Emergency service facilities

Community corrections activities

Visitor accommodation

Recreation activities

Repair and maintenance activities

Public transport activities

Hospital activities and healthcare facilities

Residential activities

Integrated retail activity

Industrial activities

Carparking activities

Yard-based retailing activities

Retirement Villages

All other land use activities

Maintenance and repair of buildings and structures

Demolition or removal of buildings and structures

Construction of, or additions and alterations to, buildings and structures

Conversion of buildings, or parts of buildings, to residential activities

Outdoor storage areas

Maximum height

Minimum building height

Minimum ground floor height

Height in relation to boundary

Verandah control

Active frontage and non-residential activity frontage controls

Minimum residential unit size

Residential – outdoor living space

Minimum outlook space for multi-unit housing

Minimum building separation distance for residential activities

Maximum building depth for residential activities

Boundary setback from rail corridor

Urban Design Panel