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Subdivision & Neighbourhood Design Wawaetanga Whenua

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Mixed Communities Print

Design Outcome

Subdivisions have a mix of useable section types, sizes, uses and activities, which facilitate diversity and adaptability

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The most efficient and productive use of land is that which allows more people to undertake more activities. 
Subdivisions that provide for a range of different living and housing opportunities create multiple benefits, including: 
    • enabling people to move around within their neighbourhood, staying in the same community over time as their lifestyle needs change
    • making subdivisions less susceptible to market shocks that can affect the demand from particular demographics (such as young families, empty nesters, or large families)
    • reducing the likelihood of crime, due to various residents being at home at different times, collectively keeping an eye on things at all hours of the day.
In addition, allowing for logical future changes provides further choice and future efficiencies for all.​

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Better Design Practice

  • Subdivision design should focus on the quality of lots, i.e. their suitability for intended use, not the number of lots. 
  • Subdivisions should provide for a variety of land uses (residential and non-residential) and land use types.  
  • ​Where residential development is located next to other activities (e.g. commercial or industrial), visual and amenity buffers should be used along the boundaries between sites, with buffers located mainly on the lowest value side of the boundary and accommodated through additional lot size.
  • Access to open spaces, views, and outlook areas are especially important for smaller lots, where there are less on-site alternatives.
  • Aim for a range of lot prices, types and sizes in all subdivisions, and ensure a range within any subdivision of 10 or more lots.
  • Subdivision design should consider how lots could be changed in the future (either combined or further subdivided).​

Rules of Thumb

1. Consider how lots bigger than approximately 650m2 could be designed to allow for further subdivision in the future.


In particular, consider the ability to provide for building platforms, access, privacy and neighbour amenity.

2. There should be a range of at least 20 per cent either side of the median lot area within a subdivision.


I.e. if the median lot size is 500m2, then the subdivision should provide a range of lot sizes from 400m2 to 600m2.
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