​Some of the typical design issues that arise in Landscape and Amenity environments include:

• Loss of important views of vistas within heritage areas or landscapes.
• Insufficient buffer between a heritage site and adjacent unsympathetic development.
• Adverse effects on heritage buildings or other places arising from enhancement of physical access or other Building Code compliance requirements.​

TROUBLESHOOTING RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Heritage constraints, considerations or opportunities are identified too late in the planning/design process. This can cause unanticipated costs or compliance requirements, delays, redesign requirements, unintended physical damage or other adverse effects.
• Undertake athrough site investigation processprior to any major design work, and emphasise the importance of this in the design brief. Local Boards should also review all site analysis reports prior to signing off any project plans.
• Generic or contemporary designs, colour schemes or planting proposals are incompatible with or detract from the heritage place and its surroundings.
• Review heritage documents and images to understand how the site looked historically, including colours and vegetation. While replication is not always possible, a planned approach should be in place - staying as true to the original theme as possible.
• Relationship of the place to its wider setting or landscape is lost.
• Identify which aspects of the relationship to the wider setting are most important, or could add most value to the park. In some cases there may be many relationships and in others only a few. Investigate what these relationships mean and how they could be expressed.
• Culturally insensitive co-location of activities, e.g. picnicking on wahitapu
• Engage with manawhenua and the local community to ensure particularly sensitive spots are respected. It may not be possible to identify specific important locations, but there may be general areas where eating, gathering or toilets are not appropriate.
• Over-restoration or non-authentic representations of heritage places
• This should be carefully managed and designed on a site by site basis. Interpretive signage panels can help provide background information about the approach taken to the site's design and restoration and why.​