Good urban design is fundamental to the creation of successful towns.

Urban Design Principles

The Council anticipates that new development will be of a high standard, providing good amenity for new and existing residents alike.

The Council produces several documents to outline how well-designed development can make our townships better and more pleasant places to live and provide a range of housing and lifestyle choices.

The Council signed the New Zealand Urban Design Protocol in September 2008. The Protocol has been produced by the Ministry for the Environment and aims to make New Zealand’s towns and cities more attractive and successful through quality urban design.

Latest News

On 9 December 2025, the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) introduced the replacement of the Resource Management Act (RMA) with two new pieces of legislation:  the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. The MfE have released a comprehensive overview of the legislative reforms and their impact.

These legislative reforms will have a significant impact on urban design and development in New Zealand, as they include provisions related to land-use planning and natural resource management.  Urban design will require quick adaptation and development of new strategies that align with the new Bills, addressing the urgent need for sufficient housing and infrastructure while promoting sustainability.

Urban Design Policies and Guides

Residential Development Design Guide 

The Residential Development Design Guide is intended as a supplementary document to the provisions in the Selwyn District Plan and linked to the Engineering Code of Practice.

The version available on this webpage will be the sole controlled version. Users are therefore expected to be familiar with and refer to this as the latest version of the Residential Design Guide.

Residential Development Design Guide Summary

The Residential Development Design Guide Summary is a supplementary document to the Residential Development Design Guide. It summarises the identified principles, outcomes, and key considerations for each of the urban scales.

Commercial Design Guide - 2012 New Zealand Planning Institute Best Practice Award Winner

The Commercial Design Guide is a guide to high-quality and attractive commercial development and complements Plan Change 29.  The guide is under review and expected to be updated early in 2026.

For further information please contact us on phone 0800 SELWYN (735 996) or email urban.design@selwyn.govt.nz