Urban transport planning drives innovative housing choices

Waiata Shores Development Transport Design and Consenting

Getting new neighbors is a common experience, but what if you find out you’re getting 3,500 new neighbors? This is where thoughtful solutions, traffic modeling, and consultation come in to move a major residential development forward. Waiata Shores is an innovative residential development within the Takanini/Manurewa suburb of Auckland. It provides a range of living options, helping to address Auckland’s residential affordability and supply issues.

While the need for housing was plainly apparent, so too were constraints on transport in the area due to a lack of connectivity. An additional challenge was the Great South Road’s close proximity to the Auckland Southern Motorway interchange, posing safety considerations for the design of this key intersection. In response, our multidisciplinary technical team considered the transportation effects of providing a range of living opportunities, some with reduced parking supply.

Working with the developer, Fletcher Living, we considered the transportation implications associated with a range of housing typologies appealing to low or no-car households such as young people or retirees. And what if there was less need to leave the development for food, entertainment, and services? Zoning for a supermarket, café, and a childcare center was included. These are now operational and contributing to the “whole-of-life” community approach at Waiata Shores, reflecting trends in lifestyles that are less car-dependent as primary transportation options.