ER26 Mixed-use urban planning and development (December 2017)

Mixed-use development is often perceived as the path towards a sustainable city by encouraging more sustainable travel behaviour and lowering car dependency. In this study, different aspects of mixed-use development were investigated, including density of development, diversity of land use, social (and cultural) diversity, design, distance accessibility and public transport accessibility.

An empirical study was conducted in Christchurch to identify important factors that councils, planners and architects need to consider to make mixed-use neighbourhoods attractive to residents of Christchurch and its surrounding districts.

Further investigation is needed to identify the preferences of residents of other cities (e.g. Wellington and Auckland), as their preferences might differ from those of residents of Christchurch. It would then be possible to assess whether there is a need to develop city-specific mixed-use guidelines or whether a national mixed-use guideline would suffice.