When making the rules, planners think about factors such as:
- how much sunlight can get into homes and outdoor areas
- how many homes are needed
- how close buildings are to shops and other services
- buildings that are important because of their age or history
- how far apart buildings are
- views from the street and buildings are also considered
- the size of streets.
Tall buildings
The plan has 4 tall buildings. These are between 27 and 33 storeys high, which is similar in height to the existing Matavai and Turanga buildings in Waterloo north.
The tall buildings are located on the corner of:
- Kellick Street and Gibson Street
- Cope Street and McEvoy Street
- George Street and McEvoy Street
- McEvoy Street and the new Pitt Street extension.
The location of the buildings and how they can be positioned on the block will help to minimise the shadow from buildings falling on outdoor areas, existing homes and new homes. This will make sure that sunlight can come into homes and outdoor areas, such as court yards and parks.
To make day-to-day life easier for residents, the buildings are in areas that are close to services such as shops and transport.
Medium-rise buildings
Medium-rise buildings are between 6 and 13 storeys high. Most of the medium-rise buildings on the plan are 8 or 9 storeys and located in areas where streets are narrower.
These buildings are mostly positioned along the edges of the block with courtyards in the middle. This design gives people the benefit of having an outdoor area next to their home.
Some buildings along George Street, Pitt Street, Wellington Street, between George Street and Cooper Street, are up to 13 storeys high. These higher buildings are generally opposite parks to give homes a more open feeling, or in areas that are close to the main business areas, where buildings are usually taller.
Low-rise buildings
Low-rise buildings, between 2 and 5 storeys high, are mainly located in between medium-rise buildings. Lower rise buildings are usually in areas where streets are quieter, as the homes are closer to ground level and roads. The community facilities building in the park will also be low-rise.