The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) is calling for feedback on a policy proposal to put design at the heart of planning, create more beautiful buildings, better public spaces and leafier suburbs.
DPIE said its proposal, The Explanation of Intended Effect (EIE) for the Design and Place State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP), looked to consolidate and replace existing design-focused policies to ensure good design outcomes for any new major development.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes said the Policy Proposal represented a rare opportunity to re-shape the look and feel of NSW.
“The proposed policy helps shift our thinking away from only designing beautiful buildings to designing beautiful neighbourhoods,” Mr Stokes said.
“Under the proposal, new developments will now have to show how they respond and contribute to the surrounding area,” he said.
“We want to create places that have beauty and character; that are green, liveable and bring people together with access to open space and active transport connections.”
Mr Stokes said the policy would allow for innovation and creativity by giving designers and planners the ability to think outside the box and ensure that good design wasn’t stifled by prescriptive one-size-fits-all regulations.
“It will also set expectations for developers early on, providing more consistency, clarity and certainty which will help speed up the planning processes for good development,” the Minister said.
He said the proposed Design and Place SEPP would encourage greater innovation and design flexibility; greater housing diversity; consistent guidance for State and local design review panels; better public spaces through new targets; greener spaces with tree canopy targets, green roofs and walls; and development that minimises energy use and carbon footprint.
DPIE’s 103-page Policy Proposal, including information on how to have a say, can be accessed at this PS News link.
