Auckland Urban Design Panel 2020

Five consultants from the Auckland office have been named to the Auckland Urban Design Panel.

Emma Todd has 18 years’ professional experience ranging in scale from large rural, urban and coastal developments to site-specific projects including specialised residential developments, streetscape and public realm design, retail and commercial developments, parks and reserve design and planting, landscape ecology and ecological restoration. She has led the delivery of mixed-use housing projects and aged-care developments particularly in brownfield and greenfield sites.

Stuart Houghton is a qualified urban designer and registered NZILA landscape architect with over 15 years’ experience in New Zealand and the United Kingdom in both the public and private sector. This includes preparing urban design frameworks, structure plans, and site master plans; and strategic and conceptual design proposals for streets and public spaces. Stuart brings considerable experience in strategy and policy, design guidance, urban design and landscape assessment, and as an expert witness at council hearings.

Rachel de Lambert has over 33 years’ experience and is recognised for her skills in concept design, masterplanning, project consenting, and design leadership and review. Rachel has been involved in a many design and urban design forums and is current Co-convenor of the Auckland Urban Design Panel. She has undertaken review of, and provided recommendations for, the Christchurch Urban Design Panel at the request of Christchurch City Council. She is a member of the NZILA Tuia Pito Ora Auckland Branch Climate Change sub-committee.

Nick Pollard has a passion for delivering environments that are responsive to their contexts including the support good public realm outcomes, delivering efficiencies for urban form and infrastructure provision. He was a contributor to Auckland’s Unitary Plan at both the regional and district levels. Nick has a broad skill set and enjoys work with complex projects, multi-disciplinary teams, and in contested environments. He has appeared at council hearings, mediations and has also prepared evidence for the Environment Court.

Janine Bell is an experienced resource management specialist who has extensive knowledge and experience of statutory planning and local government processes. She principally works on urban land use and transportation projects. She has an excellent knowledge of the Auckland Unitary Plan, the Resource Management Act and its processes along with the Local Government and Reserves Acts. Janine is a regular Independent Hearing Commissioner for Auckland Council.

The Auckland Urban Design Panel (AUDP) plays a key role in improving the quality of the built environment across the Auckland region, through providing independent urban design advice

The AUDP offers pre-application advice to developers and council representatives on private and public developments; provide urban design advice to Council on large or controversial Council-initiated projects; and advises Council on on any proposed policy and statutory tools that have an urban design impact.

The AUDP is an independent advisory body and does not have statutory decision-making powers.