Development Response

Development Response is a proactive people-first approach that keeps construction impacts front of mind and makes meaningful changes to prevent or mitigate disruption while delivering for Auckland.

Our city is changing - better connected public transport and resilient future-proofed infrastructure, transit-oriented development, private sector projects and public realm improvements signal an exciting future and will support the creation of more homes, more jobs and economic growth.

Quick links

Development Response deep dive

Tools, tips and templates

These changes can also pose significant challenges for nearby businesses, residents and visitors. For many, it means noise, detours or changes to daily routines. For small businesses, it means reduced foot traffic, operational and access adjustments, and a confusing streetscape that makes it difficult to attract customers and keep things running smoothly. 

Project teams are under pressure to deliver improvements on time and to budget, while expected to maintain a viable business centre, a comfortable place to live and a vibrant city with minimal disruption.

By taking the time to build a thorough understanding of neighbours' needs, operations and concerns and by continuously reviewing and adapting to find solutions, we can avoid or mitigate the often serious impacts of construction work.

The ideal outcome is a successful, no-surprises project and a community that feels heard, involved from the beginning, prepared for what’s coming and ready to embrace the completed space.

A Development Response toolkit

We have collected a toolkit intended for public service professionals, project leads and contractors. Its goal is to help you understand what Development Response is; it's core principles and the activities and outputs that form a complete process. You will find useful guides and resources to help you integrate Development Response into your projects.

See the Toolkit here

The Development Response Approach

Development Response is a mindset woven through every stage of a project. placing the needs of communities alongside traditional project outcomes.

It supports successful project management by reducing issues, building trust, and strengthening community buy-in and Councils reputation.

Being informed and proactive - by understanding the local context and anticipating impacts, plans can be adapted to align project delivery with the needs of the people and place.
Development Response is more than stakeholder management - it is a two-way relationship with businesses and residents, with lasting benefits beyond the life of the project.

Development Response is collaborative. It works best when everyone gets involved, and each role bringing new perspectives to help shape the outcome.

The Elements of Development Response

The practice of Development Response is made up of a variety of activities at different phases of a project.

The core element of Development Response is understanding impacts. Knowledge gained here informs early decisions, is continuously reviewed and feeds into all the other components of the Development Response approach.

Read about the Elements of Development Response and find out what makes the most difference.

Embedding Development Response into projects

Need advice, help or troubleshooting?

Have some ideas, lessons learned or success stories?

Get in touch:
citycentre@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Delivering Development Response

This online toolkit is a collection of tools, tips and templates to support you to identify what approaches might be relevant to your project and the context in which it's being delivered.