Urban Design Panel

Whanganui's Urban Design Panel is an advisory panel which provides an independent design review of key developments in the town centre.

The aim of the panel is to promote and facilitate best practice urban design. The panel is made up of two experienced professionals – a heritage architect and an urban designer.  

Developers are encouraged to submit their plans for review by the panel prior to resource consents being lodged to enable design issues to be raised early on, and to contribute to a quicker, easier consent process.  

A decision to take projects to the panel is made by Council officers.  The panel will advise on projects of significant public interest, in locations in the town centre which are key to the identity of the town, and of a scale and complexity that would benefit from an independent design review. The panel is not a decision-making body for resource consent applications. However, Council staff can consider and incorporate the panel's advice into resource consent reports.