RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER STUDIES
All neighbourhoods have a character that can be described, evaluated and improved in some way. In some cases the priority may be to respect existing neighbourhood character and in others the priority may be to transform the established character.
While the elements that contribute to the character of a local area or neighbourhood might seem obvious in some cases, unless it is expressed well in Development Plans, there is little guidance for better development outcomes. This is usually expressed in the form of a Desired Character Statement at the zone and policy area levels of Development Plans.
It is therefore becoming increasingly important that Development Plans recognise areas of different 'desired' character and explore opportunities to manage change in these areas. This has recently been the focus of many councils' attention arising from the roll-out of the State Government's Residential Development Code.
URPS has used its considerable experience in development assessment and policy planning to assist Walkerville and Campbelltown councils in preparing their submissions on the code to the State Government.
URPS has also prepared many residential character studies for both urban and regional councils. We have also had direct involvement in developing the Desired Neighbourhood Character Framework adopted by the Department of Planning and Local Government (previously Planning SA). More recently our work for the department as part of the 'Benchmarking the Better Development Plans Project' has confirmed that Desired Character Statements are one of the best ways to incorporate local policy in Development Plans.