To address this need, the Manukau City Council (now part of Auckland Council) developed a Spatial Structure Plan (SSP) for improving and developing the city centre. Boffa Miskell produced two of the SSP documents, the Spatial and Landscape Analysis for Manukau City Centre (Vol. 2) and the Manukau City Centre Public Domain & Technical Manual (Vol. 4).

The Manual focuses on the public environments where people intermingle in the course of their various city centre activities. Such environments include streets, parking areas and public open spaces. Together, they are important in providing a cohesive, legible spatial framework in an urban area and an overarching urban character. A key element is their interface with built form.

The Public Domain Manual sets out a vision for the future development of the city centre through a three-dimensional concept that examines spatial relationships between built form and public space, as well as a complexity of other factors such as pedestrian and traffic movement, integration of public transport, community gathering places, design elements and public safety.

The future intended public domain character of five precincts is identified, together with strategies for enhancing and developing these precincts. The manual works down in scale from the precinct, to streets and open spaces, to ensure that the vision is carried through to its progressive implementation. A technical appendix contains supporting technical specifications and details about the design elements to guide consistent development in coming years.

Boffa Miskell worked closely with the Urban Design Group and other council divisions including traffic, parks and maintenance / operations to produce a concept that was both visionary and practical in its objective.

The Public Domain Manual will form the basis for assessing development proposals in the city centre. It will also inform the future Unitary Plan in conjunction with Precinct and Master Plans