Boffa Miskell and Ngā Aho were key partners in its development, supported by contributions from mana whenua, government, academia, community organisations and practitioners across planning, urban design, landscape architecture, transport, public health, disability, youth, sport and recreation.
The project was highly collaborative, requiring workshops across central and local government to understand what would help these organisations in embedding active design into their everyday mahi.
The aim was to translate established urban design principles into an accessible resource that could influence decisions well beyond the design profession. By combining the evidence and leadership of Sport New Zealand / Ihi Aotearoa in addressing low and inequitable levels of physical activity with Boffa Miskell’s design expertise, the guide establishes a clear link between the quality of the built environment and community wellbeing. Its layered structure, practical applications and Aotearoa-based examples make this evidence relevant to decision makers, technical practitioners and communities alike, enabling each audience to understand its role in creating places that remove barriers to participation and support fairer opportunities for people to move in their daily lives.
Two key challenges required a carefully considered approach. Developing guidance for national use meant moving beyond Boffa Miskell’s usual place-based partnerships with local mana whenua while still ensuring that te ao Māori perspectives meaningfully shaped the work. Workshops with Ngā Aho, the national network of Māori design practitioners provided the breadth of expertise needed to develop guidance that would be relevant across Aotearoa.
Affordability was another important consideration, with Councils frequently identifying constrained funding as a barrier to change through the workshopping process. As well as looking to "best-practice", we also selected relatable case studies that demonstrate how active design can be incorporated through achievable, high-value interventions, including incremental improvements, better coordination of planned investment and simple changes to existing places, rather than always requiring additional funding or major new infrastructure. It was also important that these principles could be applied in existing neighbourhoods, not just where the opportunity arises in new public spaces and masterplans.
Boffa Miskell’s integrated, design-led thinking was critical in translating diverse research, mātauranga Māori and stakeholder perspectives into a coherent, practical and visually engaging guide that connects policy and strategy with tangible outcomes for people and place.
The completed guide provides a strong foundation for changing how activity and wellbeing are considered in shaping Aotearoa’s urban environments. It equips a wide audience with a shared basis for turning evidence into action, while demonstrating that meaningful change can be realistic, affordable and responsive to different contexts. Its ultimate value, however, will be measured through its uptake: how consistently it informs briefs, policies, investment choices and on-the-ground delivery. The next step is to build awareness and confidence so the guide becomes part of day-to-day mahi for practitioners across the spectrum. Boffa Miskell looks forward to supporting Sport New Zealand / Ihi Aotearoa in encouraging practitioners, agencies and communities to put its ideas into practice and learn from their application over time.
Read and download the Active Design Guide here
