City Centre Framework

The City Centre Framework coordinates public and private investment and identifies strategic development sites within the city centre.

Along with the central business zone provisions in the District Plan, the framework provides a holistic approach for managing and developing Palmerston North's centre. It has a medium to long-term focus for investment, and provides context and guidance for the city's placemaking initiatives.

City Centre Framework objectives

The framework came out of the Urban Design Strategy and aims to:

  • communicate a vision for development in the city centre that allows private investors to leverage off Council spending
  • identify strategic development sites and opportunities associated with each site
  • coordinate public investment in the built environment, streets, and open spaces in the city centre
  • provide direction for how public investment should be designed and implemented for each city centre project.

Key directions and elements

The framework has 10 key directions that provide strategic guidance for existing and future initiatives in the city centre. These help to express the aspirations and intent of the Urban Design Strategy, and how the city centre can contribute to a vibrant, caring, innovative and sustainable city.

The 10 key directions for delivering the City Centre Framework are:

  • Streets for People
  • Connectors
  • Nature in City
  • Embracing Education
  • Integrating Arts
  • City of Culture
  • Play in the City
  • Activity for People
  • Entrance Experience
  • Memories, Stories and Heritage

Placemaking involves careful attention to all the elements in a city, from city life and built form, to the street network and open space network. The City Centre Framework describes these elements in Palmerston North's city centre, and illustrates the design principles that relate to them.

Strategic development sites

The framework highlights strategic development sites where it might be beneficial to have special design guidance or controls, to deliver the vision set by the Urban Design Strategy. A draft strategic development site brief is available for each site.

City Centre Framework 2013(PDF, 7MB)

Strategic Development Sites for Palmerston North 2013(PDF, 3MB)