Agile Spatial Planning

The Spatial Planning Act 2023 has introduced a new framework for spatial planning in Aotearoa that is intended to better integrate a range of often siloed strategic planning functions of local and regional authorities under various other pieces of legislation. Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) prepared under this new legislation will have greater legal weight in subsequent decision-making processes with a detailed review and replacement only required every decade. Future spatial planning processes will also need to consider the potential implications of the Climate Adaptation Bill as well as National Adaptation Plans prepared under the Climate Change Response Act 2002.

As such, there is a need to ensure an RSS is informed by a robust evidence base that moves away from a "point-in-time" analysis to one that considers the dynamic environments in which our communities live. With this in mind, things planners will increasingly need to consider include:

• How do we ensure that the right land uses happen in the right places when those places are subject to a range of uncertain and dynamic scenarios over the long-term (e.g. relating to natural hazard exposure, demographic change or technological change)?
• How can our plans respond to changing risk tolerances in our communities off the back of extreme natural hazard events?
• How can we understand and appropriately compare potential trade-offs between competing national policy directives with variable qualitative and quantitative data sources?

Drawing on lessons learned in the preparation of Future Development Strategies under the NPSUD, this presentation examines the use of digital tools as part of an approach to agile spatial planning that could be applied to the development of Aotearoa's First Gen RSSs.