Boffa Miskell supports the Urban Designers Institute Aotearoa
26 July 2024
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The Urban Designers Institute Aotearoa (UDIA) has been established to enhance the recognition and support given to urban design as a profession in Aotearoa New Zealand
Like similar professional Institutes, the purpose of the UDIA is to establish and promote consistency and transparency in urban design practice, which will benefit clients, decision-makers, other professionals, the public and ultimately, other urban designers. The UDIA will focus on urban designers as practitioners, rather than the topic of urban design as a matter of interest.
Tim Church, Partner and Urban Designer at Boffa Miskell is one of a small group of other senior urban designers who have worked over several years to establish the UDIA. He now sits on the UDIA Council as one of two Te Wai Pounamu | South Island representatives.
Tim says, “There’s been a lot of robust discussion over this time to clarify our purpose and prepare the necessary documentation for our new Institute to be well-respected from the outset."
By introducing accreditation to qualified and experienced Urban Designers, through a clear and robust registration process, the UDIA aims to reinforce the integrity of and confidence in the urban design profession along with aspirations to assist in professional education and mentoring.
To achieve further milestones the UDIA will:
- establish benchmark proficiency expectations for members;
- accredit qualified persons as a ‘Registered Urban Designer’;
- require members to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Code of Practice and associated professional standards;
- establish requirements for continuing professional development; and
- promote consistency and transparency in urban design practice.
“Boffa Miskell is highly supportive of this initiative and recognises the benefits that the UDIA can bring to our staff’s professional development and to the wider design community here in Aotearoa," says Stuart Houghton, Partner and Technical Lead | Urban Design.
"We have a large team of qualified and experienced urban designers who will be eligible for membership and we look forward to supporting their registration process”.
The UDIA seeks to complement rather than compete with existing built environment professional and interest group bodies including Te Kāhui Whaihanga | New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), Te Kōkoringa Taumata | New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI), New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects | Tuia Pito Ora (NZILA), Urban Development Institute of New Zealand (UDINZ) and Urban Design Forum Aotearoa (UDF).