South Canterbury will be shaped and built over many years. We will oversee the project as a whole, including its streets, green spaces and shared facilities, while individual homes will be delivered by different housebuilders over time.
That raises an important question. How do we make sure the neighbourhood grows as a coherent, thoughtful place that sits comfortably within Canterbury’s character and landscape, rather than feeling pieced together or overly uniform as different phases come forward?
The answer is the Design Code.
The Design Code is a clear, illustrated set of guidelines that sits alongside the masterplan. It helps ensure that the original vision for South Canterbury – its streets, buildings, landscape and key public places – is delivered consistently over time, even as designs are refined and delivery partners change.
Put simply, it protects character, sets standards and helps turn intention into reality.
The Design Code has not yet been written. This article explains why it matters and how you can be involved as we work through its important details. (If you would like more background on what Design Codes are and why they are used, you can read our introductory article, Introducing the Design Code.)
What the Design Code covers – and what that means for South Canterbury
The Design Code for South Canterbury will set out clear guidance across four broad areas. Together, these will help ensure the neighbourhood feels joined up and coherent, while still offering the variety and individuality that give successful places their character.
Below, we explain how each of these areas applies specifically to South Canterbury.
1. The way buildings look and feel
The Design Code will create clear boundaries within which different designers can work. Its role is to avoid development that feels either repetitive or visually confused.
It will set guidance on building height, form and how buildings relate to one another, to streets and to the wider landscape. This includes how homes sit on sloping ground, how rooflines step with the land, and how views across the site are respected.
South Canterbury’s landscape and setting play an important role here. The Code will consider how built form responds to changes in level and how key views are maintained, so that the neighbourhood feels shaped by its surroundings rather than imposed upon them.
2. The character of different parts of the neighbourhood
South Canterbury is not intended to feel like a single, uniform housing area. The Design Code will support a neighbourhood made up of distinct parts, each with its own character, while ensuring they still relate to one another and to the surrounding area.
This will be expressed through the relationship between buildings, green spaces and the site’s edges. The Code will reinforce the principle that the neighbourhood should be shaped by its landscape first, with landform and green structure acting as the organising framework.
Where South Canterbury meets existing communities, the Design Code will place particular emphasis on boundaries. Planting, changes in level and the arrangement of buildings will be carefully considered so that new development feels like a considerate neighbour rather than a hard edge. We will explore these ideas further with those living closest to the site through focused conversations and events.
3. Streets, paths, parks and the places people meet
While the masterplan sets out the overall layout of streets, paths and green spaces, the Design Code focuses on how these spaces will look, connect and feel in everyday use.
This includes guidance on the character of different routes, from streets that need to accommodate buses and regular traffic to quieter streets and paths designed primarily for walking, cycling and social activity.
Junctions, crossings and gateways will be designed with a calm, pedestrian-friendly character in mind. Walking and cycling routes will weave through green spaces, connecting different parts of South Canterbury and linking the neighbourhood back into Canterbury more widely.
The Code will also identify key places that need particular care because of their wider community role. These include local centres, schools and sports facilities, where safety, comfort and ease of access are especially important. In these locations, the Design Code may set additional expectations around building placement, overlooking, seating, play-on-the-way features and the overall quality of the public realm.
4. Sustainability and long-term care
Sustainability within the Design Code is not treated as an add-on. It runs through how South Canterbury is planned and designed, from how people move around to how green spaces support nature and manage rainwater.
Green spaces are intended to do more than provide visual relief. They will help shape movement through the neighbourhood, create habitats for wildlife and play an important role in managing rainwater naturally.
Rainwater will be guided through planted channels, ponds and shallow features designed to slow water down and allow it to soak into the ground. This approach supports a landscape that changes with the seasons and feels natural and lived-in, rather than engineered.
Alongside this, the Design Code will support strong walking and cycling connections within South Canterbury and beyond, helping reduce reliance on cars and encouraging healthier daily routines.
Please get involved
The Design Code is not pre-written, and it should reflect what people value about Canterbury and its setting. Its purpose is to help ensure South Canterbury becomes a natural and positive addition to the area, shaped by its landscape and connected to its neighbours.
Over the coming months, there will be a range of ways to get involved, including guided walks, online questions, informal workshops and more formal consultation. We will also be speaking directly with people who live next to the site to discuss how boundaries and edges are treated.
Please keep an eye on the website for updates and upcoming events, and let us know if you would like to receive email updates as the work progresses.