What this project is about
Town centres are central to everyday life in Kāpiti. They bring together local businesses, services, transport, community facilities, public spaces, events and places for people to meet.
They also help shape the identity and character of our towns and villages.
The Town Centres Planning Project looks at how seven centres across the district work today, the challenges and opportunities they face, and how they could develop over time. Draft principles for future directions are available for:
Draft principles for Paekākāriki, Paraparaumu Beach and Raumati are still being developed.
How this work fits together
The Town Centres Planning Project builds on two major pieces of work developed with the Kāpiti community. Together, they provide the foundation for this project.
Why town centres matter
Through Vision Kāpiti and other community engagement, people have told us they want town centres that:
have strong local identities and character
support local businesses and employment
provide places where people can gather and connect
offer more housing choice
have good walking, cycling and public transport connections
provide accessible public spaces, activities and facilities
are resilient and protect the natural environment
respond to growth in a way that meets community needs
are shaped through collaboration and local partnerships.
Why we are planning now
We want our town centres to be vibrant, well-designed and future-proofed places that support everyday life as our population grows by approximately 18,000 people by 2055. Recent changes such as Transmission Gully, the Kāpiti Expressway, significant new developments and several trends are reshaping our district.
What is changing in Kāpiti
Kāpiti is growing and changing. Population growth, changing lifestyles, new transport options, economic conditions and investment are all shaping what people need from our town centres.
These changes create opportunities to make town centres more accessible, connected, adaptable and attractive places for people to live, work, visit and spend time.
More people are choosing to live in Kāpiti
As the population grows, there will be greater demand for everyday services, amenities, businesses and places where people can meet and spend time.
Our population is getting older and more diverse
Town centres will need to be accessible, inclusive and able to adapt to changing community needs..
Housing and work patterns are changing
More housing in and around town centres can grow local businesses, services and employment.
Travel preferences are changing
Town centres will need to support walking, cycling and public transport, including new Ōtaki train services planned from 2030.
Retail patterns are evolving
Town centres can respond by creating attractive public spaces, supporting social activity and strengthening their unique local identities.
More people are choosing lower-carbon lifestyles
More connected, walkable and people-focused town centres can make it easier to get around without relying on a car for every trip.
Economic conditions are challenging
Partnerships between Council, businesses, landowners and other organisations can help support coordinated activity and investment.
Investment interest and activities are increasing
A shared direction can help guide future investment, so it contributes to wider community goals.
Council’s role
Council helps shape town centres in several ways, including as a regulator, investor, property owner, enabler and facilitator.
Most land, buildings and businesses in our town centres are privately owned, so their future depends on public and private investment working together.
The Town Centres Planning Project will help build a shared understanding of where each centre is heading, so future decisions can support each other rather than happen in isolation.
Explore the town centres
The project covers seven centres across the Kāpiti Coast District, each with its own role, identity, challenges and opportunities.
Draft future directions are available for Ōtaki Main Street, Ōtaki Rail, Waikanae and Paraparaumu central.
Work is still under way for Paekākāriki, Paraparaumu Beach and Raumati.
What’s involved
We’re working with iwi partners, advisory groups, businesses, developers, government agencies, neighbouring schools and the wider community to shape future directions and plans for Kāpiti town centres.
This work builds on Vision Kāpiti and forms part of wider planning for how the district will grow and change.
We looked at how each town centre works today and identified key challenges and opportunities.
Summaries of this work are available on each town centre page.
What we’ve heard so far
Across Vision Kāpiti and other community conversations, several common themes have emerged.
Challenges
People have identified challenges including:
ageing or underperforming town centre environments
investment happening in a fragmented way
vehicle-dominated environments in some locations
environmental and resilience constraints
the need to make town centres more attractive places to spend time.
People have also identified opportunities to:
strengthen the identity and character of each centre
attract new investment and activity
support more housing close to services and transport
improve public spaces
create better walking and cycling connections
support local businesses and employment
strengthen connections with natural features and open spaces
We’re developing and testing draft future directions for how each centre could grow and change.
Draft principles for future directions are available for:
Paraparaumu central
Ōtaki Main Street
Ōtaki Rail
Waikanae.
Work is continuing for:
Paekākāriki
Paraparaumu Beach
Raumati.
We’ll explore different ways each centre could develop over time with input from each local community and prepare draft town centre plans.
We’ll seek community feedback on future opportunities and priorities for actions to bring the shared vision to life.
This work can help inform future Long-term Plans, infrastructure planning and investment decisions.
Any improvements identified through the project would still need to go through Council’s usual planning, funding and consultation processes.
Work already under way
Town centre planning and investment has been under way in Kāpiti for many years.
As the Kāpiti Expressway and Ōtaki to north of Levin Expressway changed the role of the former State Highway 1 route, Council worked with partners and communities to improve streets, public spaces and town centres.
Recent and current work includes:
Paraparaumu masterplan, which guides long-term improvements to the town centre
Mahara Place upgrades and improvements to Toi MAHARA in Waikanae
The Town Centres Planning Project builds on this work by looking further ahead and creating clearer directions for future planning, investment and development.
How to get involved
There will be more opportunities to help shape the future of Kāpiti town centres as the project progresses.
Future engagement will help inform town centre plans, priorities and actions.
For questions about the project, email [email protected].