Following on from our 2012 submission, we’re excited to see that we’ve influenced the Government’s thinking about apartment design and the need for better integrating storage space for items like bikes.  We’re calling for your ideas with view to further improving the Policy.

PlanningNSW has just released an summary of its draft SEPP 65 Policy which aims to improve the design quality of residential flat buildings in NSW.  (You can read a slightly more detailed review of the changes proposed here and the fine detail of the existing (2002) Policy here.)

BIKESydney has long recognised that the design of apartments, and in particular the lack of suitably-located  storage for bicycles, has been a key determinant of whether people choose to cycle for local trips.  Imagine if the masses were presented with their bike as they walk out their front door…

Click on the image below or go to our Submissions page (look for the Feb 2012 entry) to read our 2012 Submission.

In our earlier submission we called for the design layout of apartments to include central, convenient and accessible storage for bicycles at and even within the home so that the bicycle is “front of view” at the critical trip-mode decision time.  Taking the car is so often the result of a reflex grab of the keys on the kitchen bench.

It appears that the updated draft Policy has picked up on our idea of providing better storage, which will have the effect of bringing a great number of those bikes that currently lie “hidden” on the balcony or garage into view.

While we’re at it, props to the Planning NSW for rescinding the requirement for development to include a minimum number of internal car parking spots for dwellings within 400m of public transport hubs.

We’re calling for your assistance to help us audit the updated Policy against our earlier submission.  We hope this will appeal to Planners and Designers and anyone with an interest in better urban design.  We’re really keen too for the graphical design of our submission to match the quality of our earlier one.   People are far more inclined to read an attractively presented document.  Please let us know if you can assist us.

Once done, BIKESydney will make another (simple) submission to PlanningNSW with view to winning yet more cycling outcomes.  PlanningNSW needs another nudge to have the Policy include things like street-access entrances and the mandating of minimum bicycle parking rates for developments.

The task here is simple, quick and fun and hopefully will encourage your creativity around improving dwelling design to increase riding as an option for local trips.  (This initiative backs up our efforts over the years to have Councils amend their other urban design policies including Development Control Plans (DCP’s) and Local Environment Plans (LEP’s).  (Refer to our Submissions page.)

Please get in touch if you can assist or just add your ideas in the comments below.  We’ll catch these up before we submit.

The deadline for new submissions is 31 October 2014.

Get in touch at cityride@bikesydney.org

It’s great to see that things CAN be influenced, yeah? Why not be part of that change?