# Kāinga Ora Design Guidelines — Masterplanning for Universal Design, version 1.2 - Document ID: doc-0166 - Publisher: Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities - Source document/publication label: April 2024 - Physical pages in preserved original: 31 - Original capture/access label: June 2026 - Primary evidence reviewed: 10 October 2026 [Preserved original](/pdfs/2024%20-%20Kainga%20Ora%20-%20Masterplanning%20Universal%20Design.pdf) · [Primary source](https://kaingaora.govt.nz/assets/Publications/Design-Guidelines/Masterplanning-for-Universal-Design.pdf) ## Synopsis Version 1.2 masterplanning guide using destination proximity, street-level personas and Safe, Obvious and Step-free checks to identify and improve accessibility. ## What this document contributes Kāinga Ora’s April 2024 version 1.2 guide shows how to add universal-design layers to neighbourhood masterplans. It distinguishes proximity to amenities from the accessibility of the routes reaching them, using an eight-year-old child, a wheelchair user and a blind adult as design personas. Safe, Obvious and Step-free checks inform maps, home locations, street interventions and delivery agreements. The 31-page A3 guide also addresses audits, maintenance and construction-stage access. It explicitly supplements detailed technical specifications and co-design rather than replacing them. Kāinga Ora’s 17 May 2024 weekly report confirms publication, but current PDF retrieval returned a security challenge, so live byte identity or a newer edition was not established. Guidance does not prove completed accessible developments. ## Contents - Introduction, intended users and guide limits (pp.3–4) - Universal design background (pp.5–9) - Proximal and street-level accessibility (pp.10–12) - Mapping, home location, street design, SOS and personas (pp.13–25) - Change management and delivery checks (pp.26–27) - Supporting references (pp.28–30) ## Substantive findings - The preserved cover identifies version 1.2, April 2024, designed for A3 viewing; physical/printed count is 31, rather than the catalogue’s 67 pages. - Kāinga Ora’s weekly report for 17 May 2024 says the guide was published the previous week and refined in-house with feedback from over 120 people. This confirms publication by that report date, not an exact first release day (weekly report physical p.3). - Proximal accessibility measures distances and travel connections to destinations; street-level accessibility examines whether people can actually use links and crossings. Nearby services alone do not establish an accessible route (pp.11–12). - Three personas assess links and crossings: an eight-year-old child, wheelchair user and blind adult. They are design exemplars, not a comprehensive assessment of every older person’s needs (pp.12,21–24). - Safe, Obvious and Step-free (SOS) checks cover speed/separation, width, surfaces, hazards, lighting, wayfinding, transport, directness and gradients. Treat the 2024 checklist as guidance and check current technical requirements separately (pp.19–20). - Accessible-home location planning favours flatter sites, proximity to amenities and public transport, while documenting which sites and routes can achieve universal-design outcomes (p.17). - The guide recommends local-authority partnerships, delivery agreements, qualified audits, site visits, maintenance and accessible temporary traffic management during construction (pp.26–27). - It does not replace best-practice guidance or co-design and does not provide a complete detailed site specification. Current primary PDF byte comparison was unavailable because retrieval returned a security challenge; withdrawal or a changed edition is not inferred (p.4). ## Uses and implications Use the framework to audit an older person’s complete journey from home to services, identify inaccessible links and specify accountable masterplan/delivery actions. Pair it with co-design and current local technical specifications. Intended readers: Urban and transport planners; Housing development and procurement teams; Councils and accessibility advocates. - Ask about both distance to amenities and whether the whole route is safe, clear and step-free. - A guide or design promise does not confirm that a particular property, crossing or temporary construction route is accessible; check actual conditions. - Keep accessibility decisions visible through planning, contracts, construction and maintenance. - Use representative personas alongside co-design; a limited persona set cannot establish universal usability for all older adults. - Development teams can map access gaps and write measurable delivery conditions; quoted value/cost-neutral claims are not independently evaluated project returns. ## Identity, dates and provenance Cover/version date: April 2024. PDF technical metadata: 29–30 April 2024, not release dates. Primary weekly report dated 17 May 2024 confirms publication the previous week; exact first public-release day unverified. Evidence review: 10 October 2026. The original PDF, filename and June 2026 capture label are preserved. SHA-256: `8b0c87a99804eb66f68a6f9a9e33f2956a2512545ae2c9dd0aa3c2808e87a0a0` (3,554,057 bytes). Current byte comparison was not possible: direct guide retrieval returned an Incapsula security-challenge HTML page, while web open reported 404 and indexed primary text remained available. This is a retrieval limitation; withdrawal or a new version is not inferred. The primary 17 May 2024 weekly report independently confirms the guide and its framework. ## Evidence limits April 2024 version 1.2 design guidance, not current law, a detailed compliance specification, project completion evidence or individual housing entitlement. Persona/checklist outputs require co-design, expert assessment and current technical standards. Primary weekly report corroborates publication; current guide retrieval returned a security challenge and web open404, so live byte identity/newer-version status was not established. This does not demonstrate withdrawal. ## Primary sources - [Primary source 1](https://kaingaora.govt.nz/assets/Publications/Design-Guidelines/Masterplanning-for-Universal-Design.pdf) - [Primary source 2](https://kaingaora.govt.nz/assets/Publications/Weekly-report-to-the-Minister/Kainga-Ora-Weekly-Report-17-May-2024.pdf) Repository fixture `artifacts/research/housing-source-audit-2026-10-10.json` records original hashes/full page evidence, primary-source comparisons, date precision and retrieval limits.