Walking SA, together with the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, support the intent of the Draft Engineering Requirements for Land Division to promote good design and deliver clearer, more consistent standards. However, in their current form, the documents do not adequately align with key State policy frameworks or fully support genuine delivery of walkable, healthy and liveable places.

We recommend:

• A stronger line of sight with the intent and outcomes of the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan and the Planning and Design Code, ensuring the new standard is a practical tool to implement liveability, open space and universal access aspirations.
• Embedding established best-practice strategies for walkable communities, in particular DIT’s Active Travel Design Guide and the Heart Foundation’s Healthy by Design Guide.
• Road designs that deliver low speed (30km/h – 40km/hr) residential environments as envisaged in the Planning and Design Code for Master Planned Neighbourhoods.
• Clearer alignment to greening outcomes of the Urban Greening Strategy for Adelaide, including the broad 30% tree canopy target, and DIT’s Green Infrastructure Commitment target of 50% mature tree canopy cover to all active transport paths.