Te Āhuru Mōwai – Vision Framework

Nomination statement

The Te Āhuru Mōwai Vision Framework is a long-term master planning and urban design strategy guiding the regeneration of over 920 homes across 56 hectares in Western Porirua and Tawa. Rather than prescribing a fixed masterplan, it establishes an enduring vision, strategic structure and decision-making toolkit that can respond to change over time while remaining grounded in kaupapa Māori values and whānau wellbeing. At its core, the framework reframes housing regeneration beyond numerical uplift or asset replacement, positioning housing, neighbourhoods and landscape as interdependent systems that nurture people, restore relationships with whenua and wai, and deliver long-term social, cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing. Developed in partnership with Ngāti Toa Rangatira, the framework is grounded in Te Ao Māori and guided by Te Whare Tapa Whā. Wellbeing is treated as the primary lens for all decisions, with personas developed alongside Te Āhuru Mōwai kaimahi embedding lived experience across generations. Structured around five key moves and a staged programme of actions, the framework integrates design intuition with rigorous analysis, including superlot assessments, yield modelling, accessibility testing and typology studies. As a living framework, Te Āhuru Mōwai provides clarity of direction while enabling adaptation. It offers a nationally significant model for wellbeing led, kaupapa anchored regeneration capable of enduring beyond political cycles for generations to come.