Hobart Design Guidelines

The Hobart Design Guidelines are a new handbook created by the City of Hobart to help shape how our city looks, feels and works.

They're about making sure new buildings, streets and public spaces reflect what makes Hobart special – our connection to nature, our history, culture, local businesses and each other.

The guidelines are based on proven design principles and community input. They aim to protect Hobart's unique character while helping the city grow in smart, sustainable ways.

Importantly, they don't introduce any new laws or red tape – they're simply to guide good design and encourage better outcomes for everyone.

Hobart Design Guidelines(PDF, 24MB)

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Why do we need them?

Hobart's a great place to live, but as the city changes, we face some big challenges – like housing affordability, climate change and the need for more green space.

These guidelines will try to ensure new developments add to the things we love about Hobart, while also helping us deal with these future challenges.

Who are they for?

They're mainly for people designing and building in Hobart – like architects, planners and developers – but they're also there for anyone who care about how our city looks, feels and works.

How will they be used?

The Guidelines will be used in four main ways:

  1. to create a common positive language about the future of the city for the community, developers and government
  2. to inform future strategies and policies, in particular structure plans
  3. to inspire and guide the planning and design of public realm improvements, from streets to parks and playgrounds
  4. as part of the pre-application process for development applications, both on public and private land.

Hobart Design Guidelines Checklist

The Hobart Design Guidelines checklist is a tool to assist designers, developers and project managers in applying the Hobart Design Guidelines.

It is a quick way of making sure all principles and design guidance are considered in projects and developments. The checklist is to be read in conjunction with the Guidelines, as they provide a detailed explanation of the principles and the design guidance items.

Not all principles and design guidance will be as relevant in a project or development. Likewise, the design response to the principles and guidance may vary depending on the type of project or development, the context in which it is located, or the team involved.

Hobart Design Guidelines Checklist(PDF, 313KB)

A City on Country

Country is the tangible and intangible, the attachment and connection we have to the place we live, its landscape, its ecosystems, its people – everything under the sky, from Kunanyi / Mt Wellington to Timtumili Minanya / the River Derwent.

Planning, design and development can happen on Country in an authentic and regenerative way.

The City of Hobart has worked with Tasmanian Aboriginal consultancy Milangkani Projects, along with design consultant REALMstudios, to develop a practical guidance document, Nipaluna (Hobart) A City on Country.

The document deeply informs the Hobart Design Guidelines, and they should be considered together.

A City on Country(PDF, 13MB)

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