2025 SAG Award Winners

Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities

Project Goal

In Aotearoa New Zealand, transport is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Kainga Ora, responsible for managing over 75,000 state house properties in Aotearoa
New Zealand, has identified tenant-related transport as a major emissions source. Its Emissions Reduction Plan aims to contribute to limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees by reducing tenant transport emissions at key decision points. To prioritise developments near public transport, jobs, education, retail, and greenspaces, Kainga Ora partnered with Beca to create the Amenity Access Tool. This tool assesses properties' access to essential amenities and their associated transport emissions. The project aligns with ‘20-minute Cities’ principles, promoting liveable neighbourhoods and sustainable transport options. 

Business Problem Solved

Accessible neighbourhoods improve health outcomes and reduce transport emissions, but integrating these benefits into organisational decision-making is challenging due to disparate and qualitative data. To address this, Kainga Ora and Beca developed a geospatial tool, to enable rapid quantitative assessments of amenity access across its property portfolio and future site locations. The tool identifies areas with high or low amenity scores, helping predict transport emissions and health outcomes. Sites with excellent access are less likely to increase emissions, while those with poor access may contribute to higher emissions and poorer health outcomes. The Amenity Access tool enables Kainga Ora to embed climate considerations into business processes, from strategy and planning to investment decisions at the site level.

Technology Implemented

Kainga Ora, with Beca, used open data from local councils to create nationwide datasets of amenities like supermarkets, schools, clinics, greenspaces, and public transport routes. Data from Esri REST endpoints was collated in ArcPro for analysis. Using Esri’s Network Analysis toolbox and the StreetMap Premium road network, walking catchments were generated at 5, 10, and 15-minute walking distances, scored quantitatively, then applied to each Kainga Ora property. High scores indicated proximity to multiple amenities. A nationwide hexagonal grid was developed to assess amenity access separate to existing Kainga Ora properties, creating a heatmap to help prioritise future developments. Esri’s Experience Builder visualised results via an interactive application on Kainga Ora's portal, facilitating insights through maps, filters, graphs, and panels. The project automated large datasets using Esri tools to provide an easy scoring system based on amenity access affecting transport emissions.

Development Team Biography

Samantha Meyer, a senior sustainability advisor at Kainga Ora, provides strategic and technical services for infrastructure and transport projects.

Tom Kane, Manager of Sustainability and Climate Strategy, leads the sustainability strategy at Kainga Ora, focusing on reducing transport emissions through informed development decisions.

Kirsten Fryer, Geospatial Advisor, oversees GIS operations and the future GIS strategy at Kainga Ora, managing the collaboration with Beca and delivering expert geospatial advice to achieve impactful outcomes.

Josie Hawkey, GIS Associate at Beca, project managed the Amenity Access Tool delivery, developing methodology and actionable insights using ESRI technology.

Jaime Smith, GIS Specialist at Beca, handled analysis and workflow automation for the tool while configuring it to highlight key insights.

Together, they leveraged geospatial and sustainability expertise to support climate friendly planning and transport emission reductio