The Time for Family Friendly Urban Densification?

The government’s national policy statement on Urban Development is designed to make it easier for developers to go up and out. Developers no longer need provide parking spaces and they may, in most circumstances, build as high as they like in metropolitan centres, and up to six storeys in town centres and within walking distance of rapid transport hubs. Note, this does not mean that they must build to six storeys. What is walking distance is yet to be made clear. It could be 500m, 800m or perhaps even 1500m. In addition, urban limits are to be more porous to allow cheaper homes at the rural urban boundary. These areas are less likely to be in walking distance to town centres and rapid transport hubs so are generally low rise stand alone houses – suburban family homes that are considered suitable for kids. In the middle of nowhere.

The goal for the centre is a “well-functioning urban realm” in which people can easily connect to jobs, shops, community services, like libraries, art galleries and nature spaces by active and public transport. This could mean affordable houses, climate change mitigation, more fun. The challenge is to ensure that we don’t just have apartments in the centre, and family homes and retirement villages on the edge of town leaving young people and parents isolated or dependent on cars to do anything bar going to work. Council (and therefore Auckland residents) are obliged to pay for extending the infrastructure network to new “affordable” developments when it is expensive enough maintaining what we have. However, while central government sets the rules, local government, developers and home buyers all play a key role in shaping a city that works for every age and stage.

There are some exciting developments coming through. Build to rents for young people are starting to be built in Central Auckland in great locations. Like upmarket hostels they offer longterm security of tenure and private bathrooms with the fun of shared spaces like rooftop lounges and ground floor cafes. Some commercial spaces, left vacant in the city centre are being converted into apartments, while other commercial companies based in villas may relocate to the centre, freeing up housing for families or flatting. Co-haus in Grey Lynn is modelling what affordable family homes can look like, as has Ngati Whatua whanau housing in Orakei. In both separate units adjoined to each other overlook shared safe garden space and take a communal approach with ongoing management led by the residents. Downsizers are embracing easy city living in the Wynyard Quarter. A number of people live in hotels full time. Covid has hit amazing new developments that were marketed to overseas investors. Perhaps they, along with some quiet airbnbs could be sold or rented to locals. I hope so.

The majority of new developments though are stand alone apartments for adults to be lived in or rented out. I am not seeing much family housing being offered in the place of the villas and bungalows that are replaced. Some townhouses come through, slotted next to each other with the only outdoor space a driveway. The economic realities of building can restrict the supply of homes as much as zoning rules around land.  If we are serious about tackling climate change this is not a path we want to go down.

Auckland Council has long tried to manage the offer of housing to ensure a mix within urban limits. Stand alone single home zones and heritage areas have often meant, in practice, family homes, but now that some stand alone home areas are potentially on the chopping block where they fall under the NPS, perhaps planners could swap in “family suitable housing zones” instead. Child-friendly planning guidelines are used in Vancouver - https://guidelines.vancouver.ca/H004.pdf. Family homes are clustered so kids can find each other and play together in the indoor/outdoor spaces provided, visible to parents at their kitchen windows. This could be a model we follow. Child friendly areas could include pedestrian-focused streets, with separate bicycle paths, like in Copenhagen, resulting in the vibrant, leafy and walkable streets that most people like, leading to the variety of urban activities that most people like to enjoy.

Cities with child-friendly guidelines that ensure a place for young and old, like Vancouver, Amsterdam, Singapore and Copenhagen, make life easier and kinder for everyone. It also seems that the four wellbeings – environmental, economic, cultural and social – flow together. When people’s needs are met, they have more to contribute to society as a whole. If these rules depresses land values a little, so be it – isn’t the point that housing becomes more affordable? Property developers have the skills and the courage to pivot when the ground rules are clear. It is the role of Auckland Council to insist on good outcomes in the new Auckland Unitary Plan otherwise the most vulnerable pay the price.