More Urban Density Please

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New Zealand's cities are facing a crisis. One that its residents are choosing to brush under the carpet, making their own futures more complicated. 

What's Wrong?

Housing affordability. Actually, the situation has gone well out of control and except the rich and settled, common folk are not being able to live in many of New Zealand's cities anymore. 

And there is good reason. In 2019, New Zealand's city Tauranga was in the top-10 list of the world's most unaffordable cities. Hamilton became more expensive than Brisbane, though wages in Hamilton are 30% lower in comparison. 

Queenstown became more expensive than Melbourne and Auckland is pretty much out of reach for most New Zealanders. 

But Why?

A seductive, seemingly innocuous policy is responsible for this disaster - the single dwelling unit, defined as a single dwelling not attached to any other dwelling or structure (except its own garage or shed).

In layman's terms, bungalows with sprawling lawns, backyards, the works. While that might sound harmless, cities in New Zealand have declared outskirts around all major cities as single dwelling unit zones. 

So, to live there, you need to be able to afford a bungalow, or stay out. 

Has The Trend Stopped?

Quite the opposite. The single dwelling zone stands by uninterested and unmoved. In fact in most cities, it's growing.

In Auckland, 36% of all residential land within a 5km radius of the city centre is zoned single dwelling. In Tauranga, the number is a 🤯 91%. 👀 - Mumbai and Delhi.

Where's It Going?

With land prices going 5x in some New Zealand cities in just a span of 20 years (compared to a 2x wage growth only), the sinister nature of the single dwelling policy has contributed to a toxic mix of rapid house price growth and costly transport receipts, as infrastructure solutions attempt to jump large swaths of bungalow living. 

Is There A Work Around?

Geoff Cooper, PWC, feels that our cities are no longer exhibition halls but collages. Only policies that encourage flexibility open our cities to the possibility of spaces that are constantly improved upon, reinvented and reimagined.

Without flexibility, there is no modern New York, no reinvented Brooklyn, no waterfront Vancouver.

Cities need flexibility to evolve and our policymakers need to give it to them.