Beyond the backlash: the case for denser, more connected Auckland

housing

Monday, 17 November 2025

Hobsonville Point in Auckland was deliberately designed to enable connectedness.

Auckland Council’s PC120 is a future housing plan which looks at housing intensification and resilience. It is open for public submissions until December 19.

Stuff Digital Property Editor, Jacqui Loates-Haver asked Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects’ Chief Executive Mark Abbot what the proposal means for the communities of Auckland.

Why does PC120 matter? Plan Change 120 is Auckland Council’s proposed update to how the city manages growth. Most of the discussion has focused on what it allows, how tall buildings can be, how dense neighbourhoods might become, and how close to transport hubs people can build.

Wynyard Quarter, Auckland is an example of masterplanning.

Those are important questions, but they miss the bigger opportunity to think about how new housing and neighbourhoods can actually work together. The proposal matters as it provides an opportunity to better manage how Auckland grows as a city, and to ensure growth produces communities where people want to live.

There’s a lot of talk about housing density, what’s the real issue? For years, we’ve treated housing density and affordability like a numbers problem, as if building more houses will solve the affordability challenge. But that approach ignores how neighbourhoods function day to day.

When housing goes in without the right planning for transport, schools, parks and community spaces, the costs don’t disappear, they shift. People end up driving further to get to work, shops or childcare. Councils face higher infrastructure bills, and communities start to push back against more development.

This is why masterplanning is so critical. It’s about connecting the whole picture, how homes, infrastructure and public spaces fit together, so we’re building lively and resilient communities, not just more houses.

What does masterplanning actually mean? It’s really about having a clear plan for how and where the city grows. A good masterplan looks beyond zoning maps and rules, by setting out what kind of neighbourhoods we want and how quickly they can develop.

Mark Abbot is the Chief Executive of Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects.

It puts structure around that growth, with clear expectations for quality design, local amenities, and places where people can live, work and spend time close to home. That makes it easier to build more homes in the right places, and to do it efficiently.

It should also make the most of what we’ve already got by encouraging the reuse of empty commercial sites and state-owned land near transport and services before we start expanding further out.

So, does this mean Auckland will be full of high-rise apartments? No, that’s one of the misconceptions. Nobody is talking about 15-storey towers on every suburban street.

This proposal allows a mix of housing types such as terraced homes, low- and mid-rise apartments, multi-unit developments, infill and villa conversions. What’s most important is making sure this mix is built in the right areas, close to jobs and public transport, and supported by the right infrastructure that allows each community to thrive.

Masterplanning gives everyone clarity - so councils, developers and communities all know where growth is heading and what it will look like – and that means better neighbourhoods and smarter investment for the city.

Hobsonville Point in Auckland was designed with a clear plan around housing mix, street layout and shared spaces.

You’ve spoken before about “building in before building out.” What does that mean? It’s about using and strengthening what we already have before pushing the city limits further out. Building near existing transport, schools and jobs makes life easier, cuts emissions and keeps infrastructure costs down.

Sprawling further out means councils have to fund more pipes, roads and services for fewer people, which drives up costs for all ratepayers.

Compact, well-planned growth does the opposite by making better use of what we’ve already invested in. The PC120 is a chance for us to refocus growth around well-connected areas, so development and investment work together.

Auckland inner-city character home owners are concerned new zoning laws will allow multi storied apartments into the neighbourhood.

Are there examples that show this approach actually works? Absolutely. We can see it here in Auckland already. Hobsonville Point is a great example of what happens when planning leads. A clear plan guided everything from housing mix and street layout to public transport, schools and shared spaces. The result is a real community, not just a subdivision, where people can live, work and socialise locally.

Wynyard Quarter shows the same principle through regeneration. It’s a dense, mixed-use area but it doesn’t feel overcrowded because the streets, parks and waterfront are designed to connect people to each other and to the city. It proves you can add homes and jobs while improving the quality of the environment.

Overseas, Melbourne’s long-term plan shows how compact growth can work when it’s backed by good planning. Its 20-minute neighbourhood model brings homes, jobs and services within easy walking distance, cutting traffic and improving daily life.

Carlsberg City in Copenhagen shows the same principle in action – its streets and courtyards fit more people in while protecting sunlight, green space and local character. These cities prove you can grow and still preserve liveability when masterplanning leads.

What about heritage, how does that fit in? Heritage is important – but it does not apply to every ageing building. Auckland’s heritage and its future don’t have to be in conflict.

With thoughtful planning, we can respect what’s important while still supporting the city to evolve. The key point is that we need to apply the same level of care to new development as we apply to what we want to keep.

How does resilience fit into good planning? The same way heritage does, it’s about thinking ahead. Major storms and floods have been a reminder that resilience isn’t written into policy, it’s built into the plan. The way streets handle water, how buildings face the sun, and where open space sits and connects, all dictate how well a city withstands challenges.

What’s your hope for this proposal? That we use it as a framework for smarter planning, not just a way to tick zoning boxes. This is a chance to get density right, to build homes and neighbourhoods that actually work for Aucklanders.