Paul Walbran: It takes time to get sort of city we want

Like the slow but determined creep of middle-aged spread, for several decades urban sprawl has been pushing Auckland's metaphorical waistline further and further out as we grapple with growth.

To many people the term "urban sprawl" might seem to have sprung to the fore in recent years as new developments rise across Auckland at an apparently escalating rate.

But sprawl is nothing new. Even back in the 1930s Auckland residents witnessed the sprawling suburbs of Mission Bay, Kohimarama and St Heliers take shape as Tamaki Drive opened up access to new areas for development. The construction of the motorway system joined the separate townships of Papakura and Manurewa into one connected urban form.

Auckland's growth reflects a worldwide trend towards urbanisation. More people live in cities today than lived in the entire world in 1950. Of the three people born somewhere in the world each second, two are born in cities. By 2025 two-thirds of humanity will live in cities.

For the past 12 months the Auckland region has been growing at an average of 71 people every day, or one person about every 20 minutes - a new North Shore City in the Auckland region every eight years.

To accommodate this increase in population requires 24 new households every day, or nearly 9000 a year. This translates into the need for more than 1000ha of additional land a year at today's urban densities.

There is little we can do to stop the growth in population (65 per cent has come from natural increase), but we can do something about the extent to which Auckland sprawls and how it develops as a region.

Compact development is a concept relatively new to Auckland, yet it is beginning to be seen in some of the apartment blocks being built in the central city, and in some of the terraced housing in suburban centres.

A more compact urban area is the main component of the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy being implemented by all the councils of the region.

Rather than have infill housing throughout the entire urban area, redevelopment and intensification will be focused in specific areas, particularly around town centres and transport routes. This is what is beginning to happen in areas such as Newmarket and Takanini.

Auckland's car-based transport system has a variety of harmful environmental effects and is reaching capacity in many areas. It is, therefore, essential to integrate transport and land-use planning in a more sustainable way.

Auckland's sprawling low-density form is not ideal for the development of public transport. But that very form is the reason public transport is required to reduce trips, distances covered, air and water pollution, and to enhance accessibility.

Selective intensification around town centres, railway stations and transport centres will increase the viability of passenger transport and encourage walking.

What will be important in a more compact urban area is good urban design, including good-quality open space and the protection and enhancement of natural features.

In a survey of people who live in medium-density housing, the Auckland Regional Council found that residents were happy with their housing choice but had a number of concerns, particularly about construction standards and design matters.

There have been a number of barriers to good design in Auckland, such as the lack of a history of successful models of intensification, the lack of necessary skills and experience among the development industry, difficult lot sizes and shapes.

Trade-offs are common. For example, the developer wants density, the neighbour wants privacy; the residents want views and aspect, the community wants a good relationship to the street and neighbourhood.

This highlights the need for flexibility within higher-density zones to negotiate the best outcomes.

The regional council and the councils of the region collectively are tackling the issue of poor-quality development, which is recognised as a major obstacle for successful intensification. With a review of the Unit Titles Act and Building Act under way, councils are pushing for greater certainty on the issue of quality.

The provision (or not) of regional infrastructure is a key influence in the overall pattern and direction of regional development. It is an important tool to implement any growth and transport strategies and can influence the location, type and timing of growth.

Infrastructure investment must be co-ordinated with other regional strategic planning concerns. A lack of co-ordination between infrastructure providers and other agencies responsible for urban development increases the likelihood of harmful effects and inefficiencies.

Neither should the funding and provision of regionally significant infrastructure promote growth patterns at odds with the vision, outcomes and principles of any adopted growth strategy.

Not all the growth can be accommodated within today's urban area. So the strategy provides for 30 per cent of growth in areas such as Orewa, Albany and East Tamaki. Development in these areas will need to be carefully managed to minimise any harmful impacts on the environment.

The growth strategy has placed considerable emphasis on providing choices for people. Not everyone wants to live in suburbia, just as not everyone wants to live in an old villa in the central city or even terraced housing. Most people will still have the opportunity to live in traditional houses if they so wish.

Multi-unit housing, such as terraces, townhouses and apartments, will make up 30 per cent of the future housing stock, compared with 12 per cent now.

Auckland is changing to a new urban form and we need to recognise and meet the challenges. It has changed considerably in the past 50 years and will continue to change. The Auckland the strategy talks about is an Auckland in 50 years' time.

Achieving this vision will not be quick. It may be another 20 or 30 years before the regional growth strategy begins to deliver the urban form described. It is not about growth or sprawl or intensification, it is about ensuring we get the type of city we want, rather than leave it to chance.

* Paul Walbran chairs the Auckland Regional Council's regional strategy and planning committee.