Changing the way we build our neighbourhoods will change the way our residents enjoy their home, says Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise. Photo / Warren Buckland
OPINION
Napier has a housing problem. There’s simply not enough of it.
We’ve got a growing population and an economy that’s attracting more people to move their businesses, families, employees and lives here.
We have a need for affordable housing, homes for families, houses for first-home buyers and homes for single occupants. We must think hard and fast about how to accommodate more people, with the same amount of infrastructure and the same geographic space.
We also have a huge opportunity to make changes to our city’s blueprint – our District Plan – so that building a range of different types of new homes is more doable. We’re asking people to give us their views on the proposed District Plan now, so we know we’re putting the right things in the right places in the future.
It’s really important that we increase the range of housing options in our city and its surrounding suburbs. Many of our existing neighbourhoods have the capacity to accommodate more people.
By putting homes near schools, parks, commercial centres, health care and community facilities we can help make life easier for our residents. We can improve community connection, social capital, health and wellbeing.
We can support people’s desire to walk, cycle, bus and scoot instead of drive. It’s a practical and cost-effective solution because it makes full use of our existing infrastructure and it contributes to ensuring we have vibrant communities that everyone wants to be part of.
In our proposed District Plan we are suggesting that we introduce medium and high-density residential zones around commercial centres, around our main transport routes and away from natural hazards. It’s a proposal that will see our city grow up instead of out.
A “medium-density residential zone” would allow low-rise apartment-style living with two or three-storey terraced and standalone homes. We envisage “high-density residential zones” could be terraced homes and urban apartment living up to six storeys close to Napier city centre and Taradale town centre.
The layout and the design of our neighbourhoods directly affect wellbeing so it’s vital the rules within the high-density residential zone prioritise quality development alongside increased housing options. Denser areas bring more people, and having more people does have an impact.
As well as thinking about the number of homes, we need to think about sunlight, shade, privacy and noise. And we need to ensure our green spaces are abundant, well-kept and inviting.
Changing the way we build our neighbourhoods will change the way our residents enjoy their homes, their commutes, their recreation and their social time. It’ll build stronger, safer, more diverse, more vibrant and more connected communities. It will also require a mind-shift, away from the typical quarter-acre, single-storey, nuclear-family home towards new ways of living.
Historically, our suburbs predominantly offered detached single-family homes on substantial sections. Having only one type of housing stock limits the types of households a neighbourhood can accommodate. Sticking with homogenous housing stock restricts choice and limits options.
Traditional demographics around the make-up of households are changing. So is the way people want to live. Our population is also ageing. By providing for different types of housing, we are providing for different types of people and different ideas that’ll help create lively urban living.
As well as providing for smaller, denser housing, we want to provide for larger homes designed to accommodate multi-generational or communal living. These too have a crucial role in creating a community that welcomes everyone.
Our proposed District Plan is part of a national drive to improve the development of urban spaces. In the Government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development, Napier is mandated to contribute to “well-functioning urban environments” that allow for “denser housing in areas where people want to live, that are well-connected to jobs, transport and community facilities”.
If we don’t do our bit and support residential intensification, we risk having central government impose rules on us.
It’s far better for us to proactively look at changes we can make that reflect current and future housing wants and needs. Ensuring the people who live here stay in the decision-making seat is vital because this is our home and we deserve to have a say in how it evolves and grows.
As we round out the year, we are asking our community to think about the future.
What do you want housing in Napier to be like? Where can we accommodate more people and how?
If you live here, it’s vital you share your thoughts with us and contribute to Napier’s future through our submission process. It’s open at sayitnapier.nz until Friday, December 15.
Kirsten Wise is mayor of Napier.