If you are overweight and travelling to China in the summer, take a pair of shorts. Although Shanghai is the consumer Mecca of the modern world, tall, fat men are not well catered for despite thousands of clothing stores.
It is the only restriction. The inner city touts are persistent and their offers escalate quickly: from a cheap watch to a good time in a single breath.
Shanghai, where I've now become resigned to wearing heavy Auckland apparel in the clammy heat, is providing a glimpse into Auckland's future. A quarter of our city is Asian and this percentage is rising. Add to this Len Brown's drive towards higher urban density and the future becomes clear.
The 39,000 proposed houses is a distraction, as is Maurice Williamson. The man running the city is Comrade Brown. His Unitary Plan is moving with the demographic tide.
Asians do not migrate to New Zealand to return to apartment living but it is what many are accustomed to and the vibrancy and community of an urban Asian city has its appeal. Importantly, the skills and capital needed to develop these inner-city complexes and associated infrastructure already exist in cities like Shanghai. The commercial opportunities are obvious.
