The Kiwi dream dies reluctantly. The Prime Minister is no doubt right when he suggests that young people dismayed by the latest rise in house values should look at an apartment for their first step on the ladder. But an apartment is not the same. It is not a piece of land to call your own.
The dream of a house and section persists despite the fact so many urban households these days have little use for land. Children are less inclined to play outside. Computers and video games provide more fun inside. Houses have been enlarged to cover as much of the site as the planning code permits. Lawns and gardens have long since disappeared under concrete for double garage driveways, additional car parking, patios and maybe a pool.
Infants, whether their home is an apartment or a house, are as likely to be taken to public playgrounds for fresh air and physical exercise. The variety and design of public playground equipment, not to mention its safety features, are among today's unsung marvels. During the week, children are unlikely to spend much time at home indoors or out. Even pre-schoolers are in early education centres while both parents work.
All things considered, the young family may as well be in an apartment. They are likely to find their neighbours are immigrants from places where apartment living is the norm. Auckland's rapidly increasing Asian population, in particular, will be giving apartments good resale value. And it is not only Asia where inner-city apartment living is favoured over suburban houses. A person buying a first home in London, Paris or Sydney is probably more likely to be buying an apartment.
