Local board votes for widespread intensification in Auckland's central suburbs. Debate erupts over future of Auckland's central suburbs.
Image: Auckland housing pictured from Mt Eden. RNZ Moring Report. Diego Opatowski. 3 July 2026
Residents of Auckland's leafy central suburbs have come out swinging against a plan that could see 15-storey apartment blocks next to the historic villas and bungalows in places like Mount Eden, Kingsland and Epsom.
Not only did the proposal come under fire for removing the special character status of nearly 500 homes in the area, some residents said with the flood risk it would create a death trap owing to ailing water infrastructure.
This story was corrected on 3 July - it should read 500 special character status homes, not 5000.
Plan Change 120 targets the wrong suburbs to create affordable housing - Helen Clark
Along with more than 20,000 other Aucklanders, I live in what is known as a character home, a house which has been identified for a long time as one of a number of special heritage properties.
These homes are generally built of kauri and are only found in New Zealand.
Under the 2016 Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP), our homes are in Special Character areas (SCAs).
These protect the villa-lined streetscapes of Ponsonby, the bungalows of Mt Eden and the workers’ cottages of Freemans Bay and Grey Lynn and more.
Currently, these properties can’t be pulled down, and owners need a Resource Consent to alter them. The AUP recognises they are unique and that where we live is special.
But late last year Auckland Council changed everything with Plan Change 120, a proposed change to the Unitary Plan required by the Government.
This was to allow capacity for 2,000,000 more housing units for the city.
It would amend the Unitary Plan by removing or reducing many of our SCAs and allowing apartment blocks 15 storeys high in them.
Over the last six months, the Government has reduced that number to 1,400,000 housing units.
Special Character homes, however, have remained a target of this new intensification, with the proposed loss of 4735 of them, reducing the numbers protected from 20,466 to 15,731.
The main losers will be in the Waitemāta, Ōrākei and Albert-Eden local board areas. Some Special Character areas will lose a few houses, while other SCAs will be removed completely.
In 2022, Council estimated that in the Unitary Plan, SCAs covered merely 3.6% of all residential-zoned land and just 0.3% of the council’s total land area (an area of only 14.8km).
Removing these SCAs would dismiss their heritage significance.
They encompass a broad variety of eras, styles, materials, and building use from the city’s history. They are not just any collection of old buildings.
They are living records of Auckland’s development, shaped by waves of migration, economic change, and architectural innovation.
The kauri villas of the late 19th century, the Californian bungalows of the inter-war years, and the modest workers’ cottages tell stories about who we were and how we lived.
Auckland’s growth relies on a careful marriage of density and transport
Image: David White, Stuff
Errol Haarhoff, Emeritus Professor of Architecture, University of Auckland’s school of architecture and planning. Sunday Star Times 12 April 2026
OPINION: The Auckland Council and central government are signalling a stronger push to intensify housing around major public transport corridors – and the logic is clear.
Devil in the detail
Higher-density living isn’t inherently a problem. That said, it’s easy to see why people worry – about overcrowding, loss of sunlight and privacy, poorly designed apartments or a shortage of car parks…
But evidence from here and overseas shows that well-designed, higher-density neighbourhoods can offer a really good quality of life.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as we move forward.
Targets should reflect population growth. Housing numbers, whether 2 million or 1.6 million, are only meaningful if they’re tied to projected population increases over a defined period.
Density should be strategically located. Growth works best near transport hubs and in areas that can support more residents with parks, schools and other community infrastructure.
Transport hub neighbourhoods need to be comprehensively planned and designed for walkability to social and community facilities such as schools, parks and shops.
Height and form matter. Higher density doesn’t mean a uniform landscape of tall apartment towers. A range of building types, including lower-rise forms, can achieve substantial increases in housing. Taller buildings near transport nodes should step down gradually to surrounding neighbourhoods. Vancouver’s Cambie Corridor offers a useful example.
Heritage and character count. Development doesn’t have to erase what we value. Britomart shows how historic buildings can be integrated with new development, creating lively public spaces connected to the rail network.
Peripheral growth needs planning. Expansion on the city’s edges should only happen where transport links and community facilities are delivered alongside housing.
Natural hazards must be considered. Building in flood-prone or otherwise risky areas isn’t wise, especially with more frequent extreme weather. Suitability assessments should be part of any intensification strategy.
Fighting back against high-rises in Auckland suburbs. Ryan Bridge TV Today - Herald NOW 12 March 2026.
Fighting back against high-rises in Auckland suburbs.
Interview by Ryan Bridge with Sally Hughes of the Character Coalition. Video starts at 1:15:00 - 1:21:00 on YouTube