Auckland apartment dwellers generally view their living arrangement as little more than a transitory stage and dream of suburbia, study shows

A study of Auckland apartment living shows the aspiration of living in a detached suburban house is still strong both for people born in New Zealand and immigrants, with many apartment residents viewing their living arrangement as little more than a transitory life stage, a 314 page research report prepared for the Auckland Council says.

The report, entitled Future Intensive, Insights for Auckland housing, adds, however, that the "suburban dream" might simply be unrealistic and unaffordable for many with a "disjuncture" between the desire and aspiration to live in a standalone home and the reality of affordability.

The report looked at three case study areas and developments. These were New Lynn, where the Auckland Council this week consented the building of its "poster child" high rise apartment block within its vision of a compact future for Auckland, Albany and Onehunga.

The report says that to give full effect to these visions for a compact city, peoples' aspirations need to shift from living and investing in suburbia, towards better valuing higher density living.

"We need to better understand what the necessary ‘trade-offs’ are between the suburban lifestyle (whether affordable or not) and the urban lifestyle envisaged for a majority of future Aucklanders," it says.

Research for the report included 84 in-depth interviews with six of the report's seven researchers from the University of Auckland. The interviews showed that living in medium density housing can cater well for people at various stages of their life-cycles.

"For example, it met the needs of students, single people, working couples, small families, and families and individuals living with elderly parents seeking affordable housing close to amenities. The case study developments offered these groups more flexibility and options compared with detached suburban houses," the report says.

"(But) despite the positive responses to living at higher densities, for whatever reason, the aspiration of living in detached suburban housing remains strong for both New Zealand-born and ‘new’ New Zealanders. However, this aspiration needs to be understood in relation to the reasons given for living in their present accommodation: such as ‘proximity/location’ and ‘affordability.’ In this respect, the suburban ‘dream’ might simply be unrealistic and unaffordable."

Suburbia aspirations 'a barrier to compact city visions'

Keeping in mind the low national median income of New Zealanders and Auckland’s high house prices, there is a "disjuncture" between the desire and aspiration to live in a standalone home and affordability considerations, the report says.

"The aspiration for suburbia, no matter how unrealistic, is a barrier to the promotion of visions for a compact city that needs to be better understood. We need to better understand what the necessary ‘trade-offs’ are between the suburban lifestyle, whether affordable or not, and the urban lifestyle envisaged for a majority of future Aucklanders," the report adds.

In New Lynn the researchers specifically focused on 293 units in nine separate developments collectively referred to as Ambrico Place, with an average net density of 57 units per hectare, which are within walking distance of what is designated a "metropolitan centre" in the council's Auckland Plan.

In Albany they looked at two developments, known as the Ridge and Masons, totaling 169 units with an average net density of 67 units per hectare, within walking distance of what's designated an "emergent metropolitan centre" in the Auckland Plan.

And in Onehunga they looked at a single development known as the Atrium on Main, which has 112 units with an average net density of 64 units per hectare, and is within walking distance of what's designated a town centre in the Auckland Plan.

The researchers say overall there was a reasonable level of satisfaction with the experiences of medium density living across a range of household needs including bringing up children and caring for the elderly.

"In part, this positively supports proposals to increase the supply of higher density housing promoted by the Auckland Plan. However, we also recognise from our research that complex interactions between urban planners, developers and potential buyers (owner-occupiers and investors) profoundly influenced the physical characteristics of medium density developments," the report says.

"These interactions produced a specific built form that may, or may not, exhibit good design elements and may, or may not, promote long term ‘successful communities’. This poses a problem for planners, developers and the Auckland Council in terms of implementing the Auckland Plan through the council's Unitary Plan."

"Embedded within the Plan, is an implicit view that the built form influences the development of a ‘sense of community’. Yet if living in these newer developments is viewed by residents as little more than a transitory stage in their lives, then there are implications for developing the vibrant, liveable, community-oriented local environments promoted in the Plan."

All bar one of the researchers were from the University of Auckland. They were; Professor of Architecture Errol Haarhoff, Lee Beattie of the School of Architecture and Planning, Professor of Planning Jenny Dixon, Associate Professor of Sociology Ann Dupuis, Penny Lysnar from the National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries, Professor of Property Laurence Murphy, and Auckland Council advisor Regan Solomon.