Hi *|FNAME|*, Please find below Urban Development News from the media from the week of 28 August 2017
The shape of future homes
Our humble homes are becoming less humble every day. And we can expect that to accelerate exponentially in the decades to come as we transition into an increasingly digital and interconnected future.
No one knows for sure what an average home will look like in 30 years, but experts agree on a few fundamentals - they will be smaller and smarter, home ownership will evolve (with many dwellings being community-owned) and shared spaces will be more important.
Housing NZ's latest quarterly report reveals the agency's portfolio of 63,276 houses had shrunk by 3922 since 2015, including by 1132 properties in the past year.
Social Housing Minister Amy Adams said the majority of the homes had been transferred to community housing providers, but Labour housing spokesman Phil Twyford said that was splitting hairs.
"They've just shifted ownership instead of building more, that's why they're spending $140,000 a day on emergency accommodation."
Auckland Council Consider transformative city centre and waterfront plan
The next stage of work to enhance and open up Auckland’s city centre and waterfront to the public will be considered at the Council’s planning committee on Tuesday 5 September.
A package of proposed projects that will also help cater for the increasing number of people arriving into Auckland includes plans for a new ferry terminal and new public space along the water’s edge.
The plan builds on several years of successful planning along Auckland’s waterfront and integrates a forward-looking public transport programme that will accommodate Auckland’s significant growth.
$18 million funding for City Mission redevelopment project
Government announces funding towards Auckland City Mission redevelopment project
The Ministry of Social Development has announced it’s allocating $18 million towards the construction of supportive housing for the homeless on the Auckland City Mission’s Hobson Street site.
Make the north end of the Wellington waterfront more vibrant
Wellington needs more buildings on the waterfront towards the railway station to transform the bleak area, a developer says.
Stride property commercial and industrial general manager Andrew Hay told the Wellington City Council this week that people walking down the waterfront might stop at the Meridian Building.
"At the moment, after dark, it feels like a cold bleak, dangerous space ... there's no public down there."
Opening of Hilton's first Wellington hotel delayed
Construction delays have forced the owners of Wellington's first Hilton hotel to push back its opening date.
The seven-storey hotel was supposed to be opening in late 2017 in the renovated T&G building, also known as the old Harcourts building, on Lambton Quay.
However, the project has been delayed and is still months from completion.
Bay of Plenty applies to use streamlined planning process to fast-track housing
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has applied to use a Streamlined Planning Process (SPP) introduced under Resource Management Act reforms in order to meet the region’s growing demand for new housing, Minister for the Environment Dr Nick Smith says.
“Bay of Plenty is one of New Zealand’s highest growth areas and while the local economy is booming, population growth is placing increasing pressure on housing supply in the region,” Dr Smith says.
