High-density cities a key to green growth
High-density housing might be a controversial solution to a housing crisis and a magnet for nimby-ism, but it will be better for the environment as the climate changes.
A Ministry for the Environment report, released yesterday, pinpoints Wellington as a place ‘‘where suitable land for additional housing is naturally limited’’.
Stats NZ data from 2018 put the region’s population at 525,900, and projections put that number as high as 701,000 by 2048.
‘‘To address the demand for housing, there is a choice between building in existing residential areas (and creating denser urban areas) or building outwards onto productive land,’’ the report says.
Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman said building houses on prime farming land could make locally grown fruit and vegetables hard to come by, as crops became harder to grow in a changing climate.
‘‘Covid has highlighted how fragile global supply chains are and the importance of domestic food security,’’ he said.
Lincoln University associate professor Amanda Black said once land was used for housing, it was gone for good. ‘‘We need to protect our best land and to do that we need strong policy.’’
Designing denser cities would not just reduce our physical footprint, but our carbon footprint, too. Shorter travel distances would slash transport emissions and make walking and cycling more appealing.
Some existing residential areas will become uninhabitable – or at least uninsurable – as the climate warms. It will increase the frequency of, and damage caused by, extreme weather events like the 5m waves that pummelled the coastline at O¯ whiro Bay this month, causing five homes to be evacuated.
Ka¯inga Ora has been criticised for calling on Porirua City Council to introduce a high-density residential housing zone to allow buildings of ‘‘at least six storeys’’ in several suburbs, including flood-prone Plimmerton.
The ministry report says wetlands and lowland forests are particularly vulnerable to development, ‘‘because they are often located in accessible areas that are suitable for agriculture and housing’’. Wetlands are effective carbon sinks; losing them would only exacerbate the effects of climate change.
One development, Plimmerton Farm, will be situated on the edge of Taupo¯ Swamp, 20 kilometres north of Wellington, and wetland advocates are concerned for its health.
Forest and Bird spokesperson Annabeth Cohen said cities needed to be more compact and liveable. ‘‘This will cut greenhouse gas emissions, protect native habitat, and preserve quality soil for food production.’’
To prevent sprawl, high-density inner-city living and medium-density suburbs had to be more appealing – and inner-city prices had to come down.
Wellington city councillor Rebecca Matthews said apartments should be warm, dry, with good accessibility, close to shops and green spaces, come in a variety of sizes with a variety of bedroom numbers, and preferably have some shared spaces.