City ‘showing signs of change’
The X-minute city is a global urban planning concept intended to challenge thinking on how neighbourhoods are developed, built and managed, and to question “car-first” beliefs.
In its purest form, planners and developers would concentrate on live, work, play models where every touchpoint is within a 15- to
20-minute walk, bike ride or convenient public transit option of where someone lives.
The concept’s value upside and social benefits are discussed in the latest edition of Bayleys’ Total Property portfolio, with the firm’s national director commercial and industrial Ryan Johnson saying Auckland is showing positive signs of change.
“Walkable catchments and inner-city neighbourhoods like the Willis Bond-driven Wynyard Quarter epitomise mixed-use precincts with intensified residential living, office premises, vibrant hospitality and retail options, and effective connectivity to the CBD.
“Further out, Kiwi Property is shaking up Mt Wellington with its mixed-use Sylvia Park precinct where a huge build-to-rent (BTR) scheme will soon deliver long-term rental accommodation next to multi-modal transport options including rail, and high walkability with pedestrian links to its
250-store retail centre. It intends replicating the BTR model on a reduced scale at its LynnMall precinct.”
Bayleys’ global real estate partner Knight Frank said while walkable cities and neighbourhoods promote healthy sociable lifestyles and communities and assist developers/investors to meet their environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets, the idealistic 15- to 20-minute framework won’t work everywhere as not all cities have the infrastructure to support it.
However, if developers and planners benchmark any proposed development against its fundamental impact on walkability, efficiencies and benefits will follow.
Bayleys head of insights, data and consulting, Chris Farhi, says more intensive development around key public transport hubs and where existing infrastructure and zoning supports it, is changing the shape and form of our urban environment and reinforcing the wider consumer trend towards less dependency on owned vehicles.
“Research shows that younger people are less likely to own a car, or if they do own one, less likely to use it every day, opting instead for public transport, rideshares, cycling, e-scooters or walking to get around.
“This ‘green commute’ is seen as highly desirable from a health/ wellbeing perspective and for the environment, but naturally has limits for those who may be mobility-challenged and is confronting for those who feel driving is the norm.”
Auckland Council chief economist Gary Blick said the 2016 Auckland Unitary Plan was a bold change to boost housing capacity by rezoning much of the city’s residential land to allow for higher-density housing.
“This added housing capacity in existing urban locations, some of which have proximity to public transport and are within reasonable walking distance of services and amenities such as town centres and green spaces.
“Recent research from the University of Auckland points to the AUP as being significantly responsible for a surge in new homes,” he said.