Can zoning reform change urban development patterns? Evidence from Auckland
Open accessAbstract
In 2016, Auckland implemented a widespread upzoning to encourage medium density infill housing. This article describes the institutional processes preceding the reform, quantifies the changes in land use across the metropolitan area and documents subsequent changes in residential housing starts. We show that approximately three-quarters of residential land was upzoned, predominantly in areas close to transportation network access, and between 5 and 25 km of the central business district (CBD). Six years on from the reform, housing starts have increased; are located closer to the CBD, employment locations and transportation network access points; and are predominantly infill and attached housing. Spatial decompositions show that these patterns are exclusively driven by changes in housing starts in upzoned areas.
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- Authors
- Greenaway-McGrevy, R., & Jones, J. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Auckland, New Zealand
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- Venue
- Urban Studies
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2025-02-27
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2415-2435
- ISSN
- 0042-0980 (ISSN-L)
- 1360-063X
- OpenAlex
- W4407995307
- Semantic Scholar
- eec450b3557ee889ed04ea309eb6bfd401fed4b9
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4
- FWCI
- 6.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Urban Studies (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Funders
- Royal Society Te Apārangi (Marsden Grant UOA2013)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Housing Market and Economics
- Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Urban Planning and Governance
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Urban Planning and Valuation
- Keywords
- zoning reform, upzoning, urban development patterns, infill housing, housing starts, land use change, Auckland, central business district, housing affordability, spatial decomposition
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