Nine To Noon Urban Issues with Bill McKay
Mar 1, 2026
Bill McKay, senior lecturer in architecture and planning at the University of Auckland, breaks down shifting Auckland housing rules. He explores why plans keep changing and the politics behind rollbacks. He covers public resistance to density, transport-focused zoning, and the practical limits to building to maximum density.
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Homeowner Resistance Drives Zoning Politics
- Auckland's recent zoning debates reflect a universal homeowner impulse to defend the status quo because so much equity is tied up in houses.
- Bill McKay notes people support housing initiatives in principle but resist local impacts like character loss, traffic, parking and noise.
As-Of-Right Medium Density Caused Scattershot Development
- National and city policies pushed density around transport hubs as logical, but medium-density-as-of-right rules allowed three-storey builds nearly anywhere.
- Bill McKay says that blanket medium-density rules produced scattered, inappropriate developments like cul-de-sacs with parking pressure.
Compensate Capacity When Downzoning Areas
- Councils must balance removing medium-density rights with providing equivalent capacity elsewhere to meet central government requirements.
- Bill McKay explains Auckland's Plan Change 120 was created to find substitute sites after trimming unsuitable zones.