Up or Out? 

Examining the Trade-offs of Urban Form

with Jason Krupp and Khyaati Acharya

Co-authored by Jason Krupp and Khyaati Acharya, the report analyses the assumption that in order to accommodate an ever-growing population cities need to build up, not out. The idea behind this suggestion is that denser, more compact cities achieve higher levels of productivity, greater housing affordability, better health outcomes and less traffic congestion. But do they really?

Our research into historical trends and academic literature on the subject finds the argument for compact cities is far from clear cut. In many cases this urban ideology exacerbates the very problems it looks to solve. Not least it makes housing less affordable by restricting the supply of land.

This report comes at a critical time for residents in many of New Zealand’s cities, who are now being asked to make choices on how their urban environments develop in the long term. We believe they need to know the facts behind the compact cities idea before rushing into decisions on how they are going to live in the future.

About the Speakers:

Jason Krupp is a Research Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative. He previously worked as a business reporter at The Dominion Post and for Fairfax’s Business Bureau where he was chiefly responsible for covering equity and currency markets for the group. Prior to that, he wrote for BusinessDesk, New Zealand’s only dedicated business news agency. Jason has a degree in journalism from Rhodes University, and has previously lived in Hong Kong and South Africa.

Khyaati is a Research Assistant at The New Zealand Initiative. She recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics conjointly from the University of Auckland.

Time and Date:
17 June 2014
5.45pm to 6.00pm Arrival
6.00pm to 7.00pm Seminar
7.00pm to 8.00pm Drinks and Canapés

Location:
The New Zealand Initiative
Level 12, Bayleys Building
Brandon Street
Wellington 6011