Auckland has always had the ambition and potential to become one of the world's most liveable cities, but as housing prices continue to surge, its residents' rights to adequate shelter are severely threatened.
Many Aucklanders have been adversely affected by the current housing crisis. Some are on the verge of homelessness, some are delaying starting families. Young Aucklanders have been haunted by an ever-present sense of financial anxiety as our neighbourhoods continue to gentrify and homogenise into havens for wealthy retirees and property investors. The age of first-home buyers is increasing, and without a place to call their own, many activities that form the basis of Auckland’s future economic and social backbone, such as starting families and advancing one's career, become more difficult.
This thesis aims to explore and establish a resilient solution for the housing of these people by critically questioning the formation of fluctuations in the financial fabric of neighbourhoods. Juxtaposing affordable to luxury, the discourse investigates viable solutions and typologies that celebrate social and economic diversity in our neighbourhoods. Through the injection of heterogeneity into developing high-end neighbourhoods, the possibility for creating a platform for the voiceless to express a lasting identity can be researched, analysed and discussed.
The traditional Kiwi quarter-acre dream is now dead, and for good reason; it is severely unsustainable in a constantly developing and intensifying city. The old “Not in my backyard!” adage is more destructive than ever as people refuse to densify this quickly growing city. Through deliberate investigation into the current housing landscape, this exploration proposes a context-appropriate scheme that can contribute to the creation of the affordable, livable city Auckland has always wanted to be.
