Historical GIS for Auckland Suburbanisation: 1951-1981

Abstract

In the years following World War II, suburbanisation dominated the growth of the Auckland region. It is a complicated phenomenon difficult to deconstruct from statistical data alone, but using historical geographic information systems (GIS) the patterns of suburbanisation can be mapped and interpreted through more intuitive graphic visualisations. The aims of this thesis were threefold: build a historical GIS for Auckland suburbanisation from 1951 to 1981, create maps and charts using the GIS that visually illustrate the patterns across the region, and pair the outputs with social history to answer how population growth, housing development, and the motorway network influenced Auckland suburbanisation. The study area encompasses urban Auckland as it existed in 1981, a region extending from Massey to East Coast Bays, Papatoetoe, and Howick. The historical GIS was built using census data, urban census area units, and digitised historic government maps. Series of maps and charts were produced to illustrate changes in population density, dwelling density, persons per household, rented versus owner-occupied dwellings, and the growth of the motorway network over the three decade period. In examining the map outputs, a narrative was crafted for each decade of the study, featuring case studies of the suburbs of Ōrākei, Ōtara, and Takapuna. The relationship between population growth, housing, and motorways proved to be both complex and complementary. The uniqueness of the Auckland environment, such as the geographical constraints of the central isthmus, played a role in shaping suburban patterns. The greatest overarching influence, however, was government policy towards immigration and housing shortages. The rapid growth of the urban population led to on-going housing deficits and an acceleration of suburban development, particularly through a state housing programme that largely focussed on low-density homes on small parcels of land. Understanding these patterns of the past have a crucial role to play in planning for the future, especially as the modern Auckland super-city shifts its focus from suburbanisation to urban intensification.