Acclimatising to higher densities in Auckland, New Zealand: Examining how the residential experiences of Generation Y influence their housing preferences and attitudes towards urban intensification

Abstract

Seeking to provide more housing while avoiding urban sprawl, growth management strategies promoting urban intensification have been adapted into development policies and spatial plans in numerous cities. However, these strategies often encounter opposition from local residents living in countries with historic and cultural traditions of low-density detached housing, such as New Zealand. This antagonism has attracted significant media attention and has reinforced the notion suggested within studies of housing preference, that compact housing is largely unappealing to New Zealanders. However, I argue that the voices of Generation Y, young adults aged between 25 and 35, have been largely ignored in this debate and are poorly understood within much housing preference research. Specifically, this thesis examines how previous residential experiences might influence the housing preferences and stated attitudes towards urban intensification of young adults living in Auckland, New Zealand. I make the case that without an appreciation of the influence that subjective residential experiences along the life course have upon the formation of preferences, the complexity and dynamics of contemporary housing trends will continue to be misunderstood. As a corrective I propose a theoretical framework guided by David Clapham’s ‘Housing Pathways’ approach. Utilising this framework, the thesis employs a mixed-methods research (MMR) approach combining Q methodology with the thematic discourse analysis of qualitative interviews. The perspectives of 24 ‘Gen Y’ Auckland residents are examined to reveal potential connections between their attitudes towards urban intensification and previous residential experiences. The findings reveal the existence of three distinct attitudes towards urban intensification held by the participants. My analysis highlights the inter-relationship between specific understandings, expectations and values in the construction of these attitudes. The influence of early childhood residential experiences and overseas urban environments, as well as, differing definitions of convenience and community and the ‘New Zealand way of life’ are found to contribute to the subjective development of my participants’ housing preferences and attitudes towards urban intensification. The study concludes that over time a process of ‘acclimatisation’ to density is likely as Generation Y becomes more exposed to higher-density residential environments. However, to encourage positive experiences, compact dwellings must attend to the dynamic and unpredictable nature of younger lifestyles, be of a high-quality, and be located in the neighbourhoods and communities in which young people aspire to live.