Artificial intelligence, driverless cars, the shared economy and climate change are disrupting the future of New Zealand cities, according to internationally renowned planning experts The challenge for local authorities and citizens is adapting to these advancements, claim urban futurist and former Lord Mayor of Adelaide Stephen Yarwood, and highly respected landscape architect Professor Elizabeth Mossop. Continue →

Wellington’s mayor Justin Lester welcomes the announcement from the government of a $3 million fund to assist Wellington building owners to secure unreinforced masonry on their buildings and says it will go a long way to keeping people safe in future earthquakes. Continue →

Responding to Auckland’s growth challenge and fixing planning legislation and local government funding and structures are the top infrastructure priorities for New Zealand in 2017, says Infrastructure New Zealand CEO Stephen Selwood CEO. Continue →

Water Edge 2016, being held from 15 to 17 November in Auckland, New Zealand, is hosted by Panuku Development Auckland in association with Auckland Council and The Waterfront Centre (Washington DC, USA). Continue →

New Zealand’s peak infrastructure body, the New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development, has relaunched as Infrastructure New Zealand. Continue →

Finance minister Bill English has launched the government’s Ten Year Capital Intentions Plan (CIP) which shows a pipeline of $100.9 billion worth of infrastructure projects over the next decade. Continue →

New Zealand’s peak infrastructure industry conference, the NZCID Building Nations Symposium, will bring over 400 industry leaders together in Auckland next week to debate infrastructure of the future. Continue →

Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel has signed a pledge to introduce a budget that commits at least 10 percent of the council’s 2017/18 spending to building Christchurch’s resilience. Continue →

The Productivity Commission has correctly found that New Zealand’s planning system is failing, but their recommendations for change will not succeed without governance and funding reform, says Stephen Selwood chief executive of the New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development. Continue →

The Planning Commission has made several recommendations in its blue-skies approach draft Better Urban Planning report, claiming the current system tends to be “adversarial and reactive” to the views of well-resourced and mobilised groups rather than the majority. Continue →

The Independent Hearings Panel appointed to receive public feedback on the Auckland Council’s landmark ‘Unitary Plan’ has delivered its recommendations to the council – and the results are mixed Rising to the housing crisis, the panel have unleashed a vast amount of capacity for new housing within the region. Continue →

Growth in regional economies is working its way into commercial and industrial property markets, according to Bayleys research team. Continue →

Auckland Council has published the recommendations provided by the Independent Hearings Panel on the new planning rulebook for Auckland, the Auckland Unitary Plan which has been embraced and questioned by a number of property groups, businesses and employment bodies. Continue →