The spatial plan (finalised by the Wellington City Council on 24 June) and the District Plan (being consulted on until 2022) propose radical changes to height limits and permitted housing activities across Wellington’s inner city suburbs. 

The city council chose to push central government planning guidance to the limits, to impact as many neighborhoods as possible with a requirement to allow 6 storey plus apartment blocks as of right throughout much of city’s inner suburbs.

Instead of concentrating medium density townhouses and apartments towards obvious areas that are ripe for development, and positioned along infrastructure corridors, this is likely to result in an ugly pepperpotting effect across a broad range of the city, putting pressure on infrastructure, and creating a disjointed cityscape.