Regional councillor Thomas Nash. Photo: Thomas Nash
A report commissioned by the Greater Wellington Regional Council has found housing intensification to be the best option for saving money on infrastructure.
Regional councillor Thomas Nash said the report, prepared by Sense Partners, should give councils the confidence to continue plans to build mixed-use development in and around city centres.
"This report clearly shows that the best bang for our buck is to focus on upgrading existing water, public transport and local roading infrastructure so that we can build better quality, compact residential form, with improved amenities within our cities and towns," he said.
The report was commissioned to inform future strategic planning for the region, and supported the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee's Future Development Strategy, which has a strong emphasis on growth within the existing urban footprint.
It also supported the Greater Welllington Regional Council Transport Committee's Wellington Regional Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway, which recognises the key role of urban form over the long-term in reducing reliance on private vehicles.
"Building more compact, mixed-use urban communities will help reduce infrastructure costs, and will make it cheaper and easier to reduce transport emissions, cleaning our air and making our towns and cities healthier," Nash said.