Editorial note: Local government in New Zealand exists within a fairly well-defined narrative. New Zealand is the most centralised nation within the OECD. Central government is by far the dominant partner in the central-local relationship and recent innovations in local government have tended towards further centralisation, such as the amalgamation into Auckland’s Super-City. While there...

The purpose of this research was to examine the link between density and the costs of providing infrastructure in New Zealand. There is a need for research to provide planners and local authorities with an evidence base for shaping development to be economically efficient as well as socially and environmentally sustainable. Compact (dense) urban form...