‘It’s a time to be bold’: NYC town planner

An international expert has shared her development ideas for New York and the potential they have for Auckland.

Edith Hsu-Chen is the director for the Borough of Manhattan, New York City Department of Planning and has worked on a number of projects in the city.

She spoke to an 800-strong crowd at the Aotea Centre last night as part of the Auckland Council-initiated Auckland Conversations.

Mrs Hsu-Chen focused on the use of zoning and how projects in New York had benefited from the move.

“Zoning is a powerful tool in planning – especially for the public sector to leverage the private sector,” she said.

One of the plans Mrs Hsu-Chen worked on for East Harlem would see new zoning increase the amount of housing allowed on major streets, while simultaneously requiring that between 20 and 30 per cent of this new housing be permanently affordable.

Since the start of the five-borough, 10-year plan Housing New York in January 2014, the city has already financed the preservation and new construction of more than 3000 units of affordable housing in East Harlem.

The plan will also see more investments in community resources such as schools, parks and social services.

“We can’t do it all, but we know what our priorities are in the community,” said Mrs Hsu-Chen.

Mrs Hsu-Chen said every major city had affordable housing problems and Auckland was not immune.

Chair of Housing New Zealand and director of Hobsonville Land Company, Adrienne Young-Cooper, said the Hobsonville Point development in Northwest Auckland had seen almost 1000 houses built and a total of 4500 homes are to be built in the next 10 years.

“We can learn a huge amount from New York,” Mrs Young-Cooper said.

Mrs Hsu-Chen acknowledged while growing cities like Auckland and New York had challenges, they also brought great opportunities.

“It’s a time to make bold planning decisions,” Mrs Hsu-Chen said. “It’s a really good time to be ambitious.”