Plan Change 120 — Housing Intensification and Resilience: A Defining Moment for Auckland’s Growth

By James Chong | Published on 7 November 2025

As Auckland households receive letters inviting public submissions on Plan Change 120 (PC120), the city stands at another pivotal moment in its planning journey. The notification of PC120: Housing Intensification and Resilience marks a new phase in Auckland’s ongoing effort to balance growth, livability, and climate adaptation. Replacing the earlier Plan Change 78 (PC78), this update goes beyond zoning adjustments — representing a fundamental rethink of how and where Auckland should evolve.

In my previous article, “Auckland Unitary Plan Change 78 — what it means for high-rise homes, and what Auckland can learn from other cities” (published on 12 September 2025), I explored how the Plan Change reshaped Auckland’s planning framework — expanding opportunities for apartments and higher-density living around public transport, while raising questions about infrastructure, design quality, and hazard management.

View of Orewa town centre

From Broad Intensification to Strategic Growth

Under PC78, Auckland took its first major step toward implementing the Government’s Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) — allowing up to three storeys across most residential areas. But as the impacts of recent flooding and infrastructure pressures became clear, Auckland Council opted for a more targeted, resilient approach.

PC120 builds on the intensification goals of PC78 while refining them through a climate and infrastructure lens. Growth is now concentrated around centres, transport corridors, and rapid transit nodes — areas supported by existing or planned infrastructure. This marks a shift from blanket zoning toward strategic intensification, aligning urban form with resilience.

What’s Changing — and Why It Matters

• Focused Density: Six-storey and higher developments are encouraged around the City Centre, metropolitan hubs, and key public transport corridors such as the CRL, Northern Busway, and Western Line.

  
  

• Climate-Aware Zoning: Flood and coastal hazard overlays limit development in vulnerable areas, guiding housing toward safer, more sustainable land.

  
  

• Streamlined Planning: The plan proceeds under a Streamlined Planning Process (SPP), ensuring faster decision-making while maintaining equivalent housing capacity to PC78 — around two million dwellings.

  
  

This represents a strategic recalibration: Auckland remains committed to housing growth but with a renewed focus on environmental safety and design-led resilience.

On the left is PC78 and on the right is PC120 for Whangaparaoa

Implications for Auckland’s Future

If PC78 symbolized ambition, PC120 represents maturity — recognizing that sustainable urban growth depends not only on density but on where and how that density is delivered. The emphasis on centres and transit corridors supports a more compact, efficient city — one that reduces reliance on cars, supports public infrastructure, and fosters vibrant, walkable communities.

For the public, it offers greater clarity on where new housing should go. For developers and investors, it signals certainty and a framework that rewards long-term, place-based thinking. And for policymakers, it strengthens the alignment between planning, climate adaptation, and infrastructure funding.

Opportunities and Responsibilities for Architects

For the architectural profession, Plan Change 120 opens both challenges and opportunities. As the city intensifies, the quality of design will increasingly define public acceptance of density.

Architects will play a key role in:

1. Designing for Density — Maximizing housing yield and diversity while maintaining amenity, privacy, and liveability.

   
   

2. Integrating Resilience — Embedding flood risk mitigation, sustainable materials, and low-carbon construction into early-stage design.

   
   

3. Elevating Urban Design — Crafting human-scaled, well-detailed buildings that contribute to cohesive neighbourhoods.

   
   

PC120 calls for an interdisciplinary approach — architects working alongside planners, engineers, and landscape designers to create adaptive, future-proof urban environments. Design decisions will need to balance market realities with long-term community resilience.

A New Chapter in Auckland’s Urban Story

Ultimately, Plan Change 120 is about quality, resilience, and purpose. It accepts that not every site can or should be intensified — and that well-planned, design-led growth is key to Auckland’s future identity.

As submissions open through Auckland Council’s Have Your Say portal (until 19 December 2025), the conversation is shifting from “how high” to “how well.” For architects, this is a call to lead — to shape a city that grows intelligently, responds to its climate realities, and remains distinctly Auckland in spirit.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the opinions of any organization or employer. The content is for general information only and should not be taken as professional advice.