Event Details

New Zealand's cities are fundamentally suburban, not urban, by global standards. Life in density - especially density done well - is foreign to most Kiwis, yet it's essential for our future.

How best can we galvanise change, and accelerate building the denser places we need?

Join us to hear some of New Zealand's foremost city-shapers on how Wellington can meet this challenge.

Infrastructure New Zealand and Stellar Projects invite you to a discussion with a panel of urban development professionals to explore this topic in the Wellington context.

You will hear two short presentations from:

Guy Marriage is an Architect in Wellington, practising at First Light Studio and teaching at Wellington School of Architecture at Victoria University. He will present on the key issues facing Wellington’s aspirations for denser development.

Mark Fraser is General Manager Urban Development and Delivery at Kāinga Ora. He will present on the challenges to delivering density in New Zealand and the aspirations of people to live in a traditional suburban house and community.

Followed by a debate facilitated by:

Isabella Cawthorn, Talk Wellington Editor

With our panelists

Stuart Niven is Principal Urban Designer with Stellar Projects and international experience of residential development.

Pamela Bell is CEO at the New Zealand Institute of Building and previously founder of PrefabNZ, offsite construction industry body.

Kim Kelly is Programme Director of the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee who are shaping the Wairarapa-Wellington-Horowhenua spatial and e​​​​​​​conomic development planning.

Alistair Cattanach is Director of Dunning Thornton and structural engineer who will talk to Wellington’s resilience.