EP 94 – Density done right with George Weeks, Auckland Council

About this episode

George Weeks discusses the concept of good density in urban design and its implications for liveability in New Zealand.

Chartered town planner and urban designer George Weeks joins Elevate to unpack what “good density” actually looks like here in Aotearoa, and why the 5-minute pint test might be the simplest measure of liveability we’ve ever heard. George shares why density only works when you make the daily stuff easy: milk, a beer, a café, a park, within a short stroll from your front door. We dig into what NZ’s getting right already (Point Chev, Christchurch terraces, Hobsonville), and what still needs work, like acoustic standards still stuck in the 1950s. You’ll hear why the City Rail Link won’t just shorten trips, it’ll act like a “fountain of pedestrians” that shifts demand, value and development patterns around key stations. George breaks down why good streets are tree-lined, human-scaled and well-lit, and how developers can build projects that feel more like neighbourhoods and less like dense sprawl. If you’re a builder or developer thinking about townhouses, walk-ups or mixed-use in any NZ city, this episode gives you a clear and practical playbook for density done right. Where else you can find us Website: https://www.masterbuilder.org.nz/ Elevate Platform…

People in this episode

Host: Ryan Castle

Guest: George Weeks

Topics covered

• urban design
• density
• liveability
• town planning
• development patterns
• neighbourhoods

Keywords

• density
• urban design
• liveability
• town planning
• City Rail Link
• neighbourhoods
• development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Auckland Council, City Rail Link

Places: Aotearoa, Point Chev, Christchurch, Hobsonville, New Zealand

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