Project Management

National Policy Statement & Plan Changes   With the upcoming changes getting closer to the time of implementation, we all…

National Policy Statement & Plan Changes   With the upcoming changes getting closer to the time of implementation, we all have the same questions. When will the changes to zoning gain weight? What can I do on my site once the new rules are operative?   The short answer is we do not know when all plan changes will become…

The decisions you make now can significantly impact the final outcome   Hi team, we are going to skip the…

The decisions you make now can significantly impact the final outcome   Hi team, we are going to skip the financial post, as Ben Pauly and the team did an excellent job covering the topic in the recent webinar, with his advice aligning with our finance approach. On that note, this next post is around what happened once we had…

The Process – ‘Massing’ Studies to Support your Project   Hi team, back again with the next chapter of the…

The Process – ‘Massing’ Studies to Support your Project   Hi team, back again with the next chapter of the Urbizen saga!   As we move past the site-searching stage, the next step in our process was to look at undertaking a massing study. By this point you should have a feasibility template ready with all the key line items…

Urbizen Journey – Trust your gut, but make sure you know what you're eating   The whole development journey starts…

Urbizen Journey – Trust your gut, but make sure you know what you're eating   The whole development journey starts with a plan. For us, our plan comprised of a vision for the development that worked alongside a detailed feasibility study, which is your due diligence exercise to ensure the project stacks up.   The first step in our process was…

Some of you may know me as the Director at The Development Collective. Today though, I'm posting as a fellow…

Some of you may know me as the Director at The Development Collective. Today though, I'm posting as a fellow property developer operating in this volatile industry.   Around two years ago, I made the decision to undertake my own development in Mt Eden, Auckland. My primary goals for this project were to execute a successful development targeting a part…

How homeowners can use their land better to upsize and make housing more affordable The idea of co-housing is one…

How homeowners can use their land better to upsize and make housing more affordable The idea of co-housing is one that many people are talking about in Auckland as a way to combat the exorbitant property prices. Co-housing is a model whereby a group of friends and/or family members pool resources to buy a plot of land. They then all…

In the early 2000s, as part of an Eco-Density Initiative, Vancouver homeowners started developing units on top of their laneway…

In the early 2000s, as part of an Eco-Density Initiative, Vancouver homeowners started developing units on top of their laneway garages. These dwellings did not significantly alter the appearance of housing from the street and came to be known as hidden density. Hidden density includes self-contained, smaller units on existing homes. They can either be attached to the primary house,…

Before starting The Development Collective, I worked as a Planner for 15 years in both Local Government and the Private…

Before starting The Development Collective, I worked as a Planner for 15 years in both Local Government and the Private Sector. During those years I became passionate about delivering strong design outcomes and challenging conventional processes. However, it was my seven years as a Council Planner that gave me an understanding as to why the consenting process can go so…

The Unitary plan has been in effect for a year and Auckland is seeing a record number of large-scale apartments…

The Unitary plan has been in effect for a year and Auckland is seeing a record number of large-scale apartments going up. While this scale of development is addressing Auckland’s housing shortage, the question that needs to be asked is – at what cost?   Are these kinds of large-scale developments going to be socially effective and sustainable in the…