DAVID WALKER/Stuff
When developers started constructing central Christchurch apartments, they thought it would attract a younger clientele, however an increasing amount of older people are shifting in. (Video first published 2018) A council report into medium and high density housing released last year found while some developments were of good quality, others had monolithic appearances and inadequate or poor design. Cooney said every council planner had different views which made planning very frustrating. “Urban design judgments are largely at the discretion of the individual planners. There are no clear rules and the things they are turning down is unbelievable. “It’s a very good example of why the RMA [Resource Managment Act] isn’t working and why enough houses aren’t getting built.”