Richard Arnold

In other words, building for a worldview that isn't that of your average New Zealander.

Once again, we're supposed to be like Amsterdam, apparently, or New York.

Except we aren't.

And we never will be.

Cars are important.

You've seen it in Auckland as well.

Apartments with no parks.

So cool.

We're all on our e-bike for the final mile, except we aren't.

So the cars are stacked on the streets outside, blocking the trucks and generally proving theory isn't reality.

Plans?

I mean, who would take the risk on plans at the moment?

You tell me what the market's going to be doing in two years from now.

No one can.

That's the real problem and does remind us, of course, that consents are not a house.

But the key is our need and desire for housing hasn't really changed.

Cheap builds will never thrive.

Builds with no garages will never have a demand.

Rightly or wrongly, the dream, the dream that's never really faded is a house.

A detached house, maybe a bit of lawn, and most certainly a place for a car.