University of Auckland researchers have $853,000 to study who benefits from upzoning across Auckland, including the Hibiscus Coast, and what that means for inequality.

Project lead Associate Professor Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy and Distinguished Professor Peter Phillips will examine the social and economic effects of large-scale zoning reforms, including Auckland’s Unitary Plan, to see how intensification changes neighbourhoods, opportunity, and social mobility.

“Where we live and grow up matters for a variety of life outcomes,” says Greenaway-McGrevy.

“On the one hand, the potential for upzoning to exacerbate inequalities within cities raises real concerns. On the other, widespread reforms may also enable housing options in neighbourhoods that were previously inaccessible to many households.”

Earlier Marsden-funded work by Greenaway-McGrevy and co-authors found the 2016 reform upzoned about three-quarters of Auckland’s residential land, sparking construction and easing rental pressures.

Lead principal investigator Associate Professor Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy (Business School, UoA)

The new study aims to provide robust case studies on how large-scale upzoning affects neighbourhood composition and opportunity, informing current policy proposals.

The 2025 Marsden Fund awarded 107 grants, including 31 totalling $24.3 million to University of Auckland researchers.

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