From the executive summary:

The Development Strategy sets out how Auckland will grow and change over the next 30 years in response to growth through development. Auckland has taken a quality compact approach to growth. This approach means future growth will be focused in the existing urban area and in identified future urban areas within Auckland’s urban footprint. Expansion into rural areas will be limited.

This is the third monitoring report on the Auckland Plan 2050 Development Strategy. This report monitors building consents and code of compliance certificates issued for residential dwellings and business floor space across Auckland. This reporting year covers the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

The findings show that in the three years since the Development Strategy was adopted, the pattern of growth and development activity continues to support the delivery of a more quality compact city. Total dwellings consented has increased by almost 30 per cent compared with the previous reporting year. While growth has been widespread across Auckland’s urban areas, development activity has increased mostly in nodes and development areas. Growth in rural areas has been limited. Across the region, dwelling consented for apartments and townhouses etc. are increasing at a faster rate than consents for standalone houses, particularly in nodes and development areas.

Auckland is changing; our city is growing up instead of just out, the number and location of dwelling consents and completions in 2020/2021 broadly follows the implementation of the quality compact approach and the multi-nodal model in the Development Strategy. The vision of a quality, compact future Auckland is progressively becoming reality.

Auckland Council, December 2021

The Auckland Plan 2050