From the executive summary:

The Development Strategy sets out how Auckland will grow and change over the next 30 years in response to growth and development. Auckland has taken a quality compact approach to growth. This approach means future development 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 second monitoring report on the Auckland Plan 2050 Development Strategy. This report monitors building consents and code compliance certificates issued for residential dwellings across Auckland. This reporting year covers the period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.

The findings show that in the two years since the Development Strategy was adopted, the pattern of growth and development activity is beginning to deliver a more quality compact city.

While growth has been widespread across Auckland’s urban areas, development activity has increased the most in nodes and development areas, and growth in rural areas has been limited. Across the region, a large proportion of dwellings consented are more intensive housing including apartments and townhouses etc. particularly in nodes and development areas.

Auckland is changing; our city is now growing up instead of just out, the number and location of dwelling consents and completions in 2019/2020 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 gradually becoming reality.

Auckland Council, December 2020

The Auckland Plan 2050