Doing more with less:

Growth and housing affordability in the context of a new government

A presentation by Greer O’Donnell Managing Director at The Urban Advisory, and Shane Martin, Principal Economist at MRCagney

Earlier in November, Greer O’Donnell Managing Director at The Urban Advisory, joined Shane Martin, Principal Economist at MRCagney hosted an engaging webinar to discuss the implications of Aotearoa electing a new government.

Questions explored included:

• how can Councils continue to deliver on long-term visions and existing growth and urban development goals, in a changing political environment?
• How can we align agendas, infrastructure financing tools, and the roles council play in urban development?
• Wellbeing, or economic prosperity, regional partnerships or city deals?
• What does this mean for existing plans and strategies? Are there new opportunities for funding?

About the Authors

Shane Martin
As MRCagney’s Principal Economist, Shane is responsible for leading work on economic analyses and business cases and works closely with the data science team. Shane has significant experience modelling the impacts of land-use policies on the housing market in New Zealand and how land-use and transport policies work together to shape our cities. Shane has a PhD in Economics and a long career of working with large, complex datasets using a variety of tools. His most valuable skill is his ability to explain complex modelling in easy-to-understand, everyday language, ensuring that the work can be understood by experts and non-experts alike.

Greer O’Donnell

Greer is the co-founder and Managing Director of The Urban Advisory, a consultancy dedicated to creating healthier and more equitable homes, neighborhoods, towns and cities.  Greer is a trained lawyer, and a background working with large, complex urban development projects. Her specialism is facilitating shared visions, creating the foundations and determining a pathway for multiple partner agencies and stakeholder groups to work towards.  She has a particular focus on diversifying the housing system, supporting a range of groups to progress affordable housing and alternative tenures, and working with iwi, government and councils to understand how they can achieve their housing aspirations.

Greer Chaired the Society for Housing Innovation from 2018-2021.

Greer co-authored, ‘The Way We Live’ – a report on creating housing that puts
people and the planet first. Find out more here.