The new controls stipulate a minimum studio apartment size as well measures to improve poor ventilation and sound-proofing. Cheek-by-jowl apartments and ugly concrete towers also will be banned.
The moves are the second council initiative aimed at improving the standard of Auckland apartments, following its earlier decision to score all new buildings on their design merits and to reject developments that do not come up to standard and fast track those that do.
Deputy Mayor Dr Bruce Hucker said the latest moves "sounded the death knell of the pokey apartment, ugly building era".
The minimum size for a studio will now be 35sq m, including an 11sq m living area, 9sq m bedroom area, 5sq m for a kitchen, 5sq m balcony and the rest for a bathroom, laundry and entry area.
There will also be a minimum distance between apartment towers, for instance, 25m between tow 50m high buildings. Under the new plans, which are effective immediately, new apartment blocks will have to be of the "highest quality, showing creativity, innovation" and "harmonise with and complement the streetscape".
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