新西兰基督城市议会批准了一项突破规划规范的住宅项目。建筑师Andrew Just设计的65平方米经济住宅虽然超出了规划高度限制2.5米，且未按要求进行后退，但仍获得了批准[1]。该住宅建在仅19平方米的车库地基上[1]。
基督城采取这一灵活态度源于2011年地震带来的严重住房危机[1]。地震造成185人丧生，10000户住宅受损，随之而来的住房短缺促使市议会放宽了规划限制以加快建设[1]。这些改革措施取得了显著成效：基督城的租金可负担性提高了8%，远超全国平均增幅的1%[1]。虽然基督城仅占新西兰总人口的10%，却建造了约占全国20%的新房屋[1]。当地租金水平也明显较低，如夫妻M. Grace-Stent和Gina Dao-McLay每周支付485元租赁两卧室公寓，相当于悉尼同类公寓租金的三分之一到四分之一[1]。这些政策调整使该城成为新西兰最具吸引力的城市之一，吸引年轻人回流[1]。基督城市议会目标是到2028年中心城区居民达到20000人[1]。
Following the devastating 2011 earthquake that killed 185 people and damaged 10,000 homes, Christchurch authorities relaxed planning restrictions to accelerate housing reconstruction [1]. Architect Andrew Just's 65-square-metre residential project, built on a 19-square-metre garage foundation, exceeded the permitted height by 2.5 metres and failed to meet required setback requirements, yet still received council approval [1]. The decision reflects the local government's priority to increase housing density and address the city's acute housing shortage.
The approval demonstrates how Christchurch has leveraged regulatory reform to improve housing affordability. Rental costs in the city have become 8 per cent more affordable, significantly outpacing the national average increase of 1 per cent [1]. Couples such as M. Grace-Stent and Gina Dao-McLay pay NZ$485 per week for a two-bedroom apartment—roughly one-third to one-quarter the cost of comparable accommodation in Sydney [1]. The city, home to approximately 10 per cent of New Zealand's population, has been constructing around 20 per cent of the nation's new housing stock [1]. With these building initiatives, Christchurch aims to increase its central city population to 20,000 residents by mid-2028 [1].