Bill Mc Kay
What lies beneath, explaining how city sewerage works
Urban issues correspondent Bill McKay looks at one of our most vital - but overlooked - pieces of infrastructure: sewerage. Audio
Furniture giant IKEA has been snooping around our homes
IKEA is due to open a shop at Auckland's Sylvia Park next year. Audio
Urban Issues with Bill McKay
Bill has the second part of a citizens guide on what you can do if you don't like a big building proposal near you. Audio
Urban issues: What if you don't like what's planned for
Bill joins Kathryn to talk about what happens if there's a development planned for your town or neighbourhood that you object to? Some residents in Wanaka and Tirau are fighting proposals for… Audio
New planning policies to boost housing: the good, the bad
Urban issues correspondent Bill McKay joins Kathryn to look at six big changes announced by the government to boost housing, including the setting up of Housing Growth Targets for tier 1 and 2… Audio
Government removes size rules for apartments in housing fix
The government is promising to fix the housing crisis by flooding the market with affordable homes and driving down prices. They're calling it an ambitious agenda with six key changes including… Audio
Granny flat rule changes: the gritty detail explained
The Government is planning to liberalise granny flat rules, promising people will be able to get one built without resource consents. Audio
Can social housing be run on a more business-like basis?
Kainga Ora is set to tighten its belt after an independent review raised alarms over its financial situation. Audio
Urban issues with Bill McKay: Toilets and the Building Code
Bill examines how New Zealand First's 'Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill' might work up against the Building Code. Are there really men's, women's and unisex toilets everywhere as Winston Peters has… Audio
Urban Issues with Bill McKay
What would you do if your local council or the Government asked to buy your house?
It happened to Bill McKay recently, under the Public Works Act. Audio
Urban Issue with Bill McKay: The history of kitchen design
Bill McKay discusses the history of the classic layout of a kitchen, and its connections to pre-Nazi Germany. Audio
The heritage building hullabaloo
The heritage building debate: A balance between saving our history and building our future. Audio
Urban Issue with Bill McKay
Today, Bill argues that it is cheaper and more sustainable to reuse old buildings rather than demolish them. He looks at how the University of Auckland has just done that - and ended up with the… Audio
Urban Issue with Bill McKay
Does urban densification mean heritage buildings have to go? Audio
Urban Issue: How wheelchair accessibility can benefit us all
Bill McKay looks at how designing public spaces with wheelchair accessibility at the forefront can benefit everyone, and not just those with obvious disabilities. The term 'universal design' conveys… Audio
Urban Issues with Bill McKay: Can we turn carparking into homes?
As more people work remotely New Zealand is seeing a hollowing out of inner cities which poses questions over how to sustain central area populations and the use of commercial buildings and carparking… Audio
Urban Issue with Bill McKay
Bill McKay toured a few Australasian cities over summer; and shares his thoughts from the log industry to public transport. Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning… Audio
Cutting red tape: New Government eyes RMA reform
The new Government is canning Labour's RMA reforms, but has vowed to cut red tape. So change is coming - but what form could it take? Bill will talk about the options. Audio
When a chair is more than a chair
Bill discusses a new exhibition at Auckland's Objectspace gallery called 'The Chair; a story of design and making in Aotearoa'. It showcases more then 110 New Zealand designed and made chairs spanning… Audio
Urban issues with Bill McKay
Bill McKay looks at an interesting new fellowship from The NZ Institute of Architects: $20,000 for someone to research "public housing challenges in Aotearoa" and "explore solutions". Bill McKay is a… Audio