Third wave pressures in the City of sails: Is Auckland's inequality global?

Abstract

Jan Nijman and Yehua Wei (2020) have argued that third‐wave cities are riven with multidimensional disparities, most notably a bifurcated workforce and socio‐spatial polarisation, that are driven by forces that are both global and specifically urban. In this article, I apply Nijman and Wei's model of urban inequality to Auckland, New Zealand and evaluate whether this model is applicable to the city. In response, I argue that while the disparities evident in Auckland have commonalities with those identified by Nijamn and Wei, national policies regarding employment, housing and migration, along with local environmental particularities, arguably have greater influence.