In this episode of Q+A with Jack Tame (TVNZ1), Mark Todd talks about the appalling state of our main cities’ infrastructure, and the key lessons learnt from Cyclone Gabrielle going forward.

Their discussion covers everything from the country’s historical urban planning mistakes, the issues in private landowners and developers driving civic development, the new urban density policies affecting Tāmaki Makaurau, the need for the private sector, Crown and local Government to work collectively on urban planning measures, misconceptions about the extent of impermeable surfaces within high-density building typologies, and the positive action we’ve seen in initiatives such as Three Waters. The question Todd puts out there: “is the tail wagging the dog?”