Fences are so ubiquitous in New Zealand that we don't even think about rules.
Not so in many other places: its unusual in many American suburbs to have a street-front fence. In urban centres of Europe and the US you may see a low open fence and a little pocket-handkerchief garden (as we call them) in front of a stout stone townhouse.
People want street-front property fences for obvious reasons; privacy, security, pets and kids.
In urban areas we've seen a fondness for big stone or concrete walls which have a nick-name I can't say on radio- you know the sort with fortress gates and intercoms.
So what are the rules around fences, especially street-front fences? And why are councils increasingly fussy about street-front fences?
Sue's 1.8m fence. Photo: Supplied
Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.
