Amid Aotearoa New Zealand’s housing crisis, rangatahi Māori face unique challenges in accessing not just houses but kāinga—places that nurture whānau and cultural identity. Using Kaupapa Māori research, He Tātai Whetu ki te Rangi, he Rangatahi ki te Kāinga (2020–2024) explored rangatahi realities and aspirations for kāinga in Tāmaki Mākaurau. Findings reveal that rangatahi struggle to secure appropriate housing, while navigating discrimination, intergenerational impacts of land alienation and invisibility in housing policy. These systemic barriers cascade into effects on mental health, cultural identity and whānau formation.

Situated within a mainstream primary school in inner-city Auckland, Te Akā Pūkaea accommodates two Māori-medium education pathways: Te Awahou (bilingual) and Te Uru Karaka (total immersion). Te Akā Pūkaea is now in its fifth year of working as a flexible learning space (FLS). With the increasing presence of FLSs in the school landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand, researchers have begun to explore the significance of spatial design on classroom teaching and learning. The vast majority of this research has been undertaken in English-medium schools, and the participation of Māori voices in the discussion of FLSs over the last 20 years has been minimal at best.