A 33-unit apartment block with no car parks in Auckland is touted as "sustainable, low energy urban living", but local business owners say it will force cars onto the street, driving customers away.

The $17.5 million dollar development, Daisy Apartments opened this month in Akepiro Street in Kingsland, a short walk from Dominion Road.

Next door is Lyall Lohz's business EBC Brakes. He said his business required customers to come and go regularly, and having no car parks for residents of the new units was "the stupidest, most ridiculous idea I've ever heard in my life".

"No doubt all these highrise people will be down here blocking my entrance."

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With no car parks offered to residents, developers Ockham Residential boast the build as "the first of its kind" with "a total commitment to best practice, sustainable, low energy urban living".

Ockham Residential advertised the apartments as just 80 metres from major transport links, and AA Principal Advisor Barney Irvine said the push to use public transport would help congestion around the central city long term.

Irvine said more developments without car parks were an inevitable change.

Ockham Residential co-founder and director Mark Todd didn't think the apartment would affect the availability of parking in the area.

"Nothing's changing in that respect. There's already no car parks on Akepiro street."

Todd said the new Auckland Unitary Plan that allows apartments to be built without car parking was a step in the right direction for the city.

"It's wonderful to have the opportunity to not have car parks ... Aucklanders have made a really progressive decision."

Because the car park-less Daisy appealed to a smaller market, Todd said it took longer than usual to find residents. He said they were "very clear about what the building offers" to make sure people knew they wouldn't have a car park with their apartment.

But Lohz said he had already been approached by a prospective apartment tenant asking if he could lease space to park a car in Lohz's warehouse.

If any tradespeople needed to be called to the apartments, Todd said they would also have to park on the street.

Ockham Residential has another car park-free development in the works for Ponsonby later this year.

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