Project Auckland: A vibrant international city in the making, says Viv Beck

Viv Beck. Photo / Supplied

OPINION:

If you cast your mind out a few more years, access to the central city will fundamentally change. You’ll be able to come underground by train through the central city, get off by SkyCity and walk to a show at The Civic, a concert at the Town Hall and an exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery. We’ll see people flocking here for a unique Kiwi experience at the New Zealand International Convention Centre.

We are well on the way to a vibrant 24/7 place with high levels of mixed-use investment oozing confidence in the potential of this hard-won infrastructure. The opening of the Hayman Kronfeld buildings in Britomart and HB Central in Queen St are masterful examples of marrying heritage restoration with state-of-the-art interiors. There are many more shining lights, including beautifully-designed hotels and apartments.

This illustrates the change in what 30 years ago was a place you mostly came to work and shop to one that is more like a central experience district. Somewhere you can do things that aren’t on offer elsewhere, all within close range.

In recent weeks, our pedestrian counters have hit 200,000 people per day, which is heading back to the numbers we used to see all the time. Macro data is positive for the last year, with GDP, productivity and the number of businesses all up, although this belies the reality that the economic pain of Covid was largely felt by the more visible businesses and attractions - hospitality, retail, arts, culture and events.

For many of these, business is still tough and we need more of the green shoots that are emerging to attract more people, including an exciting mix of late-night activity that is good for shift workers and night owls.

Tourists and students are bringing much-needed vibrancy since the border reopened. Events continue to be a drawcard, large and small, and a healthy pipeline ahead is important. The Fifa Women’s World Cup this year will see teams located in the central city, not to mention an influx of spectators who will also be keen to explore our wider region.

Pleasingly, we are seeing office lifts with more people in them again. Demand for high-quality property is strong as employers recognise the benefits of having their people back together and creating extraordinary spaces they are happy to come to.

Work on one building even started without committed tenants, which is virtually unheard of and illustrates confidence in the future and a desire to be close to transport links and great places for staff and clients to meet. It’s uplifting to see the much-anticipated tech companies coming here, something we are likely to see more of as our urban offering gets better and better.

As a resident of the central city for many years, I’ve always loved walking everywhere I need to go. When I first arrived here with a 9-year-old, I was on the wrong side of town for an efficient school run, and that’s what we will need to attract more families to the magic of central city living - schooling.

For those not close enough to walk, our city centre needs to be accessible for everyone. Public transport needs to emulate the success of the Northern Busway in all directions, and we must see support for efficient service delivery, cab and rideshare, and for those with mobility disabilities. Transport amenity needs to be well-lit and reliable to support our night-time economy, which was worth nearly half a billion dollars a year pre-Covid.

A co-ordinated effort between the public, private and social sectors to support a safe city is in place. We need more police, a stronger presence on the street, and cross-agency solutions to deal properly with social issues.

Over the next few years, our city centre must keep adapting, attracting new businesses and encouraging investment as it reshapes as a place to connect - for business, entertainment, learning and living - with activated spaces and an offering that attracts diverse groups of people, day and night. A vibrant 24/7 international city is in the making.

• Viv Beck is chief executive of Heart of the City