The Project Auckland series looks at the challenges facing Auckland as it seeks to become a world-class city.
Auckland has one of the finest physical settings for a metropolitan population in the world.
With superb natural assets and a temperate maritime climate, all it should take for Auckland to attain world class status is a bold vision, matched with a pragmatic redeployment of our existing resources and capability to achieve better city planning, functioning and connectivity.
The new Auckland must take a strategic rather than political approach to infrastructure planning and investment.
The greatest change in Auckland's governance structure for decades will significantly improve the council's ability to engage with government agencies, funders and suppliers on infrastructure issues, investment and delivery opportunities.
A significant range of private sector organisations spanning finance, engineering, consulting, construction and operations are keen, ready and able to assist.
Auckland needs completion of the essential ring routes, motorway and arterial networks, not just as an economic driver but also to improve the health, safety and amenity of our neighbourhoods by taking through traffic out of "living" areas.
We need infrastructure planned with, rather than counter to, our natural assets, creating a healthy outdoors lifestyle around our harbours, parks and volcanic cones.
We need improved public transport, not just for commuters, but to ensure our fast-growing communities stay connected and engaged. And we need water, waste water and stormwater networks that keep pace with that growth.
We need a port and airport with growth potential and a clear strategic plan that clearly complements the city's spatial aspirations.
We need reliable power, gas and telecommunications. The new city won't provide these itself but they are vital, so the council must strongly advocate carefully targeted investment.
A priority in my view is making Auckland a more efficient city to live and work in - ease of movement, ease of access, ease of communications, ease of statutory and local government "process".
Physical infrastructure may arguably be the most visible element of a city's success, but a vibrant economy, healthy and safe surroundings, and a caring social environment are equally critical in lifting our "good" city to greatness.
Social and community infrastructure to create safe and liveable communities may not be the primary domain of the new council but without their active participation, the vision for Auckland can't be realised.
Our city needs first world hospitals and access to community health care, sports grounds, recreational facilities and investment in the arts.
We should recognise and build on our past achievements, of which the regional parks network is a wonderful example. These parks are a huge success story and a world-class legacy that the new city has inherited.
Core to Auckland's success is the promotion of our city as a place to live and do business, encouraging new investment, promoting wealth generating activities.
We need to invest in a more coherent way to create a unique Auckland identity. We need to think about what we're famous for, what attracts tourists, what's special about us.
Have we lost our way here? Contrast for example cities with clearer visions than ours, such as Melbourne and Wellington, well established as cultural and events centres. And witness Brisbane's renaissance as a lifestyle river city.
We need to try harder at protecting the heritage and special character of our South Pacific city. We need to enhance our neighbourhoods and sense of local community spirit.
Our harbour setting is world-class and we have plenty of waterfront, however we seem to want to clone the recipes used with mixed success by many other world cities, most much bigger than our own. Rather than targeting something unique, some commentators argue for the development of long strips of sterile waterfront bars, restaurants and accommodation.
Sure we want some of that, but I advocate discreetly successful, busy precincts such as the Viaduct, Mission Bay or Devonport, in preference to taking more and more waterfront land for long cold windy strip developments.
Why not make a busy interesting working port a key part of the Auckland experience? Why not target some investment to the rest of our coastal setting - ferry to and walk the North Shore beaches, visit the gulf islands, the upper harbour and Manukau Harbour coves? These are huge untapped recreational, tourism and economic assets.
While the new council may not lead all these areas, its advocacy and support role is a critical component of an integrated future plan, and can help to target investment to achieve best bang for our buck.
The council's spatial and infrastructure plans must succeed in presenting a coherent regional framework for development and inter-agency co-operation, where political agendas have hampered collaboration in the past.
Sounds simple doesn't it? Of course the reality is that the process of reform, planning and integration will present significant challenges in Auckland for many months to come and it will call on the leadership skills and engagement of a broad spectrum of organisations across both the public and private sectors.
Don Lyon is managing director of Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner, one Beca group's two NZ operating companies.
