Reinvigorating Auckland’s City Centre

On Monday 3 August Mark Thomas (MD Serviceworks) facilitated a guest panel comprised of Viv Beck (CEO, Heart of the City), Derek McCormack (Vice Chancellor, AUT University) and Annette Jones (Technical Fellow – Urban Design, Beca) who discussed how to respond to the multiple threats currently facing Auckland’s CBD . These threats range from disruptive construction activities through to an absence of tourists, students and office workers as a consequence of the current border restriction and a growing number of people electing to study or work remotely some or all of the time. 

The subject clearly resonated with very senior civic, local and central government, cultural, institutional, Iwi and business leaders, who attended the event, with a number actively participating in the ensuing frank and constructive discussion and lingering to continue the conversation at the end. 

Viv provided a quick summary of the challenges being faced by tenants and residents of the CBD, whilst Derek focused on the considerable economic benefit foreign students provide to the city and the country as a whole. Annette rounded out the panel discussion with a combination of informative material concerning the movement of people throughout the central city, counterbalanced with some personal insights as a city fringe resident.