City centre recovery
Recognising that the city centre is facing significant challenges because of COVID -19, there is a coordinated and collaborative approach to supporting its recovery. As well as the ongoing public space transformation programme guided by the City Centre Masterplan, there is a range of short term initiatives covering promotion and activation, business support and safety initiatives. Here is a summary of what is currently planned over the first half of 2022.
Regional initiatives to support business and encourage spend:
Activate Tāmaki Makaurau - A $60M business support package that helps Auckland businesses access advice and planning support, support to implement advice and planning, health and wellbeing support and business community resources. Find out more here.
Explore Tāmaki Makaurau – A voucher scheme to encourage Aucklanders to get out and about this summer. Activity and attraction businesses can participate in the voucher scheme by registering their interest by 24 December. Find out more here.
City Centre specific initiatives:
- Outdoor Dining Grants to support hospitality businesses put in place temporary and/or improved outdoor dining environments, supported by the City Centre Targeted Rate.
- Supporting Empty Tenancies – bringing life to spaces for lease, supported by the City Centre Targeted Rate.
- Activation initiatives to encourage visitation and support a vibrant city centre. This includes:
- Christmas in Te Komititanga, a collaboration between Heart of the City, Auckland Council and Commercial Bay.
- An eastern laneways activation programme which will continue into the new year.
- Events such as Late-Night Art and Fashion Week will bring activity out into the city centre's streets, with public/private partnerships and provides for business participation. A calendar of current events in the city centre until June 2022 is available here.
- Planning is underway for an activation plan for the city centre, which will involve a range of city centre stakeholders, including a programme focusing on significant public spaces Te Komititanga and Aotea Square.
- Promotion and Destination Marketing. To encourage visitation and highlight the reasons to visit. As well as regular investment to promote our city centre's diverse offering, specific campaigns in the first half of the year will include:
- What’s On Events campaign. This profiles events, festivals, concerts, exhibitions and unique experiences to visit the heart of the city.
- Cheap and Cheerful. A partnership with the Comedy Festival to highlight the diverse and affordable eating options in the city centre.
- Safety. Building on existing safety programmes such as CityWatch and StoreWatch, outreach initiatives and collaboration with Police. The Alcohol and Safety Taskforce are looking at what additional safety actions are needed to support a safe city centre.
If you are interested in talking more about any of the above, please contact us here.