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Auckland Arts Festival returns in March 2018 with an exciting programme of performances and events from New Zealand and across the world, bringing the best of culture, creativity and cool to venues across the city centre. For our top Auckland Arts...

This piece by Viv Beck was published in the 'Project Auckland' section of the New Zealand Herald on 15 December 2017. She looks at the 'Auckland disease'; how, despite good ideas, plans and talented people, we are not getting the best...

The number of people walking in Auckland’s city centre continues to grow, with our pedestrian count figures from the last quarter of 2017 showing 4.8% more walking trips than the same time the year before. A closer look at the results shows that...

New on-street parking payment technology being rolled out by Auckland Transport means no more paper pay and display tickets, an option for electronic receipts and a new way to manage short stay business parking for staff or customers. New...

Auckland Council's ten year budget and will be released for public comment at the end of February. It will set out the priorities for spending over the next decade - including what upgrade projects are planned for the city centre...

We saw increases in several of the areas we measure over the Christmas period last year. Consumer spending, transactions and pedestrian counts were all up compared to the previous year. Spending was up 5.3% to $235.3m over the period from...

A group of tourism and transport experts want to see the tunnels under Albert Park, sealed since the end of WWI, opened for public access. Long-time tunnel champion Bill Reid, Waitomo Caves' Nick Andreef and strategic transport planner Nicolas...

Our mayor recently made a bold step to declare his support for allocating more money for the Auckland Art Gallery - Toi o Tāmaki in Council’s long-term plan.  Bold - because it seems he listened to views that differed from his own and changed his...

Heart of the City gave the following feedback to Auckland Transport on the draft design for the Federal Street Stage 2 upgrade project. Feedback closed on 10 December 2017. A flexible approach to management of the space There is increasing pressure...

We’ve seen a laneway renaissance in downtown Auckland over the last few years, with property owners turning under-used ground floors and carparks into vibrant areas for bars, cafes, and most importantly, people. Following in the footsteps of Imperial...

A new Rongoā garden brings traditional Māori healing knowledge, growing techniques and culture into the city centre at Griffiths Garden, with a guiding metaphor of ‘Te Puawai o te Kakano’, or a ‘blossoming seed’. The garden is a shared vision between...

The marquee fashion moment for the city centre is here again; we've curated four days of dynamic retail experiences and highlight events from 21 - 24 March. 4 Days of Fashion in the City shines a light on fashion stores and...

A new interim cycleway and temporary improvements for pedestrians will be installed on Federal Street between Victoria Street and Fanshawe Street in March by Auckland Transport in partnership with the Auckland Design Office. These changes will make...

Next week we'll be sending you detailed information about Auckland Council's priorities for the next ten years under their proposed Long Term Plan, and we will let you know how to give feedback to us and Council. Between now and then, we'll be wading...

Over the next few years, several infrastructure projects are planned for the downtown area as part of the continuing revitalisation of the Auckland city centre in the lead up to the hosting of the 36th America’s Cup in 2021.  The projects are...

Barkers' Jamie Whiting looks at how technology has changed bricks and mortar retail and talks about how their experiential High Street store creates a community and a destination.  This is one of a four part series by The Spinoff with city...

Just over a decade ago, only 20,000 people called the city centre home. Since then, the number has skyrocketed to 45,000, growing six times faster than the Auckland population as a whole1. To meet the population boom, developers have 7,000 new city...

Thanks to: Andrew Stringer | Senior Managing Director | CBRE New Zealand Bruce Ross | Jason Books Donna Hutchins | Head of Operations, Auckland | Mojo Coffee Giapo Graziolo | Giapo Ice Cream Peter Kerridge | Partner | Kerridge...

Pat Menzies talks about selling generations of Aucklanders their first pair of Doc Martens, traditions and staying relevant. We're loving reading people's memories of their first Docs purchase at Pat Menzies over on The Spinoff's facebook page...

Ingrid Starnes' Simon Pound talks about the charms of the High Street District and why it's so important that events like 4 Days of Fashion in the City take place.  This is one of a four part series by The Spinoff with city centre...

NZ Fashion Museum's Doris de Pont talks about Bruce Papas - an iconic figure in Auckland fashion history - ahead of an exhibition of his garments and sketches at Smith & Caughey's.  This is one of a four part series by The Spinoff ...

The 36th America's Cup will be held in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter, with bases and public viewing areas spread across Wynyard Point, Halsey Street wharf and Hobson Wharf. Mayor Phil Goff has announced the plans and an in-principle agreement between...

You might have seen the city's streets coming out in spots lately, first on Shortland Street and more recently on Federal Street. Not just decorative, they’re an example of the growing global trend of tactical urbanism. We talked to Claire Davis, a...

Making deliveries in our increasingly busy and populated city is a challenge, with courier vehicles dealing with congestion and limited parking and bikes only able to carry small loads. This week, a new courier company with e-cargo tricycles able...

Step change projects for the city centre like Light Rail and Skypath are back in the news this week with the government’s announcement of their draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on land transport. The GPS will guide the spending of $4b per annum...

4 Days of Fashion in the City brought a buzz of exciting events, new fashion and great shopping to the city centre at the end of March. We know that activation, experiences and community are part of the future of bricks and mortar shopping – Jamie...

You might notice people selling artful Piki - feather-like adornments to be worn in the hair, on a hat or button or used as a bookmark - around the city centre over the next couple of weeks. The Piki Project has come out of Inside the Cup, a co-...

Auckland Transport is piloting a new scheme that will offer trades and service people and the city businesses they work with more certainty about access. Trades and service vehicles are now able to access allocated spaces in Victoria Street car...

This piece by our CEO Viv Beck was originally published in Colliers Lease: Auckland City Office Space 2018. Auckland's city centre is at the heart of our economy, generating around 17% of Auckland’s GDP and 7% of New Zealand’s.  With low commercial...

Video: Precinct Properties

You can find out more about the America’s Cup proposals at drop in sessions on May 8 and 16, being held by Auckland Council and Panuku as part of the resource consent process. Drop in any time between 11am-1pm or 3-6pm See the documents relating...

You can find out more about the America’s Cup proposals at drop in sessions on 8 and 16 May, being held by Auckland Council and Panuku as part of the resource consent process. Drop in any time between 11am-1pm or 3-6pm See the documents relating...

Since Ellen Melville Centre re-opened in September, it’s hosted a variety of events almost as diverse as the city centre community it represents. On one particularly interesting evening a couple of months back, models prepared for the Ingrid Starnes...

We saw an inspired vision for what the Ports land could be in the future when Archimedia presented their ideas to council last week. Incrementalism is innovation’s worst enemy, said the technologist Nicholas Negroponte. We agree - for Auckland to enjoy...

9 May 2018 By email: [email protected] Thank you for the opportunity to submit to the Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2018-2028 (RLTP) and Regional Fuel Tax proposal.  Heart of the City is the business association for the...

By email: [email protected] Introduction Thank you for the opportunity to make this submission on the draft Development Contribution (DC) Policy. Heart of the City is the business association for the city centre,...