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P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A Freyberg steps Heart of the City members are invited to join us to look back on our past year of activity, hear what we have planned for the year ahead and look after our annual governance requirements...

We held our AGM on Monday, 30 October 2023. Executive Committee: We welcomed two new members to our Executive Committee: Edward Caughey, MD of Smith & Caughey, and Brett Sweetman, GM of the Park Hyatt Hotel.  Martin Snedden was re-...

When NeNe Chicken – a popular Korean Fried Chicken chain – opened the doors of its debut New Zealand store one Queen Street in September it caused such a commotion it made headlines. Over 1100 NeNe Chicken stores have opened around the world since its...

The city's streets, squares, lanes and spaces are bringing festive energy to the city centre this season. You’ll see The Pav, in Te Komititanga shining like a translucent festive beacon; doves and globes gracing much-loved lanes; indigenous markets...

A brief summary of our September 2023 Quarterly Insights. We’re pleased to report continued growth in the city centre during a busy three months - our results for the September 2023 quarter show more people were out and about spending more...

Restaurant Month 2022 Taking place for the twelfth time in August, over 80 restaurants in the city centre presented special $25, $40 and $55+ menus to enjoy, as well as a number of special dining events, many of which sold out fast.  Highlights...

Outlined below are some of the results from our significant campaigns and events that happen throughout the year. Each of them is designed to encourage spend, visitation and build the city centre's reputation as the best place to visit in...

Auckland Council Group, NZ Police, along with government agencies, business associations and social support services, are coming together to enhance safety in Auckland’s city centre under the collective banner ‘Together for Tāmaki Makaurau’. Their aim is...

There’s no reason to be leaving Auckland with all the events happening in the heart of the city throughout the long weekend. From the first-ever New Zealand Red Bull cliff diving competition to perennial crowd favourite The International...

In December Auckland City Centre Police started a new initiative to target retail crime offenders. Since this started, Police has arrested 14 serial offenders and laid 148 charges relating to theft from retailers, and a number of these...

So, what did the last 12 months look like for the city centre, and what happened in the last quarter? When looking at the year-end to December 2023, there are positive trends to report. There’s been more spending - up 13% on 2022 - and more people - up...

In February, the city centre came to life with Lunar New Year celebrations. One part of the festivities was our walking food tours with Lincoln's Table. We helped people discover some of our iconic Asian eats alongside hidden gems - and people loved them...

Credit Sacha Stejko This opinion piece by Viv Beck was published in the New Zealand Herald on 21 May 2024 as part of Project Auckland. Developer Mansons TCLM’s most expensive office build, on the former site of NZ Herald at 50 Albert...

Submission to Auckland Council Long Term Plan (LTP) 2024/2034 (10-Year Budget) on 28 March 2024. Read in full here. 

The impact of the cost of living can be seen in our latest quarter’s results with reduced domestic spending contributing to an overall flat result (-0.4% vs STLY). The international spending dollar, always highly valued here, was of particular...

Auckland Transport has advised us of their intention to start charging for on-street carparking 24/7 in the city centre from the end of June. They sent a letter outlining this on 2 May. It can be read in full here. A map detailing the intended...

Auckland Transport (AT) announced late yesterday that they will delay overnight parking charges till October. As you may have seen, we have spoken in the media over the last few days about the importance of understanding the needs of the city centre and...

Auckland-based businesses with more than five staff can sign up for Fareshare, where they can subsidise a portion of their staff’s public transport costs for commuting to and from work using Auckland Transport (AT) services. Staff with  Fareshare...

Auckland’s Restaurant Month will be served 1 – 31 August 2024 Get ready to discover a world of flavours with the return of Restaurant Month, where every day in August is a celebration of Auckland city centre’s culinary scene. Restaurant Month provides...

Chris Lawton, Chair, Community Patrols NZ and Viv Beck, Heart of the City Chief Executive Update: After we trialled a pop-up Safety Hub at Queen’s Wharf in partnership with Community Patrols of New Zealand (CPNZ) during the FIFA...

Heart of the City, Auckland’s city centre business association, welcomes today’s announcement to boost the police presence in the city centre and anticipates work to continue on a longer term solution.   CEO Viv Beck says “an additional 20...

Heart of the City is delighted that Smith and Caughey’s has decided to keep their Queen Street store operating. Viv Beck, Heart of the City’s Chief Executive says that “The news from Smith and Caughey’s today of their decision to keep their Queen Street...

Off the back of a flat March quarter, the June quarter reflected the wider economic landscape, with both overall spend and foot traffic down compared to 2023 (Spend: -9% vs STLY, Foot Traffic: -7% vs STLY).   This is consistent with retail...

Heart of the City is delighted with the commitment from government to the cross-agency approach to addressing crime and social issues to complement local initiatives in Auckland’s city centre – bringing results to issues that the organisation has been...

Friday, 4 October – Sunday, 13 October Multiple locations across Auckland’s city centre Auckland’s city centre will be radiating hues of happiness this October, with the return of Art Week, featuring a programme packed with over 70 events,...

Discover a world of flavours with the return of Restaurant Month this August where every day is a celebration of the city centre’s culinary scene. Restaurant Month provides foodies the opportunity to indulge in special menus priced at $30, $45 or $55...

Auckland’s Restaurant Month is back from 1-31 August 2023. This year’s programme includes a stellar line up of events and menu offers that showcases the breadth of talent and diversity of offers that can only be found in the heart of the city. Global...

Heart of the City is encouraged by the move to get the public sector working back in the office and looks forward to seeing this get more legs in Auckland. Viv Beck, Chief Executive, Heart of the City says “Having more people working back in city centre...

Photo credit: Sacha Stejko Heart of the City members are invited to join us to look back on our past year of activity, hear what we have planned for the year ahead and look after our annual governance requirements -...

Our recent Late Night Art programme, part of Art Week 2024 was a hit as people enjoyed over 40 events across a balmy evening, including a market, live music. pop-up exhibitions and more. The bustling, vibrant energy felt across...

Join the festive fun as Auckland’s new Christmas tradition kicks off with an inaugural tree-lighting event, featuring free family-friendly entertainment from Anika Moa, Tami Neilson and the Auckland Youth Choir. AUCKLAND, FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER...

Viv Beck, Chief Executive of Heart of the City says that “We’re very pleased with today’s announcement of a permanent police station for the city centre.   With overall crime trending down over the last year, this is key piece of the safety...

Tāmaki Makaurau’s magical Christmas tree set to illuminate the heart of the city from 23 November  This festive season, Te Komititanga, Auckland's premier public square in lower Queen Street, will host the spectacular debut of a magical new...

2024 marks 50 years of Fingers Contemporary Jewellery in the city centre! We sat down with one of its founders (and practising artist) Alan Preston who told us the story of Fingers - how it came to be, his favourite memories and hopes for...

Te Manaaki - the spectacular new Christmas tree – is installed in Te Komititanga in lower Queen Street. Standing 18.4 metres high and decorated with over 10,000 individual led lights, 4,000 vibrant Pōhutukawa flowers and over 200 giant baubles...