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Auckland's city centre retailers to celebrate fashion with four days of diverse experiences Auckland city centre's marquee fashion moment is here again with four days of creative retail experiences in the heart of Auckland City. Now into its 7th year,...

Council's priorities for the next 10 years Auckland Council is asking for feedback on their draft Long Term Plan (LTP) which sets out its priorities for investment for the next ten years, including addressing challenges around ...

The daily presence of rubbish on our city's streets waiting to be collected is one of the big issues affecting what people think about the city. Whilst it's arguably a necessary part of city life, we think that there 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 ...

To: Auckland Council Application Number: BUN60313877 Name of Submitter: Heart of the City Inc (“HOTC”) Submitter Details: Name Viv Beck, Chief Executive on behalf of Heart of the City Inc. Physical address Level 5, QVE Building, 125 Queen...

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...

Video: Auckland Council America's Cup bases and more public access to the waterfront, a transformed Quay Street, more public space next to the Ferry Terminal and a new square for Lower Queen Street are all coming to the waterfront...

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

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: akhaveyoursay@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz 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: Contributions.PolicyTeam@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz 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,...

The news that Mecca Maxima is taking up a much larger site in Queen Street for a new concept store, opening later this year, is just the latest in a stream of new openings amidst a booming cosmetics sector. Marketview reported in the March edition of...

At the Mason Bros. building in Wynyard Quarter, 16% of workers get there by cycling, eight times as many as Aucklanders on average1. Only 20% get there by car, less than half the Auckland average.  This is both a gold star achievement in...

We’ve been involved in helping shape the new Auckland visitor strategy which sets out the direction for Auckland’s visitor economy for the next 7 years. Central to the strategy is the idea of sustainability, and starting to measure success in terms...

For the past three years, a group of feijoa-loving, community-minded city centre-dwellers have come together on a May evening for the Quietly Raucous Feijoa Festival. This year’s festival, held at Tabac, was themed around both feijoa and elephants –...

Since the new Freyberg Place and Ellen Melville Centre reopened in September last year, they've begun to thrive as spaces for community and events. Before construction started, it was agreed that vehicle access through the square...

To: Auckland Council Application number: BUN60318372 This is a submission on an application from Panuku Development Auckland on 13 April 2018 for resource consent to develop and facilitate the infrastructure in the Wynyard Basin/Hobson Wharf area to...

Artweek Auckland, the annual celebration of art in galleries, businesses and public spaces, returns to the city centre from 6 - 14 October.  Highlights include the return of Late Night Art, Changing Lanes, Street ArtDEGO and free guided...

There's a boom in new hotels being built in Auckland's city centre in response to the huge and growing demand for high quality accommodation for local and international visitors. Take a look at the Sheraton Four Points, opening this week, and some...

Two enormous and striking art works by New Zealand artists Sara Hughes and Peata Larkin will cover 5,760sqm of wall space at the New Zealand International Convention Centre when it opens next year. Sara Hughes’ glass artwork, made of 550...

We talked to Steven Yin, New World Metro's Owner/Operator and Community Fridge volunteer Claire Scott-Knight about why they're involved and the idea of community in the city centre. We talked to some familiar city faces about...

Here’s a quick wrap up of what was discussed at the most recent ACCAB meeting – of which we are a member and where we provide advice to Council on city projects as well as the allocation of the city centre targeted rate – a special rate funded by city...

Back for its eighth year, American Express Restaurant Month promises to intrigue and delight tastebuds and foodie fans with an array of delectable culinary events and special menus. Auckland, 19 June: Auckland’s central city dining scene is set to...