Auckland at 15

The Helen Clark Foundation was very pleased to partner with the Auckland University of Technology, Committee for Auckland and Deloitte to host 150+ of Auckland's civic, iwi, academic and community leaders for a summit last week, marking fifteen years of the Auckland Super City.

The summit was an excellent opportunity for Auckland's past, present and future leaders to leave politics at the door and focus on what Auckland will need to succeed over the next fifteen years, and how to get it done. Highlights included a great discussion between former Prime Ministers Helen Clark and Sir John Key, Mayor Wayne Brown and Minister for Auckland Hon Simeon Brown reflecting on how the super city was established and the fundamental importance of Auckland's relationship with central government.

Similarly, the final panel, moderated by Helen Clark Foundation Director Murray Bruges, saw a spirited discussion between Simon Bridges, Izzy Fenwick, Ranjna Patel and Damon Salesa. Key insights included that while getting infrastructure right for Auckland would be necessary for its success, it wouldn't be sufficient in of itself, and that Auckland also needed to get a whole range of "soft" elements right (culture, innovation, diversity); that future Aucklanders would probably look different to current Aucklanders (younger and more diverse, with different needs and expectations of their city) and that when Auckland gets things right, it benefits the whole country, not just the city.

The Helen Clark Foundation has several reports on urban issues, including how we can improve public safety through urban design, how we can address traffic woes through congestion charging, how we can transition to a more decarbonised transport system, and how our cities can be more resilient to extreme rainfall events through sponge city design.