Auckland Conversations

Healthy Streets for Auckland by Auckland Council

How climate-ready is Auckland? New Zealand is a truly desirable destination. It’s clean and green, people make money launching home-grown rockets and creating movies, and we see ourselves as fun and fair. But how true is our perception of being green, innovative and fair? Are we really ready for climate change or are we in for a big surprise? Is our growth and change a liability? Auckland is growing and changing but this doesn’t need to be a liability. Instead, it’s an opportunity to harness new energy, ideas and collective power to transition to an Auckland that is cleaner and fairer. Other cities and nations have shown that GDP, population, climate readiness – even happiness – can rise rapidly while emissions fall sharply. What does a just and prosperous transition look like? Our most vulnerable – including Māori and Pasifika communities – are most impacted by climate change and will continue to be so. Doing nothing on climate means turning our back on our most vulnerable and creating greater inequali

The future of Auckland is in your hands Our harbours and streams are being polluted by overflows from ageing sewerage and stormwater systems that can’t cope with heavy rainfall, while Kauri dieback disease is threatening one of our most iconic tree species. Join the conversation on the future of the city as Auckland Council continues to consult on its 10-year Budget and 30-year Auckland Plan. The 10-year Budget proposes targeted rates to improve water quality and the environment, including tackling Kauri dieback disease, while the Auckland Plan proposes the long-term protection and enhancement of Auckland's environment by doing things differently as Auckland grows and develops. Whose responsibility is it to protect our environment? Should declining water quality be accepted as a trade-off from growth and economic prosperity, and what priority should we put on environmental protection? Bernard Hickey, Managing Editor of Newsroom Pro and Director of Newsroom NZ Ltd, will be joined by Auckland Mayor Phil

The future of Auckland is in your hands Join Auckland Conversations for two events on 28 February and 22 March when Auckland Council consults on the future of the city in its 10-year Budget and the 30-year Auckland Plan. We need to consider the long term challenges facing Auckland and the outcomes that we want to achieve. The council is proposing a regional fuel tax to fund investment in Auckland’s transport network and decongest our city, while also considering small targeted rates to protect our environment, improving water quality in our streams, rivers and harbours, and protecting our native trees, birds and animals from disease and pests. Are these the right priorities? Will they create a world class city? The first of these events will focus on Transport - is a fuel tax the answer to Auckland’s transport challenge? Or is there another way? And does Auckland have its long-term transport plans right? Bernard Hickey, Managing Editor of Newsroom Pro and a Director of Newsroom NZ Ltd, will facilitate t

World renowned road safety strategist Matts-Åke Belin advises the mayor of New York, the UN and the US government on Vision Zero. Vision Zero is an approach to road safety that can be summarised in one sentence: no loss of life on the roads is acceptable. It began in Sweden and has grown into a global movement. Well known Vision Zero cities include New York, London, Toronto, Seattle and Portland. Along with growth and congestion, Auckland is facing a growing road safety challenge, with road deaths and serious injuries climbing significantly faster than population growth. Road deaths and serious injuries cost an estimated $1.3 billion a year in social costs, which is also the estimated economic cost of congestion each year. Is there a way through to create safe, more productive roads at the same time? Dr Belin will explore why Vision Zero works and what Vision Zero in Auckland could look like. He will share proven road design and engineering solutions that make roads safer and more productive.

Future Proofing The New Zealand Economy by Auckland Council

Cities the world over that are attractive places to live, struggle with affordability. This is, in part, the reason why strong public policy is required to ensure that the city remains both accessible and affordable for all, as both private and public investments are made. Toronto's Chief Planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, will inspire you with her insights into alternative methods that have been deployed with success in Washington DC, and which are currently being implemented in New York City. She will outline the ways in which Toronto has been addressing the key issues that come with being recognised as one of the worlds most liveable cities. Toronto has much to share with Auckland and Jennifer will outline some of the city's success stories and current programmes to deal with the shared challenges of rapid population growth, urban redevelopment and renewal, transport choice, housing affordability and community change.

A ‘living wage’ is defined as the wage necessary to provide an employee with a sufficient income to ensure an adequate standard of living and the ability to fully participate in society. It is independently calculated and updated annually, and nearly 80 businesses around New Zealand are now accredited as Living Wage Employers.  So how does an organisation or business make the transition and start phasing in a living wage? How is the wage calculated? And what are the benefits once it is established? Auckland Conversations is proud to host economist and author Alan Freeman. As Principal Economost for the Greater London Authority, Freeman established the first Living Wage Unit in the UK in 2001. London’s model was so successful that the campaign subsequently grew into a national movement with local campaigns across the UK. Auckland has been inspired by the London experience, and now we have the chance to learn from it. This event is co-hosted by The Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand, which was founded

The French vessel Tara is returning to New Zealand for the first time since the death of Kiwi yachtsman, environmentalist and hero, Sir Peter Blake. Tara was formerly Seamaster, Sir Peter’s yacht and has a special place in the heart of New Zealanders. Join this Auckland Conversation about the vision for ocean leadership and learn about local and global initiatives to look after our ocean. This is a great opportunity to connect with Sir Peter Blake’s legacy and the work that is happening daily to increase environmental awareness among young people and the public. Since 2003, Tara has travelled 300,0000 kms across the world’s oceans, undertaking research to understand the impacts of climate and ecological changes and to anticipate the future. This current voyage, Tara Pacific, has been sailing for nearly 40,000 km through the Pacific Ocean to explore coral reefs.

The reinvention and rejuvenation of New York City (NYC) over the last decade has attracted global attention, including being awarded the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize in 2012. NYC embraced its complexity, density, and diversity, to witness a marked increase in the quality of life in a short span of time. New York and Auckland continue to address similar challenges, including accommodating for unprecedented levels of growth and the need to renew aging physical infrastructure.

The number of people sleeping rough in Auckland’s city centre has more than doubled from 68 in 2013 to 177 in 2016. And this isn’t a problem confined to the city centre – it’s a significant issue across the Auckland region. New Zealanders pride ourselves on being caring and inclusive people. Having people sleeping rough in Auckland's city parks, under bridges, in shop entrances and back alleyways is unacceptable from a humanitarian and business perspective. As a society – government, local government, businesses, residents and community organisations – we can and must do more to urgently address this growing problem.Housing First is a homeless assistance approach that provides people experiencing homelessness with permanent housing as quickly as possible – and then providing connections to the community-based support services that people need in order to keep their housing and avoid returning to homelessness. Auckland Council is proud to be working with Heart of the City (link is external) and partnering wit

Climate action: how do we overcome the challenges? Climate change science is no longer up for serious debate, and the Paris Agreement has given us a way forward for global climate policy. But now what? How do we get real, lasting wins? The opening Auckland Conversations event for 2017 tackles climate change action: how do we fully realise New Zealand's commitments? How are cities leading the way in climate change adaptation and innovation globally? And what crucial steps must be taken? Recent research from C40 Cities (link is external) and Arup, Deadline 2020 (link is external), puts the heat on, demonstrating that while cities can lift us 40% of the way toward our Paris Agreement ambitions, more ambition over the next four years is critical to get us on the safe climate path. Reducing carbon emissions produces exceptional and well-documented health, economic and environmental co-benefits – and the link between protecting the climate and protecting our most vulnerable people is clearer than ever. So, wha

It’s only relatively recently that Auckland has begun to celebrate and treasure the beauty and potential that exists within its urban waterfronts. What we’ve achieved in Wynyard Quarter, with the transformation of industrial land into what’s becoming one of Auckland’s most liveable areas, has opened up the possibilities to Aucklanders. Yet there is so much more that can be done. Renowned British urban expert Professor Greg Clark CBE is in Auckland to lead the Water Edge 2016 symposium hosted by Panuku Development Auckland. In this, his second appearance at Auckland Conversations, Prof. Clark will moderate a discussion between four urban regeneration leaders from behind some of the world’s most successful water edges, on the movement toward waterfront regeneration. Carl Weisbrod, Chairman of the New York City Planning Commission; Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg, Chief Executive Officer of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH; Richard Brown, Executive Director of Development and Regeneration Services at Glasgow City Council; and Rit

Nearly 20 years ago two architects, one in the US and one in the UK, who’d both acquired functional limitations due to polio, developed an idea about people at the center of the design process. Ron Mace and Selwyn Goldsmith were clear. Universal/inclusive design was not baseline accessibility about people with disabilities but rather a transformational and dynamic design strategy for our time that built on a floor of access. They saw human diversity of ability, age, and culture as definitive of life today and called for concerted leadership to invest in design that makes this new reality work. The demographic facts have only gotten starker. The concepts are more familiar but sustainable visionary practice, at best, scattered. Valerie Fletcher will offer a strategy to spur holistic action for inclusive design that’s practical but energizing, that demands engagement by clients, designers, and users. And she will illustrate success with global examples of methods and results. Doors open at 5.00pm.

Auckland Conversations presents the annual Mayoral Sir John Logan Campbell Lecture as part of the Auckland Heritage Festival. Join Mayor Len Brown to hear internationally acclaimed writer and academic, Kerry Howe discuss the history and future of one of the most iconic areas of Auckland. Both Maori and European settlers exploited the Gulf islands, introduced predators, caused species extinction, and depleted forests. Colonial economic activity was on an industrial scale - mining, quarrying, sand, shingle and timber extraction. Reflecting new global attitudes towards the environment in the 1970s, so began our local and now world-renowned process of Gulf island restoration - eradicating pests, replanting native vegetation, and introducing endangered birds, insects and reptiles. We have created a much loved recreational paradise on our Treasure Islands. Yet the waters of the Gulf are still at threat from pollution, overfishing, and economic and population pressures. How do we account for this contradiction,

Smart Vision for Auckland - Jim Quinn by Auckland Council

In association with 2WALKandCYCLE 2016 Conference, Auckland. How can we create vibrant and healthy cities for everyone, regardless of age or social status? What is the role of streets - the largest public space in any city? How can parks improve the quality of life that attracts and retains people to their communities? Gil answers these questions while also explaining a simple and effective principle for inclusive city building: ensuring the safety and joy of children and older adults (from 8 year olds to 80 year olds) are at the forefront of every decision we make in our cities. Drawing on his experience as Commissioner of Parks and Recreation in Bogota, Gil presents some of the now widely celebrated approaches to urban regeneration through investments in parks and public spaces. Gil also draws upon examples from cities around the world which demonstrate the power of parks and public space in making lives happier, communities better, and economies stronger.

Are we moving on from the Quarter Acre Dream? Is the hope for a quarter acre paradise lost for all but a few Aucklanders? Can we adjust to the new reality of terrace homes, apartments, and town houses? Is this what growth means for the city? With Auckland growing at a rate of 896 people a week how can everyone be guaranteed a home, either to buy or rent? Auckland clearly needs new housing options so the economic benefits of growth can be shared by all as we establish our place among the world’s most successful cities. Watch this Auckland Conversations’ to hear a panel discussion with views on Auckland’s rapid growth, its effect on the city’s future liveability and what we can do to manage our housing issues.

Innovative development leaders from Los Angeles, Guangzhou and Auckland share their vision of how a city will function and thrive 25 years from now and how it is shaping the decisions they are making today. How are these innovation factors influencing design outcomes: SMART Technology Innovation and knowledge – economic and talent attraction Eco-city - sustainability Social and cultural shifts Guest speakers: Tom Gilmore, Partner, Gilmore Associates – Los Angeles Scott Pritchard, CEO of Precinct Properties – Auckland Mr. NG Kok Siong, CEO, Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Investment and Development - Guangzhou

In association with the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) Annual Conference. Joe Minicozzi, Principal of Urban3, pioneers in geo-spatial representation of economic productivity. This helps communities make better decisions through the understanding of data and design. Joe's work has prompted a paradigm shift in understanding the economic potency of well designed cities. Joe’s multidisciplinary expertise with city planning in the public and private sectors, as well as his ingenuity with real estate finance, prompted the development of his award-winning analytical tools that have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Planetizen, Planning, and New Urban News. Urban3’s research illustrates the benefits of urban density, heritage conservation and mixed-use developments. These have an economic impact that lead to creating sustainable and vibrant cities.