Crime in the city centre has increased markedly since the pandemic. Photo / Mike Scott
Improvement in the Auckland CBD will ultimately come down to a waiting game.
The ongoing construction remains a major contributing factor to the disruption and current aesthetic state of the CBD. Unfortunately, there’s little the public can do but wait for those projects to be completed in the coming years.
But how much patience should we have?
Herald writer Adam Pearse told the Front Page podcast that what constitutes a reasonable amount of time is up for debate.
“There’s an acknowledgement that New Zealand isn’t good in terms of the development of city centres,” Pearse says.
“Aucklanders want development and they know that it takes time to get there. But how much time? Someone like Chlöe Swarbrick would probably say it has taken too long. While someone like Phil Goff would say he’s had to deal with the funding impact of Covid-19 and everything is moving as fast as it can. It depends on what side of the fence you sit on.”
In the meantime, New Zealand’s underlying social issues have been laid bare for all to see in the city centre.
Pearse says the number of rough sleepers has increased markedly, placing immediate pressure on local decision-makers to address these issues rather than waiting for change to follow the completion of the construction projects.
“Speaking with organisations like Lifewise, there are more vulnerable communities in the city centre now than there have been,” Pearse says.
