PwC’s Building Better Cities Survey – Auckland places well

PwC’s Building Better Cities Survey – Auckland places well

Auckland has emerged 6th overall as a top ranking city in APEC in which to live and do business and as a top ranked city in APEC for political environment alongside Toronto and Vancouver, according to a new study launched today at the APEC 2015 CEO Summit. The PwC study gives city leaders a view of where they are now, and it hopes to inspire cities within APEC to collaborate and seek advice to solve tenacious problems.

The study – Building Better Cities – focuses on the role urban centres play in the context of APEC’s economic and social growth, and also looks at the cities’ growing influence outside their borders through three lenses: how they fare in basic city development, what differentiates them and the hindrances they face to growth.

PwC Local Government Director David Walker says, “Auckland finishes well at 6th place overall, two places ahead of our Australian neighbour, Melbourne. At a more granular level, Auckland is the top city in six out of 39 variables; and within the top five cities in 13. In addition, it places in the top seven cities in three out of five categories – culture and society, environmental sustainability and health and welfare; and within the top 15 cities in the remaining two – economics and connectivity.

“Auckland is a cultural and sustainable city, with the culture and social health category Auckland’s best category performance, sitting just behind Toronto and Melbourne, and having topped the Corruption Perception Index, ahead of Singapore and Toronto, which has contributed to this.

“Additionally, Auckland performs well in environmental sustainability ranking 4th overall with a 1st placing in non-hydro renewable electricity generation, and in the health & welfare category ranking 7th coming 1st for electricity access and consumption within this category. Yet, the study shows clear areas where Auckland can improve and these include connectivity (Auckland ranked 15th overall), as well as airport accessibility and attracting foreign investment.”

Auckland’s planned overhaul of its mass transit network with a strong emphasis on multi-modal transport: roads, rail, trams, buses, bikes, ferries, will help improve connectivity for the city. The $2.5 billion City Rail Link is planned to start in 2018 and to be completed by 2023, likely doubling the number of commuter trains to move up to 25,000 commuters per hour and adding light rail (trams) for congested bus routes could shift 18,000 commuters an hour compared to 2,500 on a bus.

“A surprising finding is the realisation that despite the relative maturity of APEC, when allied with the general understanding that cities are critical to economic wellbeing, there are few formal mechanisms to connect APEC cities. Given these cities are likely to become more influential, forming deeper and more meaningful relationships will be an essential component to APEC's futures success,” adds Mr Walker.

Cities are now competing to attract an increasingly mobile, global workforce. Talent collects where the right live-work mix is found. And establishing a unique identity is crucial. Even a top ranking city might lose out on expertise and investment capital if it is not known for a specific asset. It is becoming increasingly important for cities to build up their ‘brand’ and for public and private collaboration to keep Auckland competitive.

ENDS

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