Cities as competitive economic hubs
Cities play a distinctive and important role in the economy and life of a nation – consider London, Paris, New York and Shanghai as magnets for financial investment, tourism and innovation.
New Zealand’s cities too are distinctive, reflecting their cultural heritage, regional economies and civic leadership. From an ASEAN perspective, though, their futures have to be weighed alongside the likes of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Singapore, all of which compete for investment capital, firms, top talent and tourists. All have comparative strengths geographically and different infrastructural and environmental challenges. All host leading universities and research institutes and thus are hubs for new knowledge generation and innovation. Most have reinvented and rebranded themselves over the past decade, notably Brisbane and Singapore.
It is within this broader economic development context that research to support growth of our cities must be considered – and Auckland’s future is especially significant for New Zealand.
Urban research globally has developed rapidly over the past decade from a modest, fragmented base, and in New Zealand Landcare Research and its collaborators have been at the forefront of bringing new thinking about cities. You can see applications in most of our cities of the research we and others have done – development with a lower environmental footprint; ‘nature’ brought in through alternative subdivision design, use of swales and indigenous plantings; and construction that makes more use of renewable materials and energy and generates less waste than conventional designs. Because these innovations contribute to a better quality of life and well-being, and are generally also cost-competitive, demand for them continues to grow.
But this poses the question: ‘Are we doing enough to ensure New Zealand cities are globally competitive, provide positive impressions on international visitors, contribute their share to greenhouse gas reductions, and provide an environment that attracts (and retains) the talent essential to improving their (and the nation’s) productivity?’ I have been reflecting on this as I write on a flight back from Brisbane; that city’s development highlights the earnest challenge before us. Your thoughts on this matter would be most welcome.
Warren Parker
Chief Executive