Abstract:
This paper critically investigates the Auckland Council’s primary objective to shape Auckland as the world’s most liveable city. Following the agglomeration of eight councils, Auckland Council became the largest council in New Zealand in 2010. Transforming Auckland into the most liveable city in the world is the main objective of this new organisation and has significantly informed Auckland Council’s policies and plans. This ambitious objective has generated social, economic and political consequences both locally and internationally. Nonetheless, scholars, including planning theorists, have rightly oppugned the Auckland Council for its aim. This paper elucidates that the Council’s objective is vital to reinforce the position of Auckland in the global market. According to Deleuze and Guattari’s works, the constant flow of money and human capital are imperative for the existence of the contemporary city, such as Auckland. In this context, making Auckland the world’s most liveable city is considered as part of the Auckland Council’s city-marketing strategy that aims to lure international investors, creative class immigrants and tourists. Nevertheless, transforming Auckland into the most liveable city in the world amplifies pre-existing urban problems such as housing inflation and uneven development in New Zealand. This paper suggests that the implementation of a supplementary spatial planning – a national spatial plan – may assist to evenly distribute wealth, services and subsequently population around the country. By directing the flows of capital and population, this supplementary plan will not eliminate, but it will mitigate the detrimental consequences of uneven development such as housing inflation in Auckland
