Urban Entrepreneurialism on Auckland's Waterfront

Abstract

This research sets out to explore the neoliberalised redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter. It looks at the underlying policy objectives of the redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter and how this has occurred in an entrepreneurialised local government space. Neoliberalism has permeated throughout governments across the globe (Peck & Tickell, 2002). However, the way in which it is enacted is spatially uneven and changes over time (Brenner et al., 2010; Peck et al., 2012). This research provides an insight into how this has been enacted during the redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter in Auckland, New Zealand. To do this, this research utilised a document analysis of key planning and policy documents from Auckland Council as well as the annual reports from the council-controlled organisation that has overseen the redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter. This was supplemented with interviews with five key informants involved in the redevelopment of the space. This included a local politician and the MP for Auckland Central. It is argued here that the redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter has been redeveloped to attract further investment into the city in line with other redeveloped waterfronts. In doing so the planning documents have indicated a desire to attract the creative class to the city. The space has also seen the inclusion of superyacht berths. All of this is done under the guise that the redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter has been for all of Auckland. However, the Auckland Plan 2050 notes a key concern with a ‘two speed’ Auckland where, in their words, one is rich and the other poor (p.20). Furthermore, there is a focus on the positioning of Auckland as a water sports capital. To build on this image as Auckland as a water sports capital, NZ$240 million of public funds was spent on hosting the America’s Cup which included a NZ$13 million rent subsidy for Team New Zealand to occupy the Events Centre on the waterfront. It is therefore argued here that Wynyard Quarter is an elite space designed to attract high-value individuals to the space. This speculative redevelopment is done so on the basis that it will generate an economic return to Auckland Council. It is discussed as being a space for all of Auckland, but the lived reality of the space is anything but that. It is a space for high-end consumption and high-end living. A recurring question asked throughout revolves around who the waterfront is ultimately for (see Boland et al., 2017) and it does not appear to be for all of Auckland.