The trouble with downtown Auckland and what can be done

As city centres crank back into life again, one in particular is looking the worse for wear. Auckland's heart has been plagued by a number of issues kicked off by the pandemic: absent international tourists, workers reluctant to return to the office, an exodus of retailers from the midtown and Aotea Square area and ongoing, noisy and ugly disruption caused by the construction of the City Rail Link. The central city is only 0.8 per cent of Auckland's land area, but it packs a mighty economic punch - at 20 percent - or $23b of the city's GDP. It's also home to 45,000 residents - but those with kids lack a school to send them to. So is it time for a major rethink? Kathryn talks to urban designer Garth Falconer, who says the city doesn't need revival - it needs revolution. She'll also be joined by Antony Philips, chair of the City Centre Residents' Group.