Flexible and adaptable business areas
As Auckland grows, it must offer capacity for new business growth. Around 263,000 new jobs may be needed over the next 30 years.
Business area trends
The concentration and location of Auckland's businesses in the urban areas has changed over time, and may continue to do so.
Heavy and light industrial uses are reducing their land areas or moving out towards the periphery and other, higher intensity uses are taking their place.
A more recent trend has been for
advanced industries (highly specialised service sector jobs) to concentrate in the city centre and in established industrial areas in the inner south.
Auckland's city centre plays a critical role in the success of Auckland's economy with a concentration of financial and commercial jobs.
A wide range of
business activities are also clustered in major
centres, industrial areas, and around the Ports of Auckland and Auckland International Airport.
The north-south State Highway 1 corridor has a concentration of businesses making use of this corridor to access other parts of Auckland and New Zealand.
Access to employment
Employment is currently concentrated in some parts of Auckland but is under-represented in the eastern and western parts of the urban area.
This imbalance, together with the 'pinch points' in the congested transport and
infrastructure networks, creates greater disparities in access to education and employment between different communities.
Increasing business growth and employment opportunities around Albany, Westgate and Manukau will help address several of Auckland's current transport and employment challenges.
As these areas grow, there will be more options for people to work or study closer to home, and for greater benefits from
business clustering and agglomeration.
Economic trends
Change in the make-up and distribution of Auckland's economy will continue over the medium to long term.
Most growth is expected in sectors that prefer to locate in commercial areas. However, the exact nature of economic changes and related
business land needs are uncertain.
The impact of disruptive technologies and increasing automation are likely to lead to a growing share of jobs in
advanced industries and further reductions in manufacturing jobs.
These changes have the potential to significantly affect the quantity, type and location of business land needed.
Given these uncertainties, the urban area needs flexibility to respond in a way that supports Auckland's future economic needs and ensures an ongoing supply of business land in appropriate locations. Read more on the
Wynyard Quarter - the changing nature of industrial land page.
Making the best use of existing business land
The
quality compact approach to accommodating business growth in the future is to make the best use of existing business land, as well as create new business land in greenfield areas.
Making the best use of existing business land means repurposing and intensifying centres and business areas, especially those in accessible locations.
Existing business land, particularly important industrial areas, will be safeguarded. Once lost to other uses, such as housing, it is difficult to replace.
Business land in future urban areas
Approximately 1,400 hectares of business land is needed in greenfield areas. The Development Strategy identifies indicative locations for the provision of business land and centres.
The exact location and quantity required will be confirmed through structure planning and serviced in line with the sequence of the
Future Urban Land Supply Strategy (PDF 3.98MB).
You can zoom into areas of the map and click on the icons for more information.
