Client: Heart of the City, Auckland, New Zealand | Project timeframe: 2023
“Taking the time to properly unpack the report revealed the real power of the data — giving us clarity on where to focus and confidence in the direction we’re heading for Heart of the City“
Heart of the City
The problem
Queen Street is one of Auckland’s most iconic commercial corridors – historically the retail and civic spine of the city centre.
But like many global CBDs, it faces increasing pressure from changing retail patterns, post-pandemic recovery challenges, public realm expectations, and evolving user behaviours.
For Heart of the City, the challenge was not simply revitalisation – it was alignment.
- What does success for Queen Street look like today?
- How do we prioritise investment and activation in a complex stakeholder environment?
- How do we ensure transformation reflects what users genuinely value, not just assumptions?
Meaningful change on a flagship urban street requires more than design upgrades or event programming. It requires a shared evidence base that can unite business, government and community around a common vision.
The solution
The research combined broad sentiment data with on-the-ground experiential assessment:
- 1,300+ community members identified what matters most in the city centre
- 87 in-street users rated their lived experience of Queen Street
- Place performance indicators were benchmarked against wider urban standards
- Key improvement priorities were mapped to guide activation and investment
Data is collected quarterly, providing real-time insights into:
- Place Experience (PX) performance
- Visitor sentiment and demographic variation
- Maintenance and cleanliness perception
- Activation and programming impact
- Longitudinal performance trends
This dual-layered approach ensured that the findings reflected both strategic expectations and real-time user experience. The result was not just data – but a clear, defensible framework for prioritisation.
The outcome
This project established the first structured performance baseline for Queen Street – enabling Heart of the City and its partners to:
- Identify priority areas for revitalisation and activation
- Engage stakeholders using evidence rather than anecdote
- Advocate for coordinated investment
The insights are now being used to engage a broader network of partners, recognising that meaningful transformation of Queen Street requires collaboration across business, council, property owners and the community.
By placing user needs at the centre of decision-making, Heart of the City has positioned itself as a champion of data-informed urban leadership. Rather than pursuing isolated interventions, the organisation now operates with a community-backed roadmap – one that supports a more vibrant, inclusive and responsive future for Auckland’s primary commercial spine.
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