Auckland is the future?

Auckland in New Zealand, want to grow and become a 'super city' believing that larger cities have a better chance to thrive in a knowledge economy - because people, companies and institutions clustered in close proximity interact creatively to achieve more than they would if widely dispersed. This leads to higher levels of productivity, and higher returns to businesses - and workers.

Of course there are other factors created by size - 'critical cultural mass', for example, meaning that a wider range of cultural events seems to emerge in bigger cities - because specialist audiences become large enough to sustain professional cultural service provision.

The challenge for Auckland is how to achieve an urban environment that will create growth and realise such benefits. Is this always an organic, natural phenomenon or can it be accelerated by appropriate policy intervention? Time will tell!