AUCKLAND UNLEASHED, despite being at least 30% longer than it need be, is an excellent discussion document that anticipates a "PLAN" for Auckland (they call it the Spatial Plan).
But the real issue is whether this 'PLAN' becomes an aspirational concept or a bureaucratic straight jacket. No 'PLAN' can anticipate all outcomes. No 'PLAN" can satisfy all democratic inputs.
The successful cities we all love have resulted from a single agency or dictator - democracy seldom had much say! This enabled outcomes to be continually assessed, and if so decreed, changed (like the origin of the Spanish Steps in Rome). For the true manifestation of democracy - look at our suburbs.
The CHALLENGE to the politicians, is to satisfy democratic demands while still achieving the kind of outcomes AUCKLAND UNLEASHED aspires to. The danger of adopting a 'PLAN' is to empower legions of objectors, vested interests and 'box ticking' bureaucrats - and lose any chance of achieving it. The danger of asserting authority is to stand accused of negating the democratic process.
Therein lies the CHALLENGE!
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