Auckland is presently ranked third behind Vienna and Zurich, and ahead of Munich and Vancouver, on the Mercer 2014 Quality of Living rankings.
When Brown was elected the first mayor of the amalgamated Auckland Council five years ago, he was determined to make the city more liveable -- the 30-year Auckland Plan, which was adopted in March 2012, reinforced his drive.
For the first time, the city had a single, comprehensive plan to increase the prosperity of all its residents and to ensure Auckland competes on the international stage.
The plan was based on:
• reducing transport and housing shortages;
• giving children and young people a better start;
• creating more jobs; and
• protecting the environment.
Brown was passionate about improving public transport, reducing congestion on the roads and righting the wrongs of "some horrendous decisions" years back, such as removing the trams and encouraging urban sprawl around motorways.
He pushed hard for the City Rail Link and wanted Auckland to be a more compact, quality city where people lived near transport hubs and moved around more easily.
"In five years' time we will have finished the city rail tunnel, built three extra busways, doubled the rail and bus patronage, opened the $1.4 billion Waterview road connection and 70 to 80km of cycleways, built one or two extra ferry terminals and increased the ferry operations.
"We will have finalised the main (Central and Northern) wastewater interceptors, have the ability to take more water from the Waikato River, welcomed five new hotels, built a third rail line between Ports of Auckland and its inland port at Wiri, and done work around the wharves.
"SkyPath (across the harbour bridge) will be operating, the first part of the light rail system (modern trams) will be in place, we will have the beginnings of the second harbour crossing. and we will have a tree on One Tree Hill," says Brown.
He says uniting the city has given Aucklanders the chance to be proud and passionate about their place.
"We have 10-15 years to harness that goodwill and unifying spirit for transformational change before people lose energy and drive.
"At the end of the (council's) first term we put the foundations in place, and now we have to keep moving at a fast pace to get the projects done."
Brown says the $2.5 billion City Rail Link -- with two new stations -- is a key transport project to improving Auckland's global liveability.
"It is hugely significant for urban regeneration and will attract millions of dollars of residential and commercial investment around the link.
"It is also hugely significant as a transport enabler and assistant in the de-congestion of our roads. It will give Aucklanders a sense of having regained their mojo -- that as a city we can get stuff done." (The City Rail Link was first proposed in the 1920s -- it was then estimated to cost $600,000.)
Brown says the funding deal for the 3.5km-long City Rail Link is "close enough to not talk about it. The Government is now working more closely with us under the Transport Accord, and we are determined to deliver a transport fix at pace that will benefit future generations of Aucklanders.
"We are starting enabling infrastructure works for the rail tunnel next month and we can't afford to stop. If we want to build it in one, then ideally we need a final agreement from Government 18 months to two years down the track," he says.
Brown's funding case is boosted by the projections that Auckland will experience 20 million passenger train trips by 2017, three years ahead of the Government's target of 2020 when it said it would pay half for the City Rail Link.
The project includes new stations at Aotea Centre and Karangahape Rd and a redeveloped Mt Eden station which connects to the western rail line. "We have had a 22 per cent increase in rail patronage in the past year and 10 per cent lift in bus and ferry trips," says Brown. "The roll-out of the electric trains (costing $650 million) and the $1.9 billion railway upgrade has seen people flocking on the train services. We are celebrating that."
He says the $33 million SkyPath cycle and walkway -- linking the city centre with North Shore -- should be built and operating within 18 months to two years.
Light rail would alleviate bus congestion around Symonds St, Dominion Rd and Mt Eden Rd, and Brown says decisions on introducing modern trams should be made in the next 18 months to two years.
Work is starting on another bottleneck, the Southern Motorway, by widening the stretch between Papakura and the South Western Interchange at Manukau. It's a $268 million Government-funded project, and just to the east the council is upgrading the Mill Rd corridor from Manukau to Drury into an expressway to further relieve pressure on the Southern Motorway.
Auckland is facing a $12 billion shortfall in transport funding over the next 30 years and Brown believes motorway tolls can still fit the bill.
Cars would be charged $2 per trip and trucks $6 in the peak hours of 6-9am and 3-6pm.
"Trucking firms are supporting this, and commuters and students can get out of their cars and jump into the buses, trains and ferries. I've attended transport meetings over the past two months and there's minimal comment about a transport levy.
"It's fair to say the Minister of Finance has said motorway tolls is something they will look at. It's a matter for further discussion and it's one way of assuring Aucklanders that the transport deficit will be addressed," Brown says. "Motorway tolls will critically provide a congestion management system and an alternative revenue stream.
"People will have a choice -- they can go on the motorway in peak hours or go on to the side roads and use public transport."
After five years, progress has been made in transport and Brown is quick to add that other major gains have been achieved. "We have seen 20 per cent growth in visitor nights on the back of building a great tourism and events destination. We are short of 3000 hotel rooms and that's the reason you are seeing a high level of hotel building.
"The employment rate has grown 12 per cent with 35,000 new jobs, and unemployment has reached a 10-year low. We are genuinely getting movement in reducing youth unemployment because of the Youth Connections and Employer Youth Pledge plans.
"The work we have done with Los Angeles and Guangzhou on the economic alliance, and signing a memorandum of understanding with Chinese incubator InnoHub has built energy around the high-tech, start-up area."
Brown says the Auckland economy is running strongly. "That's good for the Government coffers, and the health and wellbeing of the city. We have delivered on the expectation of (council) amalgamation. The city will contribute more strongly to the national economy. Auckland is seen as a conglomerate and there is a stronger focus for investment in economic growth," he says.
