As local government becomes increasingly squeezed financially, there is increasing discussion of city region deals as a new way of funding infrastructure. However, while a city region deal may well include new funding streams from central to local government, there will undoubtedly be an expectation that investments will not be solely financed by central government, and – further – that new and innovative financing models will be used.

This article proposes transformative ideas for a City Deal for Wellington, including a merged tertiary education structure, completing State Highway 1 upgrades for urban rejuvenation, and implementing a congestion charging scheme.