Aucklanders are being invited to have their say on what the city centre will look like in 20 years, with the release of the masterplan by the council. The council believes the designs reveal a “friendly, safe and vibrant place” with trams, pedestrian-only streets and lots of green areas - “a people-friendly haven”.

Mayor Phil Goff says: “Our city is growing at an unprecedented rate, with $73 billion worth of commercial construction and more than 150 major development projects – including our multimillion dollar Downtown Programme – in progress or in the pipeline.

“Over the next 10 years, there will be eight times as many people using the waterfront area every day. The completed Commercial Bay precinct alone will house 10,000 workers, and pedestrian traffic at Britomart is set to double when the City Rail Link opens in 2024.

“The new city centre masterplan will help accommodate our record growth and ensure that central Auckland develops as a vibrant and world-class destination for people.”

The council’s also working with Mana Whenua to help develop a deeper understanding of the city’s history and to create a “thriving” Māori culture and identity.

Planning Committee chair, Councillor Chris Darby, says the scale of urban transformation of Auckland’s city centre is unprecedented. People-centred urban design is the key to reaching 21st century standards of sustainability, mobility, and economic opportunity.

“Our new mobility plan, Access for Everyone, will create a low-emissions zone in our city centre within the next five years. It will transform the way we use our streets – making sure that pedestrians, cycles, and buses can move freely and safely, while preserving access for drivers. It will free up public space and improve deliveries to businesses and residents.”

Aucklanders will get a chance to feel the difference when trials start in High Street later this year. Working closely with city centre residents, businesses and visitors the council will begin to test and refine distinctive streetscape arrangements that combine access and enjoyment.

Ludo Campbell-Reid, general manager at the Auckland Design Office says the City Centre Masterplan will build a city centre for people and marks a new bold chapter in Auckland’s urban design transformation story.

“The new designs introduce three bold new concepts – Access for Everyone, the eastern transformation of Grafton Gully and Māori Outcomes – that collectively will unlock the liveability, the accessibility and the indigenous Māori creativity of Auckland today and into the next 20 years.

“In the future, an exciting opportunity exists with the urban regeneration of the Grafton Boulevard, which has the potential to become the new Wynyard Quarter. With 30 hectares of untapped city fringe space, the vision is to create a new liveable district for four thousand residents and unite Parnell with our city centre and waterfront.”

Access for Everyone – Queen St Valley: Within the next decade, Queen St and adjoining streets will transform into a pedestrian and transport haven with open public spaces for people to enjoy and explore. Working closely with Heart of the City to introduce the new concept Access for Everyone, it will create a pathway for people leading to the city’s waterfront, and help stimulate prosperity for businesses.

Grafton Boulevard: new eastern gateway to the city centre: The vision is to complete SH16 to Tāmaki Drive as a tree-lined multiway boulevard to improve connections and access to the port area and eastern suburbs – creating a new eastern gateway to the city centre and extend the city centre’s vibrancy to the east.

Māori outcomes – Our place in the world: Working closely with Mana Whenua, a range of unique initiatives and developments will provide all Aucklanders and visitors with a deeper understanding of Mana Whenua histories, associations and aspirations within the city centre and waterfront. Collaboration, innovation, creativity and the direct involvement of Mana Whenua will develop and deliver a thriving Māori culture and identity for the area, from which Aucklanders and visitors will benefit.

Following the public consultation period, there will be further opportunities during 2019 to refine and shape the draft plan, with a view to seeking committee approval in early 2020.

Auckland Transport also recently released this video, explaining some of the changes coming to the waterfront area in the next few years:

A version of this article was first published on the Landscape Architecture Aotearoa website, which is published by the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA).