Auckland Council’s Planning Committee approved the Auckland City Centre Masterplan in March this year, after gathering feedback from various stakeholders. Recently, they unveiled aucklandccmp.co.nz: a new digital home for the Masterplan, allowing the public to explore Council’s vision in more depth.

The website includes interactive maps and allows users to explore the Masterplan’s four key areas: Transformational moves, Outcomes, Opportunities and Access for Everyone (A4E). 

According to Our Auckland, Councillor Chris Darby, Planning Committee Chair acknowledged the changes COVID-19 is having on our city centre and the way we view street space.

“The adoption and digitisation of the City Centre Masterplan comes at a time when we are more focused on how our streets can function to allow people to physically distance. Being able to move around the city safely is a focus for those that live and work in the city centre.

“During Alert Level 4 Aucklanders have enjoyed having more space to walk and cycle and it’s given us a glimpse of what it’s like to have streets focused on the wellbeing and safety of people.”

Auckland Council received feedback from 542 Auckland residents, and they report that 76 per cent of those were in favour of the overall direction of the Masterplan.

The digital platform allows members of the public an accessible way to engage with the plan. “The online plan is easy to navigate with exceptional visuals showing exciting opportunities for the city we want Auckland to be, including plans for the revitalisation of long-neglected areas such as Grafton Gully and realising the full potential of the waterfront,” Councillor Pippa Coom says.

City Centre Design Manager at Auckland Council, Tim Fitzpatrick, noted how useful the Masterplan was in forming the city’s COVID-19 response and how the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of pedestrians in the streetscape.

“The extensive work on the City Centre Masterplan and its access planning has been invaluable in allowing us to roll out an emergency response that ensures physical distancing can be maintained on Queen St in COVID-19 Alert Level 3,” Fitzpatrick noted.

“Although this work is temporary it will give us an opportunity to move seamlessly from streets designed for physical distancing during COVID-19, to streets that reflect our City Centre Masterplan and the vision to reallocate more street space for people.”