An overview of our Auckland City Centre Masterplan (CCMP)
From the Special Event to the Digital Masterplan, we’ve broken it down for you here.
Just off the motorway and swooping around a hidden corner onto Sale Street we came together in the Auckland architectural offices of Isthmus Group. [4 August 2020 CCMP discussion.] Through the combined efforts of NZILA, UDF and Transportation Group we, as George Weeks, Urban Designer in the Auckland Design Office City Centre Unit, said, met “in an actual room, with actual beer, eating actual pizza.”
We were there to delve deeper into, and hear more of the City Centre Masterplan (CCMP) vision from both George and Stuart Houghton, Urban Designer and Associate Partner at Boffa Miskell. As a collective we set aside 90 minutes of our evening to digest this vision and see what mantles we might hold to support its future.
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What Places for Good we liked –
There were a few specific points and areas outlined at the event and in the document that seemed worthy of noting.
George emphasized the collective hope that our streets evolve over time into the dynamic vision that supports life both night and day while providing a sense of safety for its visitors and locals. This aspiration is outlined in many plans, one being the Access for Everyone – transformation for Queen Street. There was a special mention on the importance of a quality transit street. Transit streets – Streets that combine good public transport and the public realm. This vision was inspired by well known buzzy urban hubs like Utrecht and Vancouver. There was a valuable nod to Karangahape Road pre 1950s, having been a central transit hub. This plan intends to bring it back into contact again with the rest of Auckland and future transit oriented developments. Dominion Road Junction was mentioned as part of the city villages aspiration for greater Auckland regions.
We had a welcome revisit to the beloved Queens Wharf with a direct statement from Stuart, “As progressively delivering waterfront public spaces for people.” This was a notable stance in the plan to declare a role in the wharf to provide a much aspired public space hub at our waterfront. This is a huge deal for what has been a lengthy debate on a contested publicly owned and beloved site. This stance taken by the authors of the plan and speakers aligns with Panuku’s vision of high quality high use public space, Auckland’s desire for a zero carbon emission zone, and the Māori outcome for our waterfront.
Furthermore, in the area for Māori outcomes this was part of the plan that seemed to be given thoughtful attention and time. There was evidence in co partnership with the design genuinely integrated in the design specific through work with the kaitiaki forum and final document. Attention being made to the desired outcomes by Māori for Māori in the designs for the Papa kōkiri and the Whare tāpere (Contemporary community house). There was an apparent dialogue with Māori about what happens where and in what part of the city. Through the presentation it seemed George and the design team had tried to create a real sense of desire to create permanent premises for mana whenua and a contemporary community house at the heart of the Aotea quarter.
Learning Quarter
A new focus for some, but important korero, was that around the potential for Symonds Street university separation and creating a series of access zones. Notable, was a serious issue having what seemed like a motorway running through a campus. Rethinking this area created an opportunity for the university to function as a place rather than for through traffic. The plan includes a better integration with Albert Park and AUT with Mayoral Drive as the front door of that campus.
It was a lovely immersive walking tour of what our city was, is and has the potential to become. Wider footpaths, more public space. Rethink, unlock what Symonds St. could be. Rethink the street infrastructure of Grafton Gully.
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What Places for Good didn’t like –
This was really an opportunity to outline what we have to work with … also what is missing.
Heritage and the place of our citizen users through this process seemed a bit absent or very light in this plan. Citizen-led co-design drives outcomes we can be proud of that often have the more sustainable outcomes with valuable kaitiaki in places for the length and life of each project.
It would be great if designers put as much thought into walking and cycling plans, and created such robust strategies for our safer schools journeys that we do into the designing of our CRL stations.
Utilising more stories and experiences from the “learning quarter” could be a welcome inclusion. The user expert of students and academics would be very useful data in shaping the future of an inclusive space with its users valued as people that can have a place in the master plan.
Lastly, being a digital resource it is important to acknowledge all the mahi (work) and organisation that has gone into the making of this document. But, we welcome the korero and more importantly the ACTION that can bring this document to jump out of our screens and pour gloriously out into our streets. This feels like a living document that can grow, change, inspire intimate conversations, gather data, present itself into our lecture halls across the country or even internationally. Only to grow and change again, with heritage, humans, Papatūānuku and Māori outcomes at its core.
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Things to work on –
Under our current covid circumstances many of us should realise by now that these outcomes will only be realised by us working collectively.
To iterate and action the values and improvement we want to see.
We are in this together.
Prosperity, sustainability, quality, inclusion, and connection will be obvious and apparent if it leads with a more refined succinct purpose and obvious actions we can feel sooner rather than later.
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Looking Forward
Below I have worked my way through the layers of the digital CCMP documents to give you a tighter outline and brief description of some of the related links attached at the bottom of the CCMP document.
Waitematā Local Board Open Space Network Plan 2019 – 2029 – 70 pages
This outlines key gaps in our current strategy and priority areas in the Waitematā
Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide – 76 pages
A World Health Organization guide highlighting overlooked issues such as bus drivers taking off before elderly passengers are seated or pedestrian crossing seemingly designed for Olympic sprinters.
Aotea Quarter Framework – 6 chapters of four desired outcomes and strategic direction for the area surrounding Aotea Square.
Auckland’s Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy – 33 pages
Te Rautaki Ngahere ā-Tāone o Tāmaki Makaurau
Resources: including important goals such as our long term goal for 30 percent average tree canopy coverage across the city.
Auckland’s Heritage Counts 2018 Annual Summary – 17 pages
“Auckland is fortunate to still have a significant number and variety of important heritage buildings and sites across the region – though too many remain unprotected, and we continue to lose them.”
C40 : Green and Healthy Streets
“(Auckland’s) pledge to transition to Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets by:
Procuring, with our partners, only zero-emission buses from 2025; and ensuring a major area of our city is zero emission by 2030.”
City Rail Link – The Stations (Design)
Fly-through videos, virtual journey, historical images, and area histories
Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan – 173 pages
A vital outline and breakdown on many things including how Auckalnd plans to prepare for our current emissions pathway and the prospect of 3.5 degree celsius warmer region
Te Aranga Principles
Seven principles four case studies – delving into improving your maori lens this is as good a place to start as any.
Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) – 27 pages
Auckland Council and the Government have developed an aligned strategic approach on transport through the Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP). This includes advice on recommended transport investment priorities for Auckland.
Investigating the Economic Value of Walking in the Auckland City Centre – 22 pages
Business Case for Walking
Investigating the Economic Value of Walking in the Auckland City Centre
Valuing the Urban Realm (VURT)
Lucy Saunders – Bringing healthy streets to cities – 25 min listen
Healthy streets
Te Rimu Tahi, Ponsonby Road Masterplan – Maori Heritage Report – 17 pages
Te Rimu Tahi
Ponsonby Road Masterplan – Maori Heritage Report
June 2013
Ngarimu Blair for Auckland Council
Opportunities for future projects
