On Friday evening the new O’Connell St shared space was officially opened. The street is by far the best shared space created in Auckland to date, thanks in large part to the historic buildings in the area which feel like they’ve been brought to life after peeling back the layers of vehicle dominated neglect. This has also been helped by the council having included lighting of the buildings as part of the project – a first for our shared space projects.
The street was closed to vehicles for the opening but what was particularly fantastic was seeing so many people out and enjoying the food and drink being put on by the local businesses. The people (along with the light cubes and band) took the space to another level that also sucked in passers-by eager to join in and enjoy the space, even if they were just making their way home. It did make me wonder if this is the most people the street has had in it – at least in the last 50-60 years.
And here are the light cubes which provided colour and placemaking. Later in the evening, after many of the people attending the opening had left, people out in the city also made use of them.
It really feels like an intimate people space and it’s one I think we’ll see evolve over the coming years, as I’m predicting a lot more restaurants and bars will open out to the street. While I realise the street has only just opened up again, what the experience from the opening really highlighted to me was the need for us to close the street down to traffic often (arguably it shouldn’t have reopened at all but that’s a discussion for another day). Perhaps the council/AT could start by closing it from around 11am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays which allows time for deliveries in the mornings but then hands the street over to people and the retailers.
One of the fantastic things about O’Connell St, compared to many others, is how easy it would be to shut it down for vehicles. There is only one entrance to the street and even for this event just a single “road closed” sign and a few road cones was all that was needed. On top of that there’s not a single vehicle entrance for the entire length of the street – a rarity in Auckland – which means that other that other than deliveries there’s not a single need for any vehicles to even be in the street.
While on the subject of O’Connell St there are a few other things that spring to mind.
- It really highlights how much High St is dominated by cars. It makes me wonder if the majority of retailers and building owners who gave in to the cadre of parking obsessed neighbours are ruing the decision.
- One of the great things about O’Connell St is the view down the street to Commerce St and the harbour. It highlights how important it is that when the old Auckland Star site is eventually developed – hopefully not as just a carpark – that it retains some elements of this.
- We need to remember that we almost got this street very very wrong. The original plan was to retain a kerb defined carriageway and a handful of the parking spots with just slightly wider and nicer paving. Without many parked cars it would have been a racetrack and the upgrade a disaster. We were amongst many who pushed back on this and urged the council to reconsider. It’s also worth noting that the council originally said the street was too narrow to develop a shared space. With the outcome that’s been achieved I don’t think anyone would say the original plan was the right one.
- In my opinion the Nikaus in Queen St are often dwarfed by the size of the road, however in O’Connell St I think they work fantastically and add beautifully to the buildings.
In other news it appears the issues of lots of cars continuing to park in the street could be over:
Great feedback. As of this morning AT have agreed to position a parking enforcement officer full time in O'Connell. Thanks AT
— Ludo Campbell-Reid (@AklDesignChamp) September 18, 2014
All up despite being one of the oldest streets in Auckland, O’Connell St feels like a new fantastic addition to the city which perhaps highlights just how sad and forgotten it had become. Well done to all involved in the upgrade and thanks to the retailers who put up with the disruption while construction occurred.
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Leave cars out. It has the right scale to be a true people place.
The hall side of the road is just a plain high wall and it does feel plain. Also the bars doesn’t open during day time.
It does feel empty during the day.
Perhaps should have stalls and more cafe tables during day time?
Man, that looks and feels great closed like that. Will definitely draw people in there, especially at night time. How about closing the street off from 6pm to 6am over the summer to begin with? Have the light cubes set up and bands playing there as often as possible. Would definitely generate good income for the businesses operating in the street after 5pm. Give it a go over summer – can’t hurt surely.
O’Connell is currently the only possible exit from Chancery St westbound, drivers headed in the direction must drive down O’Connell St. So… to close off O’Connell even temporarily would require either:
a) closing off westbound access to the last block of Chancery St, making Courthouse Ln and Chancery St a one way loop.
b) Making the section of Courthouse Ln past Freyberg Sq two way so drivers could exit to Kitchener St.
I submitted option A at the time, it makes sense to me. Means that O’Connell could have been ped only, with deliveries via loading zones at either end Also has the option of putting in angle parking down one side of Chancery St, if it becomes a single lane within the same kerbs. That would have resulted in more parking than previous. Having said that, they should probably make that Courthouse Ln – Chancery St loop a one way shared space anyway, including closing traffic across Freyberg.
Or option c: Simply close O’Connell, Freyberg Sqaure, Chancery St west of Fields Ln and Courthouse Lane beyond the Metropolis roundabout. That would result in a pedestrian precinct about 150m x 150m. Deliveries would have to come in by handcart for up to 75m from nearest main road.
“Deliveries would have to come in by handcart for up to 75m from nearest main road” you have obviously never had a job as a delivery driver. Stores would soon find suppliers would not be willing to delivery stock to their store.
As a matter of fact I have worked as a delivery driver. But anyway, simple fact is they have already done this for decades because you can’t get a park right in front of these places anyway, and the offload from around the corner.
Matt, I like to think of your proposal as being about opening the street rather than closing it. Agree that this is the best shared space yet but can confirm that illegally parked cars are still an issue, I was there about an hour ago and there were 2 delivery vans and a shiny black SUV enjoying the free parking on offer.
I’ve always felt that shared space streets should also be dead ends, so the only real use for vehicles is for deliveries and not for rat runs.
I can only imagine how difficult it would be to turn a truck around on some of the shared spaces.
I see trucks on a daily basis reversing out of Hargraves St as they can’t turn around.
As a frequent user of O”Connell street(and other shared streets) it is not so much the parked cars as the speed that cars drive..its supposed to be 5kmh but its usually more like 20 to 30k..its truly off-putting..at the least they need 5 kmh signs up
agreed. Just the other day I was making my way towards the edge, ie closer to a wall, of this more humanly vibrant street, observing other people enjoying the space, when I nearly got run down. I also counted more parked private cars than genuine delivery vehicles and people combined.
forgot to mention that I don’t walk with headphones on, or ignoring traffic. If anything I’m a hyper aware pedestrian, honed from years of trying to walk Auckland streets.
Got pointedly driven at by aggressive courier driver today doing a rat run on Elliot Street. Must have been doing 40 km/hr. The sign says 10 km/hr. I cannot see why traffic needs to be in these streets.
Living on this street I experience it daily. Am seriously considering asking the police to set up a speed trap.
As a fresh faced young man in 1953, I started work in the since demolished Southern Cross Building at the top in Chancery Street opposite the top of O’Connell Street. Right from the beginning I have always loved the the building facades on both sides of O’Connell and consider it aesthetically fortunate that there has only been one replacement building (opposite the top of Vulcan Lane) since those days. And fortunately again, the replacement building does not appear to have marred the coherence of the street. I do however miss the old Chamber of Commerce Building with its brick classical facade also in Chancery Street alongside the Southern Cross Building, but you can’t win them all.
The final joy is that their are no skyscrapers in O’Connell Street!
Jean Batten Place is another shared space that doesn’t need cars.
The parking enforcement officer must have had a day off today – vehicles (non-delivery) parked there at lunchtime today, and top top it off two Red Bull minis parked on Freyberg Square. They must have been small enough to squeeze between the bollards.
Hope you reported it, there are typically a few wardens within 5 minutes of anywhere in the CBD and they are very responsive.
All delivery vehicles should have hand carts onboard.
And turn their engines off! The constant idling diesel fumes from Courier Vans on up.
May as well smoke unfiltered Camels