Will the Auckland City Skyline ever change again?
It’s been nearly five years since the NPS-UD directed councils to enable more apartment-style housing in high-access areas. After years of delay, Auckland’s response — Plan Change 78 (PC78) — is finally up for a key vote before the Planning Committee on May 22.…
42 Comments Behind the curtain of AT’s Project K switcheroo
On Tuesday this week I watched AT present to the Waitematā Local Board about the Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct integration project (otherwise known as Project K).
The same day, I received information in response to my LGOIMA request for documents about the last-minute decision to drastically change the project in March & April of this year, as well as an early return yesterday of documents regarding resolutions from the Traffic Control Committee.…
Why it takes a city to save a village, and vice versa
This guest post by Dr Stuart Donovan looks at how strengthening the urban core can turn liabilities into assets. The header image of Rangiwhakaoma is by the author. I recently travelled to the remarkably picturesque coastal settlement known as Rangiwhakaoma (Castlepoint), which translates loosely to “where the sky runs”.…
Auckland Transport doubles down on diluting Project K
Last Wednesday, Greater Auckland sent an open letter to Auckland Transport about last minute U-turns on designs for the area around Karanga-ā-hape CRL station. Our letter was co-signed by over a hundred people including many local residents and businesses, Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick, and organisations such as the City Centre Residents’ Group, Bike Auckland, Campaign for Better Transport, and more.…
Getting Cross with AT’s awful last minute re-designs of Project K
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post extensively detailing the scandal of what happened with the Upper Mercury Lane part of the Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct integration project (also known by its cool title, Project K). It was a prime example of Auckland Transport’s habitual failure to follow through on well-supported and widely-consulted projects that improve the status quo.…
Should Auckland demolish Spaghetti Junction?
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead.…
Lunar New Year and the Future of Placemaking
This is a guest post by placemaker Paris Kirby.
Featured Image: Neon Lucky Cat on Darby Street, city centre. Created and built by Aan Chu and Angus Muir Design (Photo credit: Bryan Lowe) Disclaimer: I am a Senior Placemaking and Activation Specialist at Auckland Council; however, the views expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Auckland Council.…
Most people want a people-friendly city
With many of Auckland’s political and bureaucratic leaders bowing down to vocal minorities and consistently failing to reallocate space to people in our city, recent news overseas has prompted me to point out something important.
It is extremely popular to make car-dominated cities nicer, by freeing up space for people.…
Mercury Lane, and Auckland Transport’s habitual failure
When the City Rail Link opens (circa 2026), all signs point to it immediately being a huge success. It will be transformational for Auckland, with ripple effects across the city.
Thousands of people an hour will pour in and out of the new and upgraded stations.…
Guide: Actions you can take on the speed limit increases
The government is moving into the implementation phase of its disastrous decision to reverse speed limit reductions across the country, in most cases regardless of whether communities want to do so.
In Auckland, it’s a Kafkaesque nightmare, with perverse outcomes all over the map.…
Processing...