Subscribe to RSS$10.9m Lorne St Shared Space Details Unveiled
I’m a big fan of Auckland City’s vision of inner city shared spaces but I worry a little that:
a) so many millions are being spent on these nice to have when we need urgent money for projects like the CBD tunnel, accepting the funding for the rail wouldn’t come necessarily from ratepayers or CDB businesses - the shared space is funded by the council’s CBD targeted rate
and b) the projects seem to take so many years for small sections of streets to get constructed.
Anyway, having got those little niggles off my chest, in the latest part of the project, a new design is now proposed for the second stage of Auckland city’s Lorne Street upgrade.
That stage will cost $10.9m and construction will take until May 2012.
Lorne St: Proposed design | Auckland City
The design proposes shared space in the section outside the Auckland Public Library.
With the removal of kerbing and introduction of paving across the full width of the street, shared space is aimed to make the area more pedestrian friendly and provide opportunities and space for outdoor dining, and a variety of other outdoor events and activities, whilst still maintaining vehicle access.
The area will feature a number of light boxes, which will exhibit works of art as part of a citywide outdoor public art gallery. The design also proposes projecting images onto the back wall of the St James Theatre, opposite the library. The creative use of this space could include open-air cinema, poetry, text and artwork projection. But there’s no word on what will be done with the decaying historic St James itself.
The draft design, which covers sections of Lorne Street outside the City Central Library and outside Senior College, as well as Rutland Street, will be available for public consultation until Feb 8. The Auckland city council says its aim is to provide a more attractive and sustainable urban environment with high quality paving, modern street furniture and new outdoor seating, vegetation, lighting and artwork.
The project follows on from stage one of the Lorne Street upgrade, covering the section of Lorne Street between Victoria and Wellesley streets which was completed in 2007.
Don’t hold your breath for seeing the new change happening anytime soon.
The timeline is: Council committee approve final design (April). Preparation, consultation with locals (June). Construction start outside library (November). Construction start outside Rutland St and Senior College area (November next year, 2011). Construction finish – May 2012.
9 Comments
Positive step, I wonder if it’s actually taking that long due to resources, with all the work being completed for the RWC, would have been good to have this completed before hand though.
Actually, I am amazed that they are going for shared space in such a BIG way. I mean, there’s now three major (at least how I see them) projects on the go in the CBD.
As for the duration - well, actually you only need to have worked in a CBD environment once to realise how much coordination it takes, and how easily you can stuff it up with all the services, driveways, different people having different requirements, materials, new procedures (at least for your local contractors etc…)
No, I don’t think it is taking that long, honestly. And who the heck cares about the RWC anyway? WE live here, not the rugby tourists.
Rutland street will be upgraded after the RWC the area of Lorne street in front of the library will be finished before the RWC i.e. finished early 2011.
Shared space is an awesome concept. I think it’s necessary to “gold plate” the first few shared spaces so they’re definitely successful, and people realise that they do work.
Once the first few are up and running I think there will be greater acceptance that it’s a good idea, and we might be able to roll them out a bit quicker.
@Max it’s true that we live here not the tourist but if the RWC is needed to get these shared spaces in place within the next two years then I’m happy about that. The America’s Cup lead to the redevelopment of the Viaduct. If all that the RWC gives us is these 3 shared spaces then I think that’s a good deal.
The RWC provides a deadline & that’s great. These shared spaces will give the city more personality.
And it increases the economy! If we do it right we could gain more regular tourists, think of the future benefits of completing these projects before the RWC.
If I was looking to locate a shop somewhere I would totally go for these shared spaces. Expect them to be the next Vulcan Lane (with a few cars).
Sounds interesting but I have no idea what Lorne St looks like now so can’t judge but I guess they are looking at something like Dublin’s Temple Bar where the photography gallery square is used for ocassional open air events. All good then…