Subscribe to RSSHow Auckland Will Look By 2040
Those who put together the draft Auckland Plan have also given us a visual look of the changes they envisage for Auckland’s CBD area.
Here is how they see Auckland change - and how it should look by 2040.
This is the revamped Victoria St looking towards Queen St
This would be Queen St if it were shut off permanently or at set times such as for weekend markets
This is Hobson St with its present one way system onto Spaghetti Junction
Here is Hobson after it becomes two-way and friendlier to pedestrians
Here’s the dreadful motorway ramp in Lower Hobson St above Tepid Baths
And with it gone
Here’s the Britomart Transport Centre and QE Square
And it will become like this
Here’s Quay St today
Here’s Quay St in 2040
Here’s the Nelson St off ramp today
Here’s how it would look by 2040
Here’s Fanshawe St today
Here’s Fanshawe St with modern light rail instead of trams and a more friendly pedestrian feel in 2040
This is bare concrete-dominated Upper Queen St Newton off Queen St today above the motorway
This is how it would change
Here is Federal St today
And how it will look to enhance the work already done with St Pat’s Square
And Quay Park around the Strand railway station
It would look like this
Worth the money and effort? Enough change to make it a liveable city?
What the Plan says about Transport
Taming Auckland’s landscape - what the Plan says
Plans for Auckland’s Waterfront
11 Comments
Lots of 40 year old cars being driven around in 2040! And the poor owner of the Federal Street building is still trying to lease it out after all that time.
But seriously, most of these projects just seem to be planting trees and paving streets. Why will this take 30 years?
Geoff - Probably because much of it involves reducing car capacity so is dependant on things like the CRL to allow more people to get into town. Also the upgrades won’t be cheap, they might only be able to afford to do one or two streets or sections a year
Wearing my elected rep hat:
Yes, the images do look pretty flash, and yes, it does look like planting and paving. However, planting and paving is complicated because of the large numbers of pipes underground - so the moment you dig up a pavement for trees, you have to spend money to move the pipes or protect them from tree roots, which costs a pretty penny.
What the Council is looking for is submissions that tells us, of the 8 transformational moves in the city centre, which one is most likely to get the best bang for buck at this stage?
We don’t have oodles of money, but can do one or two sections a year, so looking at all 8 ‘moves’ - which is the best order for them to occur in?
This is not as easy as it looks. Given the complexity of all the various stakeholders, you need to think carefully about which one will ‘unlock’ the demand for more moves.
Council certainly looks forward to your submissions, and I urge you to make one. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated - it can be simply one page long. Just let us know what your main ideas are.
Thanks
Christopher Dempsey
Waitemata Local Board
Doffing said hat.
I love it, it will be a pricey change. But it would definitely be worth it. Especially changing parts of the Spag. junction into walkways and cycle lanes.
@Christopher Dempsey. Working on my submission for this once in a life time opportunity.
[more constructive then having a whinge]
@Geoff, Trying to convince the public of Auckland to walk cycle use pT and leave their cars at home. Auckland has one off the highest car ownership rates of developed cities in the world. It’s a tough sell to a public that is wedded to cars.
I’m not so sure that actually removing heaps of lanes everywhere will be supported… I think especially in the case of Hobson street, I think that it should still be a major throughfare, and still be one way, and maybe reduced to three lanes, and not two. Otherwise we’re lowering capacity for people coming into the city by too much. I’m all for rail, and I think that in an ideal world the entire CBD would be completely pedestrianised, but in reality, people are still gonna be in cars in 2040, and there will almost definitely be more cars.
Modern, clean but Boring look!… A lack of people and new high rise buildings, lots of empty leafy cold streets which looks like Kazakhstan in autumn. Doesn’t look exciting… I guess they are planning for a poor economy for the next thirty years.
May they should use NZ natives and evergreens, in winter it will look all depressing. i must say that i am impressed with the plan but a few minor changes would make it close to perfect.
I like it, a cross between a regenrated British city and San Deigo. Hopefully Auckland itself can become a more exciting, vibrant place place… improved night life, culture etc.
Pim you miss the point that when we two-way Hobson we also two-way Nelson so the overall lane reduction is either zero or maybe one. Both streets need to be considered together, as they are now two parts of one system.