Difference between the Manukau “Policies”

 

I have noted today that Mayoral Candidate John Palino has released his “Second CBD” policy which entails Manukau. You can see the PDF at the bottom of this post as an embed.

As people might draw parallels between Palino’s Second CBD policy and TotaRim’s Manukau Super Metropolitan Centre concept; I will make the following Official TotaRim Consultancy Statement.

 

From TotaRim Consultancy Limited

RE: Manukau and the Second CBD Policy

TotaRim has noted that Mayoral Candidate John Palino has released a policy on creating a Second Central Business District in Auckland. One can assume this Second CBD as such would be located in the Manukau City Centre area in the heart of South Auckland.

TotaRim Consultancy Limited is working with respective clients and the Auckland Council; in going through the motions of upgrading Manukau from a Metropolitan Centre per the draft Unitary Plan, into a Super Metropolitan Centre. This Super Metropolitan Centre would be in second position after the City Centre Zone (the CBD) in the Centre Hierarchy rankings per the Business Zones.

The draft working definition of a Super Metropolitan Centre is thus far the following:

The Super Metropolitan Centre is the second highest in the centres hierarchy after the City Centre zone. While the City Centre zone recognises the pivotal role in Auckland’s present and future successes, the Super Metropolitan Centre can also play such a future pivotal role.

More intensive than a Metropolitan Centre in development and catchment but less so than the City Centre Zone, the Super Metropolitan Centre will act as smaller scale complementary regional hub and international centre (based around the Pasifika concept) in: business, learning, innovation, industry, entertainment, retail and hospitality, culture and urban living.

Like the City Centre; to improve the vibe of the Super Metropolitan Centre environment, the zone permits a wide range of activities to establish in most parts of the SMC. The zone also manages activities that have the potential to adversely affect the amenity of the Super Metropolitan Centre. The Unitary Plan enables the greatest level of development in terms of height and floor area to occur in the Super Metropolitan Centre as well as the City Centre. Within the Super Metropolitan Centre itself, development potential is concentrated in the core central business district. Development potential reduces towards the ridgeline (Redoubt Hill) and transitions to lower heights towards its northern flanks (bordering Papatoetoe), southern flanks (Manurewa/Browns Road) and western flanks (Wiri industry and Auckland International Airport).

Again like the City Centre; the Super Metropolitan Centre zone manages the scale of development in order to protect important, sunlight admission to parks and public spaces, and significant views to the volcanic cones and other landmarks. The significant height and scale of buildings in SMC increases their visibility from many places, affecting the quality of both public and private views at local and citywide scales. In addition to managing the scale of development, the zone manages the quality of building design to ensure new buildings successfully integrate with the SMC’s existing built form and public realm to create an attractive and recognisable skyline.

The Super Metropolitan Centre makes an important contribution to our sense of identity whether it is international, national, regional or sub-regional in sense identity construction.

A Super Metropolitan Centre does have comparisons also with the lower order Metropolitan Centres in acting as hubs for a wide range of activities including commercial, leisure, high density residential, tourist, cultural, community and civic services – just on a more intense level than an existing Metropolitan Centre but not as intense as a City Centre Zone as mentioned above.

In further reinforcement to the urban-scape of the Super Metropolitan Centre while still recognising its higher order hierarchy, the SMC again must have some street frontages within the zone are subject to a Key Retail Frontage or General Commercial Frontage overlay. Key retail streets are the focal point of pedestrian activity within the centre. General commercial streets play a supporting role. Development fronting these streets is expected to reinforce this function. Rules for the overlay are incorporated in the zone rules. New development within the zone requires resource consent in order to ensure that it is designed to a high standard which enhances the quality of the centre’s public realm. This recognises that the Super Metropolitan Centre is a blend of the higher order City Centre zone owing to sense of identity and greater intensity of development, production and catchment; as well as the lower order Metropolitan Centre zone in the fact an SMC still will act as the “sub regional community” (as well as wider regional) “place” as well.

In saying that a Super Metropolitan Centre could be viewed as a complementary City Centre area in-lieu of the existing City Centre Zone by some as part of their sense of identity attached to the SMC.

—–

 

The work on the Manukau Super Metropolitan Centre concept continues independent and regardless of the Local Government elections. TotaRim Consultancy Limited does not endorse Palino’s Second CBD policy in any way at all.

You can keep up with Manukau commentary by following the Manukau category: https://voakl.net/category/planning/urban-planning-and-design/manukau/

The Manukau category includes both the Super Metropolitan Centre and Bus Interchange work currently under way.

Another key difference with TotaRim and the Manukau SMC concept is that it will not be debt funded by Council – apart from any required infrastructure projects such as water and transport that normally occur in development projects. No subsidies is to be given to private developers per the free market principles. Also TotaRim is in this for the long haul as setting the foundations and plans into place for Manukau to become a Super Metropolitan Centre could take up to three years.

If you have any questions on TotaRim and Manukau please email Ben at either view.of.auckland@gmail.com or totarim.consultancy@totarim.co.nz

Our website can be found at totarim.co.nz

This concludes the official announcement from TotaRim Consultancy Limited

Ben Ross

Managing Director of TotaRim Consultancy Limited

———-

John Palino’s Second CBD Policy Statement

TALKING AUCKLAND

Related articles

• Manukau – What is the deal here? (voakl.net)
• Manukau Timeline (voakl.net)