About Wynyard Quarter and the Auckland Waterfront
I picked up Joel Cayford’s post about “issues” with Auckland Transport when it comes to non-car/truck connectivity to a section of Auckland. Again it was on and about Waterfront Auckland. Cayford starts his post with the following:
The Auckland Council election is over and it’s the start of a new term. Nobody had the chance to vote for Auckland Transport. That’s to be expected as it is a “Council Controlled Organisation” – CCO for short. That is a bit of a misnomer because a lot of what Auckland Transport can do is effectively controlled by Government Ministries that fund much of what happens in Auckland, and by Government institutions that decide New Zealand and Auckland transport priorities.
But that “control” issue doesn’t apply to many Auckland transport problems.
Take Auckland’s waterfront for example.
Auckland Council – in its vision for Auckland – as set out in the Auckland Plan, the Waterfront Development Plan, and the Auckland CBD Plan – has been clear that there is a need to stitch together the various parts of downtown Auckland. Nowhere is this more evident than the need to join up the public waterfront with Auckland’s downtown CBD.
There are so many barriers. The famous Auckland Harbour Board Red fence, the traffic and heavy truck friendly Quay Street, the huge amounts of car-parking on Princes Wharf, the water between Wynyard Quarter and CBD, and the traffic-filled spaces of Fanshawe Street.
Thankfully Auckland hasn’t built a motorway standard road between downtown and the waterfront, but there is work to be done, and it is recognised, by the three Council organisations that are immediately affected and responsible. Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and Waterfront Auckland. It is critical to the success of any changes that these three organisations work together effectively. That is why an informal coordinating Harbour Edge entity has been established.
….
Pretty normal stuff there and that is before someone goes and winds up the Councillors on the vexed issues such as Quay Street.
This next bit caught my attention the most:
Yesterday it was my pleasure to observe the “Auckland Waterfront Planning Intervention” presentations of the University of Auckland Masters in Urban Planning students. Their projects were based upon a careful morphological analysis of the urban form of their study area, an examination of the problems there, an exploration of possibilities, and then a carefully articulated design solution or partial solution. I was struck by how many of these presentations focussed on the need to establish pedestrian connectivity and to open up public spaces. Students showed a keen awareness of the need to connect Victoria Park with Daldy Street up through to the proposed parks and headland park on Wynyard Quarter. An approach to the public mistakes made on Princes Wharf and the Auckland Harbour Board HQ building, and their poor relationship with Quay Street was far-reaching. And designs that opened up captain Cook and Marsden Wharves for development, linking across Quay Street to Britomart were sensible and attractive.
Students also addressed what’s happening on Queens Wharf. Concerns were expressed that it might be heading the same way as Princes Wharf. Another public failure perhaps. (A few days ago this post about Queens Wharf appeared on Auckland Transport blog.)
I remember doing such an assignment when our Urban Design lecturer instructed us to take a piece of the Waterfront from Wynyard Quarter down to Queen’s Wharf and come up with a design to reinvigorate the area from its past.
Most of my former class mates chose small sections while I went large and took Wynyard Quarter. Funnily enough while most went for mass open parks I went for a mix of open space, residential and commercial spaces all connected by various transit modes ranging from Light Rail and bus, walking, cycling and the car.
In fact when submissions were called for by Council on the City Centre Master Plan I used my Wynyard Quarter work as a cornerstone piece to my presentation. My work was already top of class for that paper and it would get commendations from Councillors like Cathy Casey and the urban design champion in Auckland – Ludo Campbell Reid (who we both know each other).
The CMCP Presentation
The PDF version of my Wynyard Quarter Urban Design Work – 2010
Note: The Paper Version is A1 in size
I have told this story before about Wynyard and my idling Urban Design work that collects dust sitting in the draws at home. It seems the only place no matter how many presentations I pull or how many times I show the paper where my urban designs get a work out is here:
And a close up of a particular area I designed this afternoon:
However, the debates will still go on as they have done for the last three years. Slow progress is being made at Wynyard Quarter but the City Centre Master Plan is at real risk of stalling unless we move away from our auto-dependency addiction – especially on the Waterfront.
Last Note:
I wonder if I should bring my Wynyard Quarter papers (need to blow that three-year collection of dust off first) to the Auckland Conversation piece next week on Urban Design? I might just do so
Talking Southern Auckland 