First published in the NZ Herald
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the city centre advisory panel, a previous director of NZTA, and is running to be Councillor for the Waitematā and Gulf ward in October
What is a good model for Auckland’s Queen St? For me it’s the main streets of the cities so many young Aucklanders are moving to right now: George St in Sydney, Bourke St in Melbourne, Queen St in Brisbane. The hearts of these main streets are car-free. Why? Because cars don’t shop, people do, and streets full of traffic do not make for seductive and compelling city centres.
We know this works, because it already is working here. Right now by far the busiest part of Queen St is the new completely car-free Te Komititanga Square, between beautiful Britomart and vibrant Commercial Bay.
This completely rebuilt area, along with changing work patterns, is why the pedestrian counts in midtown are down a notch compared to before the pandemic – yet employment numbers are up.
There are 15,000 more jobs in the city centre now than in 2019, and the GDP is 24% higher, faster growth than elsewhere in the city. Work patterns have changed, coming into the office is less regular, more shoppers and diners are staying in the new traffic calmed and upgraded downtown.
This is also where, for now, the majority of our public transport lands; ferries, buses, and of course trains. We are nearly at the end of ten years of work to spread that love up the rest of the Queen St valley, all the way to Karanga-A-Hape Rd and beyond, with the City Rail Link.
This is a huge, once in a lifetime transformation. At last we are getting the kind of infrastructure that successful cities are built on. Wisely we are also preparing the city streets around these stations to get the most value out of this huge investment. Giving them the quality that is already working so well downtown – more pedestrian space, more trees, more compelling reasons to not only visit the city, but also to linger there.
Good design is more than just aesthetic or functional, it is strategic: beautiful is valuable. Now people don’t have to come in to work so often, cities have to actively draw them in. The successful 21st century city is not shaped around the twice daily commute of office workers. Instead it is a magnetic hive of action and interest. With unique arts and events, compelling shopping experiences, great little parks, laneways, and places both vibrant and calm.
This is the prize: the CRL doubles the number of people within 30 minutes of the biggest concentration of employment, education, and entertainment in the country – our city centre. It delivers through-journeys on the urban rail system for the first time, for connections beyond it. And it re-shapes the city centre in order to better compete in this new world.
Only stagnant cities are unchanging; great ones re-shape with the times. Even Paris, with surely the world’s most complete city centre, is radically transforming its streets to increase appeal.
Not since the harbour bridge opened 65 years ago has Auckland undergone a transformation this powerful. Change is disruptive, it’s been tough, but while street works are highly visible, there are other more powerful forces at work too.
Everywhere traditional retail is struggling, money is tight and the internet is a massive disrupter. Last week several long standing fashion stores on Ponsonby Rd closed down. Ponsonby Rd has no construction, no cones, no bike lanes. It remains six lanes for traffic, and a poor footpath. Like Broadway in Newmarket. One of those stores, Zambesi is keeping its bricks-and-motar store downtown, in Britomart.
I am as sad as anyone that the venerable and unchanging Smith & Caugheys has gone from Newmarket and Queen St. The last department store, it was really impressive how long it held on, seeing off all its competitors from the previous century, but couldn’t compete with its newer rivals in this one.
Beware of wistful harking back to last century, when Auckland had a fraction of today’s population, and patterns were so different. Those outdated musings are as relevant now as a rotary dial-up phone.
Auckland is blessed with the most amazing natural setting, a great resource of many different peoples. Only a failure of vision, courage, and leadership can hold us back from shaping these raw materials into the world’s greatest little city, here on the shores of the sparkling Waitematā.
The city centre is close to completing a well designed once in a generation glow-up. The street changes are completing this year, and we’ll be riding through the tunnels in 2026, but come into the heart of the city now, and see what’s already new.
To get here there’s already many great public transport options, also more than 50,000 secure and affordable carparks. Here you’ll find a world class city in the making, becoming one I hope you’ll be proud to call yours.