Maungawhau:

We start at Maungawhau Station, where thousands gathered at Eden Terrace to check the completed station, which has been closed for the last six years while it was being reconstructed. It was great to walk along the completed streetscape works from Mount Eden Road to the station’s entrance, where, following tagging on at the gates, you are greeted by Tessa Harris’ (Waiohua, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāpuhi) giant basalt water wall, a reference to the city’s volcanic identity. The design of Maungawhau Station is inspired by Mataaoho, the atua of volcanoes.

The basalt wall features 53 glass triangles what represent the volcanic cones, including the nearby Maungawhau Mount Eden, which the station is named after. Tessa’s copper coloured ceiling at the entrance also references the nearby maunga and the city’s volcanic landscape, building a strong connection to the immediate area and to Tāmaki Makaurau. Artwork by Graham Tipene ( Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Manu) features the face of Mataaoho on the bridges of Ruru Street, Mt Eden and Normanby Road. Graham also designed the artwork on the ventilation building known as Te Hā, which tells the story of Rūaumoko: the atua of earthquakes.

It was good to walk around this station. As we head upstairs from the entrance to cross over to the platforms on the Western Line, where, post-CRL opening, you can catch the Onehunga West (O-W) Line, which will run from Onehunga to Henderson, between 9 am and 3 pm and after 7 pm. The O-W Line will run just to Maungawhau during peak times. The O-W Line will run every 30 minutes. As you head downstairs from the entrance, you catch the South City (S-C) and East West (E-W) lines, which go through the CRL tunnels. The S-C Line will travel from Pukekohe to Newmarket via CRL, every 7 - 8 minutes at peak and 15 minutes during off-peak. The E-W Line will travel from Swanson to Manukau via the CRL, joining the Eastern and Western Line together, running every 10 minutes during peak times.

Outside the station, the retail tenancies in the station have been leased, and live music, performances and activities are held on the land surrounding Maungawhau Station. Prior to this land being developed for mixed-use development with homes, retail, and offices, etc., the Auckland Urban Development Office (AUDO) will hold activities to add new energy to the immediate area following the station’s opening, which will include a weekly market, artworks with murals already painted into surrounding buildings, plantings, and community events.

Karanga-a-Hape:

We went for a sneak peek around Karanga-a-Hape Station. We tagged on at the Mercury Lane entrance, greeted by the pūpūrangi (kauri snail) shell sculptures above the gates. As we went deeper underground (33 metres to be exact) to the platforms where you can catch the E-W and S-C lines. I can’t deny that I was overwhelmed (in a good way) when I was looking around this station. Karanga-a-Hape was the most metro-feeling of these three stations, generating vibes similar to the Elizabeth Line in London and the Sydney Metro; Karanga-a-Hape was the most metro-feeling of these three stations, generating vibes similar to the Elizabeth Line in London and the Sydney Metro; making Tāmaki Makaurau feel like a big city alongside its overseas counterparts.

We emerge back from below to tag off at the station’s Beresford Square via Aotearoa’s longest escalator, at 40 metres. As we head back, we are farewelled by art from Rueben Kirkwood (Ngāi ki Tai Tāmaki, Waikato Tainui, Waiohua, Ngāti Ruanui), who designed all the artwork in the station, including the pūpūrangi shell sculptures. The artwork at the Beresford Square entrance, known as Me te Ōturu, reflects the Māori lunar calendar, known as Maramataka.

Karangahape Road was full of energy as 15,000 people gathered to check out the station last Saturday. After departing the station at Beresford Square, you’ll likely have checked out the monthly FAM market, which is full of vintage finds and treats. You may also got a preview of the Karangahape Farmers Market, where you can get treats made by eateries and makers located along Karangahape Road such as Bestie and coffee roasters Milliers Coffee. The market will have fresh fruit and veges. The farmers market begins on the 12th September. You might of got lunch and a coffee or from No.7 or enjoyed a beer in the sun at the Northern Line in Beresford Square. You might of been on Karangahape Road dressed as a mushroom to join the Mushroom Parade that occurred through the station, as part of festivites as part of the Auckland Mushroom Festival, where everything mushrooms were celebrated.

Te Waihorotiu:

We head to midtown, where we get our final sneak peek at Te Waihorotiu Station. As we tag on at the Wellesley Street entrance, we are welcomed by Horotiu. The artwork was created by Graham Tipene and Paraone Luiten-Apirana (Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Arawa), featuring over 4,000 golden rods suspended from the ceiling representing raupo (bulrush reeds) that grew in Waihorotiu Stream, with its centrepiece, a kauri carving, which represents Horotiu, who was the kaitaki of the area.

As we head underground to the concourse and platform levels, featuring natural light from the skylights in the median strips of Albert Street and further artwork from Graham Tipene, which includes traditional kōwhaiwhai patterns imprinted onto the dark panels above the platforms, which symbolise movement, strength and endurance and mahi toi that . The public art in Te Waihorotiu is a highlight here as there’s a strong connection to the city centre, with artworks referencing the Waihorotiu Stream, the stream that once flowed through the Waihorotiu Valley and is now buried under Queen Street. The artwork also has a strong connection to people, which is shown in the 3,000 pieces of artwork from children throughout Aotearoa installed by the Victoria Street entrance to the station. Each individual artwork explains where they would go if the CRL could take them anywhere, and it was a nice touch to see their imaginations printed in the station.

As you tag off at the station at the Victoria Street entrance, onto the completed parts of Te Hā Noa, with the full linear park between Federal and Kitchener Street expected to be completed this year. You will be met by two public art sculptures on Victoria Street, which were unveiled on the 26th July. At the foot of the Victoria Street entrance south of Albert Street is Wāhine: a 3.7 metre bronze sculpture by Ketz Maihi (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara, Tainui, Te Waiohua, Ngāpuhi) and Beriona Scott (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei), depicting a wāhine Māori (Māori woman) performing a karanga, which is a call of welcome, welcoming people as they arrive in the beating heart of Tāmaki Makaurau at the train station.

The second sculpture on the corner of Queen and Victoria Street West, which is also called Horotiu: a 7.2 metre bronze sculpture of a tuna (longfin eel) by Chris Bailey (Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Porou, Te Aupouri) and Sally Smith. The sculpture spirals down to the basalt footpath, which represents the bed of the Waihorotiu Stream. It’s great to see these mahi toi that build connections to people and the natural environment. Events and performances were on yesterday in Aotea Square for people to watch before or after getting their sneak peek on the station.

Before I give my final thoughts, it would be rude of me not to mention the live music that was in all 3 stations while people checked them out, including the DJ’s that were in the train carriages, holding a rave in Karanga-a-Hape and Te Waihorotiu Stations. Also, the model railways that were on display at three stations for these events, thanks to the Auckland Marklin Club.

It’s also rude of me not to mention the sky element facades on Maungawhau Station, the Mercury Lane entrance to Karanga-a-Hape Station, and the Wellesley Street to Te Waihorotiu Station. While they’ve been completed for a couple of years, it’s great to see them in their glory. The sky facade elements at Te Waihorotiu and Maungawhau Station represent the tears of Ranginui. The facade on the Mercury Lane entrance is an expression of Te Ika-whenua-o-te-rangi, the Milky Way constellation.

Conclusion:

It was great checking out these three stations before their opening on the 13th of September. All of these stations are impressive in their scale, their architecture, and the public art. It’s the latter, in my opinion, that makes these stations special. The art created by these talented artists in collaboration with mana whenua creates a sense of connection and identity to the place. It explains the story of the people and our environment both in the past and the present. While these stations are built to a world-class standard, it’s the art that makes these stations feel part of Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa.

It was also great seeing the energy that these stations created, as they become a magnet for people throughout the city to check out these new stations and get a preview of how the CRL will transform the way they move around the city and get used to the station environment before Day 1. The areas around these stations were thriving during these open days, showing how these stations will add new energy to these communities, as thousands will visit these stations every day, especially as these areas become more accessible by public transport from areas all across Tāmaki Makaurau.

It’s a great preview of what’s coming, and I am looking forward to watching the full feature on the 13th of September.

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We will start our adventure on Saturday, leaving the city centre by bike, heading east via Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai, where we get an update on the progress of the boardwalk in Hobson Bay between Ōrākei Station and Whakatakataka Reserve, which is being constructed along the coastline as part of the final stage of Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai, completing the 7km shared path from Tāmaki Drive to Glen Innes. As we biked past Meadowbank Station, we saw the progress of the neighbouring Station M development, as the five-storey building, which will consist of 14 apartments, emerges into the sky. Both of these developments are due to open later this year.

At the end of the shared path at Glen Innes, we were greeted by a blue carpet and upgraded lighting at the underpass at Glen Innes Station as part of recently completed safety improvements done as part of the level crossings removal programme. The pedestrian overbridge to replace the pedestrian level crossing at the station has been completed and is now in use.

We catch an Eastern Line train to the end of the line at Manukau, where we bike along the paths within Mana-kau Noa Iho Hayman Park, which reopened in April following upgrades to the park led by Auckland Urban Development Office (AUDO) which saw new seating areas, wider paths constructed, including new boardwalks over the restored wetland to help improve the water quality of the Puhinui Stream before flowing out to Manukau Harbour. New plants and native trees were planted to create habitats for birds, fish and insects.

South of Manukau City Centre, we bike along the paths beside Puhinui Stream to have a look at the completed works as part of Stage 1 of Te Aka Raataa: a project focusing on improving the health of Puhinui Stream and creating a more accessible green space for locals and visitors. When the project is fully completed, it will create a blue-green corridor between Hayman Park and the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Stage 1 between Great South Road and the Botanic Gardens saw the creation of a new wetland, new plantings, new habitats for birds and insects, wider shared paths, boardwalks, seating areas and a nature play playground.

Following that, we biked down Great South Road, where we had a look at the pedestrian overbridges under construction at Te Mahia and Takaanini Station as part of the Level Crossing Removals Programme, which is getting closer to completion. Following that, we biked to Papakura Station where Saturday’s adventure concluded.

Yesterday, I, along with five fellow multimodal explorers, hopped onto a Southern Line train to check out Drury and Paerātā Station on their first day of passenger rail service. We hopped off at Paerātā Station first and headed over to Paerātā Rise via the city’s latest addition to the Frequent Transit Network (FTN): The 42, which runs every 15 minutes, from 7 am to 7 pm, 7 days a week, creating a frequent bus connection for this emerging development to the city’s wider public transport network.

Once we headed back to Paerātā Station, we took the train up to Drury Station to have a look around the station before hopping on another new bus route: The 384, which connects the train station to Drury South Crossing: a mixed-use precinct with industrial warehouses built and the growing settlement of Ramarama. The 384 will run every 30 mins and will run every 15 mins during peak times in the peak direction.

As we conclude the adventure and tag on at Drury Station to head back to the city centre. It’s great to see these two stations open to connect these growing communities, and I look forward to seeing Ngākōroa Station located between these two station open next year. It’s also good to check out the improvements to these green spaces in Manukau and see the progress of these level crossing removal projects along the rail network at Glen Innes, Te Mahia and Takanini. Overall, it’s great to see these works are completed or getting closer to the finish line, particularly with the opening of the City Rail Link coming very soon.

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We start our bike ride in Herne Bay, where Exhibit on Jervois is now completed, delivering 6 homes.

As we head along Jervois Road by Three Lamps, the crane has been erected to begin construction of 41 Jervois Road: a five-storey mixed-use development on the corner of Jervois Road and Seymour Street which will feature apartments and commercial space.

We then head to Ponsonby Road, where part of the mixed-use Pompallier on Ponsonby is complete, with Stage 1 of the development now open. Retail is now open in the historic component of the development on the corner of Ponsonby Road and Cowan Street. The second stage of the development, which will feature more retail, hospitality, 12 apartments and a public plaza, is getting closer to completion, with the cladding installed and the scaffolding starting to come down. The rest of the development is expected to be completed later this year.

We start biking down to Grey Lynn via the completed protected cycleways on Great North Road (GNR). The improvements to this stretch of GNR between Ponsonby and Crummer Rd were completed this year. The redesign of this stretch of GNR included extended bus priority, cycleways, bus stop and footpath upgrades, raised crossings at side streets, street furniture, and the planting of new street trees. It’s great to see this project completed, supporting the urban regeneration of the area and creating a safer, greener corridor with more transport choices for getting around.

As we bike through Grey Lynn village, we head down Surrey Crescent and Old Mill Road, where protected cycleways, shared paths, and new pedestrian crossings were built earlier this year, improving the safety of moving between Grey Lynn and Westmere by bike and scooter. The project also saw a raised pedestrian crossing built outside Grey Lynn School, improving safety for children and their parents to walk to and from school.

Just off Surrey Crescent on Stanmore Road, two villas have recently been removed from two sites bought last year by the cohousing group Cohaus, which delivered a 20-home cohousing development on Surrey Crescent, opposite Grey Lynn School, completed in 2021. Cohaus is planning to deliver 35 apartments on the Stanmore Road site.

We bike along the cycleways on Meola and Point Chevalier Road to conclude the bike ride at Carrington Road, where works began last month to deliver improvements to the road between Mount Albert and Point Chevalier town centres. The improvements will see new T2 lanes for buses and carpooling, protected cycleways, new pedestrian crossings, footpath improvements, street trees, and raingardens. These improvements, which are funded by the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, will help support future residents of Te Kukūnga Waka (also known as the Carrington Development) by providing safe, reliable transport options, increased greenery along the corridor, and improved resilience during major rainfall events.

Te Kukūnga Waka, which will see 4,000 homes built in the development, is emerging with the completion of the first two apartment buildings: Toi and Whetū built by Ockham were completed last September, delivering 142 homes. Most of the roading network in the development has been constructed. New playgrounds and cycleway connections from Carrington Road to the Waterview Path are built, with the latter partly open. All we are waiting for now is the temporary fences to come down so cyclists can enjoy these new connections and families can enjoy these spaces.

It’s great to see what’s been completed within this part of Tāmaki Makaurau over the last year and look forward to seeing the next major developments and projects in this area to begin construction start to emerge.

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We boarded the Kaimai Express at Pukekohe and headed south, enjoying the views from the windows of the surrounding landscapes and the Waikato River on a sunny Saturday. We went through the townships of Tūakau, Pōkeno, and Te Kauwhata, where you can spot the former train stations that once connected these townships by rail. We spot the Huntly Power Station and Deka Sign as we pass through Huntly and cross the Waikato River at Ngāruawāhia, before entering Kirkiriroa, where we pick up more passengers at Rotokauri and Frankston Station.

After leaving Frankston Station, where we went under the city centre and across the Waikato River again, before we head east towards Tauranga, surrounded by dairy country in the Matamata- Piako District, before heading into the Kaimai Tunnel, the first time a passenger train has gone through the 8.9km tunnel in 14 years. As we head out the other side of the tunnel in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, and head through Ōmokoroa and Te Puna before arriving in Tauranga city centre.

We hopped off the train at The Strand in Tauranga and were greeted by the city's recently revamped waterfront, full of people walking and biking along the new pathways, sitting on the steps by the waterfront, and children playing on the new playground, creating a connection between people and the harbour.

As we walk around the city centre, cranes fill the sky as construction continues on the city’s new civic precinct: Te Manawataki o Te Papa, which consists of a library, a community hub and a museum. New office buildings are also under construction throughout the city centre. Streetscape and public realm improvements have been undertaken in the city centre over the last 6 years, including the pedestrianisation of Wharf Street. Stage 1 of the Cameron Road upgrade was also completed. Stage 1 of the project between the city centre and 17th Avenue consists of bus lanes, separated cycleways, and road safety improvements to support housing growth along the main arterial road.

We tag on with our Bee Card into the city’s Bayhopper bus network to catch the No.5 bus to Mount Maunganui, where we enjoyed the views from Maunganui Beach and from the other side at Pilot Bay, where families, despite running closer to winter than summer, were still enjoying being on the beach and playing in the water. As we walk down both bays, we watch the massive shipping containers arriving at the Port of Tauranga.

We headed back to the other side of the harbour in Tauranga and tagged off at the northern end of Te Papa peninsula, where we visited the Mission Cemetery or Otamahaha Pa, the oldest European burial ground in the Bay of Plenty. It is the final resting place of 55 military men and 14 Māori warriors who died in the battles of Gate Pā and Te Ranga during the New Zealand Land Wars. We also visited the nearby The Elms or Te Papa Tauranga, which was home to missionary Alfred Brown and his family. The Brown family were invited by Māori chiefs to establish the mission station. Māori and European missionaries worked together to construct the library in 1839 and the mission house in 1847. Before heading back towards the city centre we checked out Monmouth Rebount: a historic reserve which was originally the site of an Māori settlement known as Taumatakahawai. The reserve was also where a British military fortification was built during the New Zealand Land Wars, linked to the Battles of Gate Pā and Te Ranga in 1864.

As the moon rises, the harbour and the city centre look gorgeous in the golden glow as the sun sets and night falls, as seen in the photos below, captured from Monmouth Rebount and the waterfront. It was time to get ready for the train trip back to Tāmaki Makaurau.

We boarded the train once again to return to Tāmaki Makaurau, with only the lights of the towns and cities we had passed earlier visible along the route on a chilly May night. Our adventure concluded where it began in Pukekohe.

It’s great to travel to Tauranga by train. I hope that Saturday’s excursion helps build a case for the return of regular passenger rail services to Tauranga. I think many others, including myself, who were on board on Saturday, don’t want to wait another 14 years to travel through the Kaimai Tunnel. It was also good to look around Tauranga and see the transformation that’s ongoing in its city centre, with new public spaces and developments under construction or recently completed, with the beautiful weather being a great bonus.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are my personal views.

One ingredient I discussed last year for creating great neighbourhoods was the need for thriving town centres, the hubs of neighbourhoods and cities, regardless of their size. As we explore our towns and cities, a key element is creating third places where communities interact, celebrate, support each other, and find joy. Our public squares have a versatile range of functions that enliven our cities throughout the day. Today, we’ll look closely at public squares and the roles they play in our towns and cities.

We begin our exploration on a weekend morning. A ritual of mine as a city centre resident on a Saturday morning is to have a look around the Britomart Markets on Takutai Square. Always bustling with stalls, the markets are a place to buy the creative works of local makers, second-hand goods, baked treats to enjoy with your morning coffee, and fresh fruit and vegetables from the stalls.

The market has become a magnet for city centre residents and visitors arriving into the city centre by train below the markets feet at Waitematā Station or ferry at the Downtown Ferry Terminal from across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. It has expanded along Te Ara Tahuhu (the laneway connecting Takutai Square to the reopened Waitematā Plaza). Occasionally, the markets extend to the plaza and Te Komitianga.

For city centre dwellers near Karangahape Road, the first Saturday of each month may mean a visit to FAM (Food, Art and Markets Day), organised by the Karangahape Business Association. It takes place on Beresford Square and Mercury Lane, following the completion of streetscape works as part of City Rail Link (CRL) and Project K. The market overflows with vintage finds: artwork, records, homewares, and clothing. There are also second-hand books, plants, and unique creative works, all with the beats of local DJs in the background.

These markets are dotted throughout towns and cities across Aotearoa New Zealand. They are a fantastic way to support local businesses, especially those still getting on their feet, by providing a space for vendors to sell their treats and creations and raise their profile. Also, they promote sustainable shopping through second-hand stalls and environmentally conscious goods. Regardless of what you buy, these markets are a must-visit.

As we approach midday, these squares become popular lunch spots, especially on a sunny day. Te Komitianga, Takutai Square, and Freyberg Square in the city centre are common places to sit down for lunch during a busy weekday at the office or on a relaxed weekend exploring local shops and attractions. While you’re eating your lunch, you might also be watching the many activities that occurs in these squares, including performances from buskers, competitions, and artwork for special events, which helps in bringing a little bit of joy to people’s days.

In addition to lunchtime festivities, these spaces are also used for events celebrating our multicultural communities, including Diwali celebrations at Aotea Square, the monthly Carnaval Latino Festival, and Songkran (Thai New Year) celebrations , both held at Freyberg Square, and Saint Patrick’s Festival at Te Komititanga. These events create opportunities to share the history, music, experiences, and traditional performances from cultures from around the world, fostering a more vibrant, united, and inclusive community.

As the sun goes down, these spaces continue to be stages for our artists, as was the case last month during the Auckland Arts Festival, when live music was on at an outdoor stage and at the Spiegeltent, a temporary indoor venue where circus cabaret was held throughout the festival. Aotea Square is also home to interactive art installations when they visit from overseas, such as our recent visitor, Evanescent by Australian artist Atelier Sisu for the Arts Festival, and our current visitor, Airship Orchestra by Melbourne-based studio Eness, which is here till 3 May. Both installations, along with many others, were brought over by Auckland Live for people of all ages to enjoy.

Building on this, Takutai Square has become the place for sports fans to watch their favourite sports. This includes serving as a fan zone for the ASB Classic and hosting a semi-final watch party for Auckland FC, shown on the big screen. The big screen also came out last month to transform the square into an outdoor cinema, which was packed with people with popcorn in hand, to watch some of our favourite films.

Te Komitianga is where the Christmas spirit comes alive in the beating heart of Tāmaki Makaurau, every late November as people of all ages gather to watch the lights of Te Maanaki: the giant Christmas tree switch on to music and carols, welcoming Christmas in the city.

Conclusion:

While I explained the many functions that activate our public squares, the main thing they have in common is that they serve as places to connect with each other in our cities.

This role is reflected in their functions, as people interact with business owners who are just starting out, selling their creations at the weekend market. The connections formed when having lunch with your colleagues or friends at a table or a bean bag (if you’re having lunch in Takutai Square). The connections formed when learning about the history, experiences and cultures of our diverse communities. The connections made with friends, whānau and fellow bystanders when watching our artists perform, your favourite sports teams play a match or watch our favourite movie on the big screen, and finally, when the Christmas magic switches on.

These connections form or strengthen when a city comes together for whatever reason. To celebrate, to support, to laugh, to give joy together in the spaces we gather in, no matter how big or small these gatherings are.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the article are my personal views.

We leave the city centre biking along Tāmaki Dr before turning off at Ngapipi Rd, where the final stage of Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai is under construction. The final stage is an 870 metre boardwalk in Hobson Bay starting at Ōrākei Rd near Ōrākei Station, following the coastline before opening the shared path on Ngapipi Rd at Whakatakataka Reserve. When the boardwalk is completed at the end of the year, the 7km shared path from Glen Innes to Tāmaki Dr will be completed. Creating a safe, connected walking and cycling route in the inner eastern suburbs.

As we bike across the completed boardwalk on Ōrākei Basin, we spot that the crane has been erected for the construction of Station M, which began construction late last year. Completion of the 14-apartment building located next door to Meadowbank Train Station is expected in late this year.

We head to the end of Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai at Glen Innes, where works are ongoing to install a pedestrian overbridge at Glen Innes Station to remove the pedestrian level crossing at the station. This is being done as part of a progamme by Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, and NZTA Waka Kotahi to remove level crossings, improving safety, reliability, and enabling more frequent trains on the city’s rail network. The new overbridge is expected to be completed later this year.

In Glen Innes, townhouses are under construction throughout the suburbs as part of Tāmaki Regeneration Programme, delivering a mix of state, affordable and market value housing in the suburb. These new housing developments have been supported by upgrades to parks and playgrounds and transport choices, including the delivery of the Links of Glen Innes cycleways, with the cycleways on Links Rd and on Merton Rd east of the College/Morrin Rd roundabout completed.

We bike on Merton and Morrin Rd cycleways to Stonefields to see the progress of Fletcher Living’s development in Stonefields, where more townhouses in the development have been completed.

We head down to Mount Wellington to Simplicity Living’s Te Reiputa development, where Stage 1 of the 267 built-to-rent apartment development is completed, with residents starting to move in. The whole development is expected to be completed in May.

We bike around Panmure Basin, where upgrades to Lagoon Edge Reserve have been completed. These upgrades include new seating areas, pathway upgrades, a skate park, and artwork by Lorna Rikihana (Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Haua, Ngāti Wairere), inspired by mana whenua narratives.

Before crossing Lagoon Drive, we will check the replacement bridge for the Jubilee Bridge: Te Kōpua o Hiku, which opened in July last year. The new bridge is 3 metres wide compared to the former bridge, which was 1 metre wide. The bridge featured art by Janine Williams (Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara, Ngāti Mahuta) and Shannon Novak, which acknowledges the rich history of Ngāti Paoa, and interactive lighting at night, which is sequenced to the wind.

Before biking back to the city centre to conclude the ride, we will have a look at the progress of the Eastern Busway, with more of the project emerging with sections of footpath and the northbound unidirectional cycleway between Pakūranga and Tī Rakau Bridge now completed. Construction of Stage 3 is ongoing in the middle of Tī Rakau Dr and across Tī Rakau Bridge to Burwood. We should expect more of the busway to emerge as it approaches its expected completion date sometime in 2027.

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While smaller than our main centres, our regional towns and cities have been experiencing the same challenges as their larger counterparts (e.g., housing affordability, growing population, and climate change) and require the same types of solutions to address these issues. Our regional towns and cities have also been investing in upgrading their town centres, creating new spaces to enjoy, and redesigning streets and transport networks to make communities more vibrant, equitable, and sustainable.

So, top up your Bee Card and get ready for an adventure across our regional cities and towns.

Whangārei:

We’ll tap on at Whangārei, where the city’s first T2 lane went live last June, heading southbound on Kamo Road (operating during peak hours) thanks to funding from NZTA Waka Kotahi via the Transport Choices Package. The T2 lane was introduced to reduce congestion on the road, which carries over 3,000 vehicles during peak hour, by incentivising carpooling to work, study, etc., and by improving bus reliability. The project also included installing several signalised crossings to allow people to cross the road safely.

If you’re taking a bus into Whangārei’s city centre, you're likely to be getting off at the recently upgraded Rose Street Bus Terminal, which was also funded as part of the Transport Choices Package. The upgraded bus hub has more space for additional buses, new toilets, a ticketing area and a newly rebuilt covered seating area. The new bus hub also saw a new and safer pedestrian connection built between Rose and Vine Street.

Kemureti Cambridge:

We head to Waikato to Kemureti Cambridge check out another project funded by the Transport Choices Package, the Cambridge Pathway: a series of walking and cycling pathways throughout Kemureti and Cambridge, completed in early last year. These pathways fill the gap between the existing cycleway on Hamilton Road and Te Awa River Ride, creating safe connections to the town centre and schools by bike or scooter. The pathway also connects to the Te Awa River Ride: a 65km cycling trail from Ngāruawahia to Lake Karapiro, one of the Great Rides of New Zealand, making it easy to bike to Kirikiriroa Hamilton and throughout Waikato.

Kemureti has seen new apartment buildings constructed in recent years, with Waipā District Council being a Tier 1 council, they were required to amend their District Plan to increase housing density under the National Policy Statement for Urban Development (NPS-UD) and to implement Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS). This was done through Plan Change 26, which enabled greater housing density for Kemureti, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi, which became fully operative in November 2025, following the final decisions from the Minister of RMA Reform, Chris Bishop. This will help expand housing choices, improve housing affordability and increase supply as the population in Kemureti and other Waipā District towns grows.

Rotorua:

We briefly crossed to the Bay of Plenty to Rotorua, where new life was added to its lakefront. Designed in partnership with mana whenua (Ngāti Whakaue), the area was enhanced to improve local ecology by planting 25,000 native plants. The area was designed to tell the stories of its history and cultural identity, guided by a walk along the boardwalk along the lake's arc. A new playground was built, designed with input from local children, with areas for friends and whānau to enjoy the lake views.

In 2022, Rotorua Lakes Council requested the government to become a Tier 1 Council and that request was sub approved. The request was made to address the city's housing affordability and supply issues. RLC becoming a Tier 1 Council required them to implement the NPS-UD and the MDRS, which required Tier 1 Councils to upzone for high and medium density housing close to amenities, employment centres, and public transport. The NPS-UD and MDRS were implemented via Plan Change 9 (also known as Housing for Everyone), which increased height limits to enable higher-density development, amended papakāinga rules, and introduced new rules for natural hazards. Plan Change 9 became operative in March 2024.

Taupō:

We head back into the Waikato Region to Taupō to take a look at the redevelopment of its town centre. Completed in 2023, the redevelopment turned Roberts Street (which was State Highway 1 prior to the East Taupō Arterial opening in 2010) from a major arterial road into a one-lane, low-speed shared space and a new reserve on the shores of Lake Taupō. The reserve and roading layouts create a strong connection to local shops, cafes and the waterfront. The new roading layout also created more space for outdoor dining at cafes and restaurants, as well as new seating areas, connecting the local shops and cafes to the waterfront.

The reserve builds a strong connection to the town’s history and Te Aō Māori, with a large ātea space at the centre, circled by 13 stainless steel pou. Upgrades have also made to other streets in the town centre, including intersection upgrades to improve pedestrian safety, widened footpaths, new seating areas, and gardens.

Whakatū Nelson:

We leave Te Ika- a -Māui North Island and head to the top of Te Waipounamu South Island at Whakatū Nelson, where their brand-new bus interchange opened in the city centre before the Christmas break. The interchange was relocated from its previous location at Bridge Street to Millars Acre on Halifax Street. The new bus interchange has 6 bays for eBus, tourism and InterCity services, as well as an indoor waiting area. It is a great improvement to the bus network in Nelson, as its successful eBus network continues to grow.

Last September, work began on the Bridge to Better project: a major three-waters infrastructure upgrade and resilience project funded by the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund. The project includes streetscape works on Bridge Street between Rutherford and Collingwood Street, featuring wider footpaths, priority for active modes, new gardens, seating areas and bike stands. The project is expected to be completed in July 2027.

Waihōpai Invercargill:

We move from the top to the bottom of Te Waipounamu to my hometown of Waihopai Invercargill, where the city centre has transformed with Don and Esk Streets redesigned for people as part of the City Streets project. Completed in early 2023 to tie in with the opening of the Invercargill Central development, a mixed use development consists of a shopping centre, offices and eateries within the block of Esk, Dee, Kelvin and Tay Street and The Langlands Hotel on the corner of Don and Dee Street, which both opened the year prior.

Esk Street has been turned into a shared space, with upgrades to Don and Esk St featuring wider footpaths, seating areas, bike parking, landscaping, rain gardens, and mahi toi that incorporates Te Aō Māori into the built environment. Bollards have been installed on Esk Street to close traffic and turn the shared space into a place to hold events. On the other side of Dee Street, the former Menzies Building have been reburbished from head to toe to become the Distinction Hotel with streetscape upgrades underway at Esk Street West and Wachner Place.

Invercargill City Council is currently taking submissions on Proposed Plan Change 2, which proposes amending the District Plan rules to enable more medium-density housing in areas close to the city centre and key amenities, so more housing choices are available in the city. Submissions close for Plan Change 2 on the 13th February.

Conclusion:

It’s great to see what’s been going on in our regional towns and cities, including creating more vibrant town centres and spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy, improving public transport and active modes networks to make it easy to move around, and enabling more housing choices and increasing housing supply to support their growing population. 

I look forward to seeing what else is coming to our regional towns and cities (mentioned above and not) to make them more vibrant, and what they’re doing to address the issues facing them.

Before you go: If you want to learn more about what’s coming to towns and cities throughout Aotearoa in 2026 regarding public transport, check out this two part piece from Darren Davis from Adventures in Transitland:

Adventures in Transitland

What's coming up in the North Island in 2026

Introduction…

Read more

8 months ago · 16 likes · 2 comments · Darren Davis

Adventures in Transitland

What's coming up in the South Island in 2026

Opening thoughts…

Read more

8 months ago · 19 likes · 5 comments · Darren Davis

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the article are my personal views.

It’s been a busy year full of adventures, updates on projects and developments, and pieces on urbanism and transport, packed into 13 articles.

Here’s my top 5 favourite articles this year:

Here are some photos taken throughout the year:

Ngā mihi nui for your continued support and feedback this year. Stay tuned for more adventures in 2026.

Meri Kirihimete and have a great summer break!

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From Onehunga, we biked to the other side of the Māngere Inlet via Ngā Hau Māngere to Māngere Bridge, where we biked along Kiwi Esplanade to catch the views of the Māngere Inlet and Manakau Harbour before biking along the coastal street, lined with blooming pōhutukawa trees back to Māngere Bridge town centre.

We headed down to Māngere Town Centre via the recently completed Māngere West cycleway: a 3.5km cycleway that fills the gap between Māngere Bridge and Māngere Town Centre to create a safe, connected cycling connection to shops, schools, parks, and the Auckland Airport area. This project helps support new housing built in the suburb by Kāinga Ora as part of the Māngere Development, delivers more transport choices around Māngere, and the mahi done by community members to make Māngere “The cycling capital of the Pacific”.

There are plans to deliver more safe cycling connections to Māngere from Favona, Ōtāhuhu and Papatoetoe as part of the Māngere East cycleways, with results from the consultation on Stage 1 of the project from Māngere to Favona, done earlier this year, showing that 74% would likely or very likely use the cycleway if constructed.

We arrived at Māngere Town Centre, where we took a look around the Māngere Markets, which run every Saturday from 7am to 2 pm. The Māngere Markets is one of the city’s most multicultural markets, featuring food, clothing, homewares and souvenir stalls from across Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

We head to Papatoetoe to check out the regeneration works being done by the Auckland Urban Development Office (AUDO), formerly known as Eke Panuku to the Old Papatoetoe Town Centre, located east of Papatoetoe Train Station. The programme recently reached a milestone with three key projects now completed that will breathe new life into the town centre.

These include:

• Upgrades to Chambers Laneway connecting St George Street to Stadium Reserve, which consists of the removal of the former canopy to improve visibility and safety, new paving, more greenery, bus stop upgrades on St Georges Street and a mural by artists Charles (Ngāti Kahungaūnu, Ngāi Tūhoe, Whakatōhea, Ngāpuhi) and Janine Williams (Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara), inspired by the area’s ecology and heritage.

• Upgrades to Stadium Reserve, which consists of a new playground, basketball half courts and an expanded green space.

• Extending Cambridge Terrace to Stadium Reserve, including wider footpaths, raised pedestrian crossings, a separated cycleway, and swales for resilience during significant rainfall events.

The extension of Cambridge Terrace was undertaken to support the Piko Toetoe development being delivered by Whare Tapu (a joint agreement between Avant Group and Te Ākitai Waiohua), which will deliver 2-3-bedroom apartments and townhouses, with apartments currently under construction on Tavern Lane, which residents should be moving into early next year. 29 homes were built on Cambridge Terrace by the New Zealand Housing Foundation as affordable housing under it’s shared ownership model.

We conclude the adventure at Papateotoe Station, where we took the train back to the city centre.

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This was seen as a departure from most greenfield developments throughout Aotearoa, which typically consisted of low-density housing and car-centric design. Hobsonville Point has been extensively used as an example of density done well in Aotearoa, showcasing what can be achieved in other areas of Tāmaki Makaurau and cities throughout the motu. In this article, we will explore the history of Hobsonville Point, it’s transformation to date, and what is needed in this emerging suburb.

History:

The name Hobsonville originates from William Hobson, the first Governor of Aotearoa. The suburb was initially named Port Hobsonville after the Crown purchased 600 acres of land on the peninsula from Ngāti Whātua in 1853. Before European settlement, the peninsula was known as Onekiritea, named after the clay that was found in the area. The peninsula was rich in kauri forest, and its coastlines were rich in seafood, supporting the local iwi (Ngāti Whātua and Te Kawerau a Maki). Between the 1860s and 1930s, Hobsonville was the hub of Tāmaki Makaurau’s pottery industry, as several brickworks operated near Limeburners Bay, which produced drainage pipes, bricks, and tiles using the area’s clay. At its peak, Rice Owen Clarks’ brickworks produced 60,000 bricks a week. During that period, the peninsula continued to provide for Māori and Pākehā settlers with agriculture and horticulture, timber, kauri gum and seafood.

In 1924, Hobsonville was chosen as the site for an aviation base for the air force, which made it their home as a seaplane station in 1928. From 1928 to 1967, RNZAF Station Hobsonville became the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) primary air base with the construction of landing strips, hangars, and barracks to house seaplanes and helicopters, and residences for officers at Catalina Bay. The establishment of the airbase led to an increase in the suburb’s population, with more housing, roads, and amenities built to support the officers and their families who moved into the area, which was previously considered a rural settlement.

From an aeroplane base to a residential community:

In the early 2000s, the Defence Force began relocating their operations to other bases and the surplus land was sold off, including the sale of the Hobsonville Airfield site by Housing New Zealand in 2002. In 2005, Housing New Zealand established a subsidiary: the Hobsonville Land Company (HLC), to design, manage, and deliver a 3,000 housing development on the 167-hectare site. Following the establishment of HLC, work began in collaboration with local and central government partners to develop the vision for this new development, resulting in the creation of the Hobsonville Point Masterplan in 2007. The masterplan consisted of several precincts to be developed in stages, a grid-like neighbourhood pattern, various street types, and a “spine” road connecting Hobsonville Village at one end to the waterfront with shops, schools, and other community facilities located along the spine.

The first precinct to begin construction at Hobsonville Point was the Buckley “A” precinct in 2008. A public-private partnership was formed between HLC, local and central government agencies, and private developers to build the infrastructure for the precinct’s first homes including the civil works, landscaping, walking and cycling paths, parks, playgrounds, tennis courts, and a wetland. HLC also established Axis Series: an affordable housing scheme where 20% of homes built in the development meet affordable prices and be sold to first home buyers via a ballot system. As the development entered the 2010s, work began on planning for future precincts and creating placemaking opportunities to add life to the new suburb. The Hobsonville Point Farmers Market, which started operating in 2011, the same year the suburb's first residents moved in, was one such initiative.

Construction began on major amenities and infrastructure as more people called Hobsonville Point their home. A primary school opened in 2013 and the secondary school opened the following year. Hobsonville Point became accessible via the city’s public transport network in 2013 when the suburb’s ferry wharf opened, operating ferry services to the city centre and Beach Haven and bus services to the North Shore and West Auckland. Hobsonville Point become connected to the motorway network by Squadron Drive off-ramp from SH18.

By 2015, Hobsonville Point was starting to take shape, with over 500 homes built, comprising a mixture of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments and townhouses, along with the delivery of more community facilities. The farmers market, cafes, public art, and the walkways along the coast become magnets for people throughout Tāmaki Makaurau to visit the emerging suburb. Between 2015 and today in 2025, the community continued to grow as more amenities and homes being constructed. This included offices, eateries and the farmers market in the restored heritage buildings and repurposed hangars at Catalina Bay. The suburb’s aviation past was also kept alive with the restoration of 19 homes on Sunderland Avenue, built in the 1930s to house RAF officers.

In 2017, the planned number of homes to be constructed at Hobsonville Point increased to 4,500 as HLC expanded to managing other large-scale residential developments in Tāmaki Makaurau. This expansion saw the renaming of Hobsonville Land Company to Homes, Land, Community before saying haere rā to the HLC acronym following the merger of Homes, Land, Community, Housing New Zealand, and KiwiBuild to become Kāinga Ora in 2019. In the same year, a paper released by the National Science Challenges:“Living at Density in Hobsonville Point, Auckland: Resident Perceptions” . The paper’s findings found that residents have developed a strong sense of community and are highly satisfied with the suburb’s amenities, public spaces, and quality of life.

Hobsonville Point today:

Today, Hobsonville Point is home to 10,800 residents (as of August 2024) and has become a thriving community. As I boarded off the ferry during a recent multimodal adventure, I was greeted to people checking out the stalls at the farmers' market, friends and whānau having lunch at Fabric Cafe or a beer at Little Creatures, and fellow multimodal explorers who were about to begin their own adventures by foot or bike via the local pathways. Catalina Bay has established to become a hub for the community with eateries, offices and apartments, following the completion of 82 apartments next to Little Creatures last year.

The several precincts identified in the original masterplan are filled with townhouses, featuring pockets of apartments throughout the development, catering to diverse housing needs, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom homes. These precincts are close to parks, sports fields, and playgrounds, allowing residents to connect with nature, play a game of rugby, and providing spaces for local children to play, such as Te Kori Scott Point Park, where the first stage was completed earlier this year.

Te Kori saw improvements to moving around by foot and bike with new shared paths connecting to the wider walking and cycling network in Hobsonville Point and the neighbouring Scott Point development, creating safe trips to shops, schools and to Catalina Bay to catch the ferry. In April, Hobsonville Point become connected by the frequent transit network (FTN) when the 120 (Henderson to Constellation) was upgraded to the 12 (running every 15 minutes) as I had explained when I went on a loop around the northwest on the day the 12 went live.

What Hobsonville Point needs for the future:

As we look to the future, we must consider what Hobsonville Point and the surrounding area need to support its growing population. While Hobsonville Point has a safe, connected walking and cycling network with plans to fill the last gap in the local cycling network with the Hobsonville Road cycleway, which will deliver a safe connection to Westgate and the Northwestern Path, with construction expected to begin over the upcoming summer period. Hobsonville Point can benefit from further improvements to the public transport network.

While the introduction of the 12 earlier this year and WX1 between the city and Westgate in November 2023 have made a significant difference to moving around public transport in the northwest, journey times by bus from Hobsonville Point to the city centre are long. For example, it will take you approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to travel to Karangahape Rd from Hobsonville Point via the WX1 and the 12. The ferry services to the Downtown Ferry Terminal are infrequent during off-peak times (9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., weekdays) and weekends, running every 2 hours. This has affected the suburbs connectivity to the wider public transport network. 

Extensive planning work has been undertaken by AT and NZTA Waka Kotahi for the future transport needs of Hobsonville Point:

• As part of Te Tupu Ngātahi Supporting Growth Programme, A NoR has been lodged on the Hobsonville Road corridor to widen the road to support public transport, freight and active modes improvements.

• The Auckland Rapid Transit Pathway, which was initially released in late 2023 and was updated by AT and NZTA earlier this year, identified the Upper Harbour corridor (Henderson to Constellation via Westgate) as a future rapid transit corridor, which is expected to be delivered as bus rapid transit (BRT).

• Consenting work is currently underway for the Northwestern Busway, with NZTA expected to lodge NoRs under the Fast Track Approvals Act at the end of the year.

However, as these projects are decades away from construction and completion, it’s important to look at what can be done in the interim to support the future growth of Hobsonville Point.

Potential solutions that could be done are the following:

• Investigate the delivery of the bus priority measures on SH18, similar to what’s been delivered on the Northwestern Motorway (SH16) as part of the Northwestern Bus Improvements in November 2023 to create faster and more reliable trips on the 12.

• Delivering the last gap on Joshua Calder Drive to allow for bus connections to the ferry terminal at Catalina Bay via the 112 bus (Northwest to Hobsonville).

• Increasing the frequency of the Hobsonville Point ferry during off-peak times.

• Delivering more secure bike parking at Hobsonville Point and Westgate to incentivise more trips by bike to catch the WX1 at Westgate or Catalina Bay to catch the ferry for the first and the last legs of people’s journey.

Conclusion:

Hobsonville Point is a great example of how forming partnerships between the public and private sector has played a significant role in achieving the vision for the suburb. The result being the creation of a thriving neighbourhood through the delivery of a diverse range of housing choices and amenities that have supported the suburb as it emerged.

The success of Hobsonville Point also kickstarted a workstream of large-scale housing developments being delivered by the Crown, thanks to the mahi of HLC and its successor, Kāinga Ora, who have duplicated this model of delivery to create great neighbourhoods throughout Tāmaki Makaurau in areas like Northcote, Ōwariaka and Mount Roskill. As Hobsonville Point continues to grow, we need to look at what other ingredients the suburb needs, so it can continue to build on its success in creating a vibrant community for its residents to live and play.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are my personal views.

We’ll start our hīkoi at Karangahape Road to check out the progress of Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct integration project, also known as Project K, which is getting closer it’s completion, which is expected to be completed by late 2025. The shared space in Mercury Lane is taking shape with toilets, street furniture installed and trees being planted. A traffic filter scheme trial will be running 2 years following the opening of the shared space with raised bollards, which will be lowered for authorised vehicles only. Wayfinding has been installed on the Mercury Lane entrance to Karanga-a-Hape Station on its exterior and interior, which you can see from the street.

On the other side of Karangahape Road on Pitt Street, where the southbound footpath and cycleway is completed with the northbound footpath and cycleway not too far away from completion. The street just got greener thanks to the recent addition of 8 nīkau trees. Beresford Square was recently opened and is now home to the monthly FAM event run by the Karangahape Road Business Association.

We head to midtown, starting with a look at Campbell House, where the 758 room student accomdation complex for AUT students has reached practical completion. As finishing touches are added to Campbell House, Precinct Properties and Icon are about to start commerece construction on a 638 room 32 storey student accomdation complex at 256 Queen Street, expected to be completed by early 2029. This development and Campbell House will see 1,396 more units available for UOA and AUT students to call home during their studies. At the end of the year, the 325 room Radisson Red Hotel is expected to open at 280 Queen Street. The converted 15 storey former office building also will consist of 3 floors of retail and a rooftop bar with Timezone already moved in.

On Wellesley Street, the progress of the streetscape works as part of the Wellesley Street Bus Improvements project, and City Rail Link is getting closer to the finish line as the bus shelters on the northern side are currently being installed and footpaths are being extended completed in parts as well with footpath works taking shape outside the Wellesley Street entrance to Te Waihorotiu Station.

We go around the block of Hobson, Nelson and Victoria Street to check out the New Zealand International Convention Centre, which is getting ready for its opening in February with 95 events booked in 2026 already.

We go into Victoria Street, where most of the streetscape works as part of Te Hā Noa and City Rail Link are completed with the cycleway from Nelson Street to Queen Street are open with only the last remaining part of Te Hā Noa between Queen and Lorne Street to be constructed, which should begin following the completion of wastewater upgrades by Watercare next year. Like at Karanga-a-Hape Station, the exterior and internal fit-outs at Te Waihorotiu Station are nearly completed all the wayfinding has been installed.

We head downtown via Albert Street, which is getting ready for the return of buses as inbound and outbound WX1, 11T/W, 18, 105, 195, 209 services will run along the full length of Albert Street, Mayoral Dr and Vincent Street when Albert Street reopens to general traffic and buses on 29th November. The majority of the streetscape works have been completed including the reinstatement of the historic bluestone wall located between Wyndham and Victoria Street. Completed in 1881, the wall is the oldest road wall in Tāmaki Makaurau. Remediation works are ongoing at Auckland District Court and works are ongoing on the conversion of 92 Albert Street to become the 231 room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.

We have a look at the progress of the return of the plaza behind Waitematā Station, which is taking shape with pavers and street furniture are being installed with street trees planted along Tyler and Galway Street. The plaza is expected to be completed in early next year.

The pause button has been taken off Seascape as construction resumed on the 56-story tower in August with Icon taking over the construction for what will the tallest apartment tower in Aotearoa New Zealand when completed.

As the sun goes down, we head over to Wynyard Quarter to check out the completed Wynyard Quayside with main tenant Beca having moved into their new headquarters named: Te Paeroa o te Kawau. The completion of the development saw the opening new pedestrian laneways from Halsey and Pakenham Street which features artwork from Janine Williams (Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara).

While we were in the neighbourhood, we checked out Janine’s light artwork: Whai, which is currently temporarily on display at Silo Park.

We head to Daldy Street to check out the recently installed mahi toi designed by Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Haua, Ngāti Manu) called Waka Moana, consisting of 9 waka-inspired sculptures located on both sides of the shared path, inspired by the historical connection Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa has to Te Moana Nui ā Kiwa (The Pacific Ocean).

We conclude our hīkoi by checking out 30 Daldy Street, which is only around the corner from completion. The building will become home to the new offices of One NZ and Mott McDonald before the end of the year.

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In recent years we’ve seen increasing discussions on how to adapt to our changing climate. The rising temperature of our planet has led to sea level rise, coastal erosion, and an increase in the frequency of major storm events arriving at our doorstep. In this article, I explore how we can create a resilient Tāmaki Makaurau while delivering the capacity to build more homes for our existing and future residents.

After the floods

In Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, the severe weather events during the Auckland Anniversary weekend in January 2023 and the following month with Cyclone Gabrielle have shown the devastation to property, infrastructure and livelihoods that can occur, as thousands of homes throughout the city were damaged from flooding and landslides, with some properties deemed inhabitable¹. In the aftermath of these events, discussions began regarding where we should be building our homes and whether existing residents should be residing in areas that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. However, the population of Tāmaki Makaurau is growing with the city’s population is projected to increase from 1.7 million² to 2.2 million by 2053³. How will the demand to deliver much-needed housing to address the current housing supply and affordability issues be weighed against the realised impact of extreme weather?

The need to be smarter with our land use

The discussion about where people should be building homes has been a national discussion in Aotearoa over the last 10 years. This has come from the risks of sea level rise, coastal erosion and major flooding events which have accelerated more due to climate change. This has opened questions around how communities adapt and where managed retreat will need to be done in existing urban areas and settlements that are the most vulnerable to natural hazards to mitigate the risk to life and property, as seen in Matatā in the Bay of Plenty⁴ and in “red zoned” areas of Ōtautahi Christchurch following the 2010 - 2011 earthquakes.

This discussion has become a hot topic in Tāmaki Makaurau following the Auckland Anniversary floods in 2023, where four people tragically lost their lives and extensive damage to thousands of properties throughout the city, primarily on the North Shore, West Auckland, and South Auckland. The event caused an estimated $4 billion dollars in damage⁵. Following the floods, central government and Auckland Council paid $774 million to buy homes of Category 3 properties (Where risk to life is intolerable)⁶.

In response to the severe events, Auckland Council and central government allocated $760 million to establish “Making Space for Water”: a 10 year programme focused on delivering flood resilience projects throughout the city such as blue-green infrastructure (e.g.: daylighting streams, constructing wetlands), increased maintenance of the stormwater system, improvements to road drainage systems, and public education campaigns to improve awareness for those living in flood-prone areas⁷. Managed retreat is potentially on the cards with a proposal from Auckland Council to relocate Kumeū town centre following investigations which found there is no viable solution to mitigate the risk of flooding in the town centre⁸.

Despite this, nearly 3000 homes have been consented in flood prone areas in Tāmaki Makaurau since the Auckland Anniversary floods⁹. While acknowledging that councils have some limitations in restricting development in flood prone areas, this could result in an unfavourable outcome as the housing we need to deliver for our existing and future residents is being constructed in areas that face a significant risk of property damage from natural hazards. This can see residents face expensive insurance bills, and in some cases, have trouble getting their properties insured at all¹⁰. This means we need to be smarter about our land use to mitigate the risk to life and property while at the same increasing housing capacity and achieving other objectives to achieve the city’s emission reduction goals (e.g.: achieving a compact urban form).

What has been done to help create a good outcome

In late 2023, Auckland Council adopted their Future Development Strategy (FDS). The FDS saw the removal of 800 hectares of land in the outer suburbs of Kumeū, Huapai, Riverhead, Takaanini, Drury and Hatfields Beach from being zoned as future urban areas (FUA)¹¹, following findings that the risk from natural hazards can result in extensive damage to property and infrastructure in these areas.

The FDS also saw parts of the city that were zoned FUA areas being “red flagged”. Where any development that occurs within those parts will need to meet requirements to ensure sufficient stormwater infrastructure is installed to service the catchment. The FDS also identified that natural hazards constrain the existing urban areas in the city, so Auckland Council will need to investigate to understand the risks from these hazards and determine the appropriate adaptation responses for these areas.

In June, new provisions added to the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill saw the city’s intensification plans as part of the National Policy Statement for Urban Development (NPS -UD) being put back to square one with Plan Change 78: Auckland Council’s proposed intensification plan change to be withdrawn. These provisions will allow Auckland Council to “downzone” areas of the city that are highly vulnerable to natural hazards¹². This will likely happen as part of the upcoming intensification plan change to replace Plan Change 78, which Auckland Council must notify to the Minister before 10th October. It’s understood that Auckland Council will notify a natural hazards plan change at the same time, which will update and introduce new natural hazards overlays on the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP).

The Government will also allow for higher density developments to be enabled up to 15 stories around Maungawhau, Kingsland and Morningside train stations and 10 stories around Mount Albert and Baldwin Ave stations¹³. These changes not only unlock opportunities for transit- oriented development and maximise the benefits to the City Rail Link (CRL). It will also create additional housing capacity in more resilient parts of Tāmaki Makaurau.

A condition of Auckland Council withdrawing Plan Change 78 from the government is that the replacement intensification plan change must at least deliver the same level of housing capacity as Plan Change 78. With parts throughout Tāmaki Makaurau having reduced housing capacity because of the introduction of the new overlays and the downzoning of areas that are highly vulnerable to natural hazards and the potential managed retreat of existing urban areas and settlements. It creates one big question: Where does the housing capacity go to accommodate our future growth and residents that could be displaced?

There are areas throughout Tāmaki Makaurau that have a higher degree of resilience to natural hazards and have sufficient infrastructure capacity to enable more housing.

The best existing urban areas to allow this are the inner western suburbs of Freemans Bay, Herne Bay, Ponsonby, and Grey Lynn. These suburbs are less vulnerable to natural hazards, with risk from flooding and sea level rise being low. These areas are well- serviced by frequent public transport routes, amenities and within good proximity to the city centre, aligning with the strategic objectives and policies of Auckland Council’s plans such as Te Tāruke - ā - Tawhiri: the council’s emissions reduction plan¹⁴.

However, the housing capacity currently enabled in these suburbs under the AUP has been limited due to the special character area (SCA) overlays placed over most of these suburbs, with a slight reduction of the SCAs on these suburbs proposed in Plan Change 78. Auckland Council’s reasoning for the inclusion of the SCAs in Plan Change 78 is they identified SCA’s as a qualifying matter, citing historic heritage matters¹⁵.

SCAs also have an impact on the housing capacity that has been enabled in Remuera, which is less prone to flooding and sea level rise but also well-serviced by amenities and public transport. The housing capacity of the suburb has been limited by the viewshafts from Maungawhau Mt Eden, Maungakiekie One Tree Hill and Ohinerau Mount Hobson. Meadowbank is another suburb that is less prone to natural hazards and, like Remuera, is a prime location to maximise the benefits of the CRL by enabling higher-density development within the catchment of Meadowbank Station. However, most of the walking catchment within Meadowbank Station are zoned Mixed Housing Urban or Suburban under the AUP, which only enables development up to three stories and three homes per site.

This raises a question about whether Auckland Council will consider removing the limitations on building new housing in these suburbs to compensate for the loss of housing capacity, if other areas are downzoned due to the high risk to life and property from natural hazards?

If we want to achieve the good land use outcomes we desire for Tāmaki Makaurau we need to build our homes in the right places, not only in areas rich in amenities and transport choices to achieve our emission reduction targets, but also in areas most resilient to our changing climate. However, we will experience considerable difficulty achieving this if restrictive planning controls, such as SCAs and viewshafts, continue to restrict development in the best places in our city from a hazard resilience perspective. While there are discussions between central government and Auckland Council in reviewing the viewshaft rules to help open more development opportunities¹⁶, Auckland Council has a strict deadline to meet for their new intensification plan change to be notified. This means there is a window of opportunity for them to enable more housing capacity in these areas by reducing the amount of SCAs, to remove or amend the viewshaft controls and upzoning to enable higher density developments that can also deliver other major benefits to the city (e.g.: mode shift to public transport).

If these barriers are not removed, it could result in our future development being built in areas that will require extensive investment in stormwater infrastructure to mitigate the severity of the major flooding events such as Henderson and Māngere. These suburbs suffered significant damage during the Auckland Anniversary floods and are currently zoned for medium-density housing in the AUP. It can also encourage development in peri-urban areas that were previously identified as “red-flagged” in the FDS, resulting in significant costs for developers and Auckland Council to build and maintain infrastructure to mitigate the risk from natural hazards, with these costs eventually being passed onto end users, residents and ratepayers. This can result in poor outcomes for many communities and could be seen as counterproductive to the workstreams currently underway by multiple agencies to create a more resilient Tāmaki Makaurau.

Conclusion

How our cities are formed play a significant role in achieving the outcomes we want for our cities. If we are going to create a more resilient Tāmaki Makaurau against natural hazards, as climate change increases the risk these hazards pose to life, property, and infrastructure, we need to ensure that we are building our homes to accommodate our future growth. Also, for potential residents who may be displaced if the danger from natural hazards in existing urban areas is too high. This can be achieved by increasing the housing supply in the most resilient areas of the city.

There is tension between preserving protections like SCA’s and enabling housing in areas that are the most resilient to natural hazards. However, if we don’t remove the barriers that are preventing housing from being built in these areas, the greater the risk is in continuing to deliver unfavourable outcomes for the city. Not only in terms of climate adaptation and urban form but also in not achieving our targets to increasing housing supply, improving housing affordability, reducing emissions, and achieving the objectives and policies in plans and strategies developed by local and central government agencies.

It’s very important to achieve the goals of creating a more resilient city as Tāmaki Makaurau experiences increased frequency of extreme weather events occurring and the effects of climate change on every resident’s doorstep. Tāmaki Makaurau needs to increase housing capacity and supply for existing and future residents whilst improving affordability but as planners we need to pull the biggest levers to building more homes in the right places.

References:

1. Hundreds of new builds in Auckland flood zones as councils wait on planning reform | RNZ News

2. Regional Economic Profile | Auckland | Population growth

3. Our Future Development Strategy (FDS)

4. Awatarariki Managed Retreat Programme | Whakatāne District Council

5. Cost of flooding and cyclone events could hit $4 billion - OurAuckland

6. Auckland Council and Crown agree to cost sharing agreement for storm recovery and resilience work - OurAuckland

7. Making Space for Water

8. Auckland Council proposes to move Kumeū due to flood risk, community leaders onboard | RNZ News

9. Hundreds of new builds in Auckland flood zones as councils wait on planning reform | RNZ News

10. Your-Questions-Answered-House-Insurance-Climate-Change.pdf

11. Auckland adopts new future growth strategy - OurAuckland

12. Auckland and Christchurch’s intensification plans have been reset

13. Going for growth around the City Rail Link | Beehive.govt.nz

14. Auckland’s Climate Plan

15. PC 78 Information Sheet 9 Special Character Areas

16. Speech to Committee for Auckland | Beehive.govt.nz

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are my personal views.

Our adventure begins at Lower Albert Street, unlike previous adventures around the Shore, where we went across Te Waitematā via the city’s ferry network. I went across via the NX1 as Auckland Transport is trialling bike racks inside the buses, installing them in 15 buses. These racks can carry two bikes at a time and have straps to secure the bikes. I found the rack was easy to use and bike was kept secure throughout the trip to Albany. You can check the AT Mobile app to see which buses on the NX1 can carry bikes. The trial will run for a year, and if it is successful, the racks could be expanded to the NX2 and WX1.

From Albany, I biked east to Long Bay, where I checked out the housing developments in the suburb. These developments comprise of diverse housing topologies, new green spaces, with existing ones close by with Long Bay Regional Park and mixed-use development with apartments are built above the suburb’s commercial centre, which has eateries, retail, and a supermarket. The suburb is connected to the public transport network via the 861 to Albany, Massey University, and Rosedale.

I enjoyed the gorgeous views of Rangitoto as I biked through the suburbs of Torbay and Browns Bay. Several medium-density apartments were popping up around the latter’s town centre, and a small plaza connected the town centre to the beach.

I headed south via the bike lanes and shared paths on East Coast and Forrest Hill Road, as well as across the motorway to get an update on the progress of The Northcote Development. Along Lake Road, the modular apartments are at various stages, with the Elevation apartments nearly at completion. Apartments and townhouses along Te Awa Awataha have been completed.

Construction is about to begin on the regeneration of Northcote Town Centre, which will include the suburb’s new community hub. The hub will contain a library, community services (e.g., Phunket, Citizen Advice Bureau), and meeting areas. The project will be completed in 2027. Construction will also begin on upgrades to Puāwai Cadness Reserve, including new play spaces, garden areas, public toilets, and swales planted to improve resilience to stormwater events.

I went to Essomde Rd to get the update on Amaia, the 81 apartment mixed-use development is now completed with the for-sale signs out, with bus stops for the frequent 82 on their door. The nearby 46 apartment The Loxley is also completed.

I when headed to Akoranga Station to catch the NX1 to go back to where the adventure began. It’s great that bikes on buses being trialed here in Tāmaki Makaurau having previously enjoyed the option to take my bike on the bus when I lived in Ōtautahi Christchurch. It opens up more transport choices and another public transport option to take your bike to the another side of Te Waitematā, especially to areas like Albany and Smales Farm that are too far away from the city’s ferry network.

I Iook forward to using it them again to unlock more multimodal adventures around the North Shore and the Hibiscus Coast.

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So pack your suitcase, put on your walking shoes and top up your Myki card and let the adventure begin.

A walk through the city centre:

We’ll start our adventure on foot in the city centre, which is very easy to get around by foot, thanks to the series of laneways and arcades throughout the city centre. These laneways are beautifully decorated with street art from local artists and architecture from the 1870s onwards (especially the older Block, Royal and Cathedral Arcades) rich in a diverse range of retail stores, where you will find your next favourite outfit or a special gift for friends and whānau. Foodies and coffee lovers will fall into heaven with the diverse range of restaurants and cafes throughout the city centre, from brunch at Degraves Street to lunch at the many eateries of different cuisines along these laneways to dinner or a drink on the busy Hardware Lane.

I headed across the Yarra River to Southbank, one of the city’s most dense parts with a cluster of high rises full of apartments, offices and eateries. I was able to enjoy the views of Melbourne and beyond from the 88th floor of the Eureka Tower, where I spotted pockets of perimeter block housing in the medium-density housing developments at the foot of these high rises.

The Metro Tunnel emerging from below:

During my time in Melbourne, I checked out three of the five underground stations being built as part of the Metro Tunnel project: a 9km twin rail tunnel under the Melbourne city centre to increase capacity on the city’s metro rail network, which is expected to completed and open by the end of the year.

We will start at the southernmost of the five stations: Anzac, which is located on St Kilda Road by the Shrine of Remembrance. When the station opens, it will be the city’s first tram-train interchange to allow for easy transfers from the trains and trams on St Kilda Rd, one of the city’s busiest tram corridors. Construction of the station, which includes its distinctive timber canopy, a pedestrian underpass, the station’s platforms and streetscape improvements, is completed.

We take the tram up to Swanston Street to Town Hall Station, where the fitting out of the station platforms, pedestrian connections to Flinders Street Station, the entrances at Federation Square, Swanston Street, and Flinders Street are ongoing with the canopy built at the Swanston Street entrance. Construction has begun on Town Hall Place: a 10-storey over-station development facing Swanston and Flinders Street with offices, laneways, retail and hospitality spaces. Town Hall Place is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.

We head to State Library Station, which has entrances on the corner of La Trobe and Swanson Street and the corner of Swanson and Franklin Street close to the State Library, RMIT University and Queen Victoria Market. The fitting out of the station is ongoing, including the station platforms and the underground pedestrian connection to Melbourne Central Station to create easy transfers to train services on the City Loop, the underground rail loop under the city centre, which opened in the 1980s. Like Town Hall Station, there will be an over-station development on the corner of La Trobe and Swanson Street.

The Metro Tunnel will connect the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham Lines and will have high-capacity signalling, improved accessibility features and platform screen doors installed as part of the project.

A multimodal trip around the inner northern suburbs:

I took a train ride to the inner-city suburb of Brunswick to check out Nightingale Village, a mixed-use development consisting of 194 apartments and commercial spaces, with some of the apartments used as community housing. The development is located on the doorstep of Anstley Station on the Upfield Line, Upfield Bike Path, which connects to Melbourne City Centre via The Capital City Trail. The development is also within walking distance of shops and eateries on Sydney Road.

The buildings in the development have been designed with sustainability in mind, featuring powered without the use of fossil fuels, rainwater connection for common areas, and the use of recycled materials in its construction. The buildings also have a shared rooftop terrace, car share and secure bike parking. A park has been built within the development with a playground and community garden, creating a green space for residents to come together.

After looking around Sydney Road, I took the 508 bus to Northcote, then transferred onto the 86 tram to Smith Street in Collingwood. Both Sydney Road and Smith Street consist of a diverse mix of eateries and retail along the arterial roads on frequent tram routes to the city centre, with the 19 on Sydney Road and the 86 on Smith Street.

Unlocking great open spaces via elevated rail:

Level crossing removals have been a hot topic in recent years in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, with plans to remove level crossings along the rail network to improve safety and maximise the benefits of the City Rail Link. I decided to check out some of the projects used to remove the 85 level crossings so far on the city’s rail network in the last 10 years by the state government’s level crossing removal programme.

Particularly, I checked out the sections of the rail network where level crossings will be removed via elevating the rail line (better known as “Skyrail” by locals) in the inner northern suburbs of Coburg and Moreland below the Upfield Line and between the southeastern suburbs of Caulfield and Dandenong below the Cranbourne and Pakenham Lines. Elevating the rail line not only saw the opportunity to improve safety, increase capacity on the rail line and upgrade train stations along the corridor. It also saw the opportunity to create great open spaces under the rail corridor with playgrounds, dog parks, gym equipment, and basketball courts built under the rail corridor.

Skyrail is an example of a project that creates benefits to all modes of transport, with improvements to road safety, public transport with faster rail services and improvements to bus interchanges at train stations, and walking and cycling with new walking and cycling paths built under the rail corridor.

A bike ride around the inner western suburbs:

I spent my last full day in the city on a bike ride out to Williamstown via the connected cycleways and shared paths from the city centre to the coastal suburbs, along some of the 14km of new cycleways being built as part of the Westgate Tunnel project in Docklands and Footscray that are partly open in their distinctive lime green colour. The rest of the cycleways are to be open later this year, which will connect to the Capital City and the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail.

On the way to Williamstown, I had a look around the suburb of Yarraville, where tactical urbanism has been used to turn a section of Ballarat Street into a park. The park was originally established as a 12-month trial during COVID to provide extra space for retailers and eateries to allow for social distancing with outdoor dining and spaces to sit and relax. Following community feedback, the park is now permanent with more seating and planter boxes added when the permanent design of the park was implemented.

I enjoyed the views of the city while biking down the Coastal Trail to Williamstown before taking the train back to the city centre where I had a bike around Docklands, one of Australia’s largest urban renewal projects with offices, apartments, hotels, parks and entertainment venues such as Marvel Stadium emerging in the suburb since the 1990s.

The area is connected to the adjacent city centre via frequent tram routes and connected cycling routes, with the City of Melbourne delivering new cycleways throughout the city centre and the surrounding suburbs with number of cyclists on upgraded cycling routes has increased by 22%.

Conclusion:

As we board the SkyBus back to the airport. I enjoyed my time in Melbourne, particularly walking down the laneways and the local markets, which are full of life and diversity. It was good travelling around via the city’s tram and train network to check out the inner suburbs and to see what their level crossing removal programme has achieved.

I look forward to returning to the city sometime in the future to see how the Metro Tunnel will transform the city’s rail network and the city centre. How workstreams currently underway by the state government to upzone for higher density housing around tram and train stations (similar to what’s being done around rapid transit stations in Aotearoa under the National Policy Statement for Urban Development (NPS- UD)) will help unlock more housing choices and create opportunities for more thriving communities. Finally, how the level crossing removal programme will maximise the rail network and the benefits created when the Metro Tunnel is opened to shape a more compact, vibrant and sustainable city.

More photos from my trip:

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So, write down your shopping list and head down to your local supermarket as we discuss the ingredients needed as part of our recipe to create more thriving neighbourhoods in our cities.

Thriving town centres:

We’ll start by adding our first ingredient: our town centres. No matter how big or small they are, our town centres are the hub of our neighbourhoods. It’s where people access local shops, do the milk run at the local dairy or supermarket, have weekend brunch or drinks with friends and whānau at local eateries, and access facilities such as libraries, recreational centres and community centres. Having more amenities in our town centres and creating opportunities to add new life with public realm improvements (e.g, public squares, parks, pedestrian connections) helps support our neighbourhoods as the population of our cities continues to grow.

An example is Te Hono, a new community centre and library currently under construction in the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland suburb of Avondale. With the intensification that has been occurring in the suburb in recent years, Te Hono will help create stronger communities. Eke Panuku, alongside organisations in the Auckland Council whānau and the private sector, is working on a workstream of projects in the Avondale town centre, including new public spaces and housing developments.

Another example in Tāmaki Makaurau is the workstreams underway in the town centre at Papatoetoe, guided by the Old Papatoetoe Masterplan, consisting of:

• Upgrades to streets and pedestrian laneways.

• New active modes connections.

• Upgrades to parks and community facilities.

• Stormwater improvements

• Restoration of heritage buildings.

• The construction of affordable housing consists of different housing typologies.

Diversity of housing choices:

This moves us to our next ingredient: the need for diverse housing choices. Historically, our cities in Aotearoa New Zealand were largely built with a low-density suburban pattern with single-family housing with big backyards to achieve the quarter-acre dream that was desired in Aotearoa New Zealand, especially post World War 2. However, since the 1980s, living in apartments and townhouses close to our city centres, major amenities, and public transport corridors has become more appealing as more people want a more compact, low-maintenance and low-carbon lifestyle, which was briefly discussed in Chapter 1 of the book Urban Aotearoa. However, the housing options that are available for those who do wish to live in areas but don’t want or need a 3 or 4-bedroom home are limited due to the majority of our housing stock consisting of large single-family homes.

Adding a cup of apartments and townhouses to our neighbourhood will help unlock more housing choices for our communities. This can be achieved by upzoning to enable high and medium-density housing to be built close to town centres and major transport corridors. This has been done around several town centres and train stations in Tāmaki Makaurau with the implementation of the Auckland Unitary Plan in 2016 and the introduction of the National Policy Statement for Urban Development (NPS - UD) and Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) in Tier 1 cities, the latter which will soon be made optional for Tier 1 cities to implement under the RMA (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, which is currently going through Parilament.

Earlier this year, Housing and Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced a programme to enable high densities around train stations in Tāmaki Makaurau to unlock opportunities for transit-oriented development (TOD). Enabling TOD will help create a more compact city and incentivise mode shift as more people will be living and working close to frequent public transport connections. Enabling TOD in Tāmaki Makaurau will help maximise the benefits the City Rail Link will create for the city, as highlighted in this article by Malcolm McCracken over on Better Things Are Possible.

Examples of a mix of different housing typologies being built are the large-scale housing developments, which are currently delivering thousands of homes throughout Tāmaki Makaurau, led by Kāinga Ora, such as in Hobsonville Point, Northcote, Ōwariaka and Māngere. The types of housing built in these developments have primarily consisted of 1 - 2-bedroom apartments to 3 - 4 bedroom townhouses over the last 15 years.

Another example is the Carrington Development which is under construction on the Unitec site in Mt Albert, with 4000 homes to be built when the development is fully completed, consisting of a mix of townhouses, walk-up units and apartments. The first building to be completed as part of the development at the end of the year: Toi delivering 65 homes, from studios to 3-bedroom apartments.

Spaces to connect with nature, our neighbours, and to play:

We’ll move to the next step, which is to add one tablespoon of green spaces and a tablespoon of recreational areas to our neighbourhoods to create spaces to connect with our treasured flora and fauna, to play and make our growing neighbourhoods more resilient. As I had previously discussed in the article I wrote last year (which you can read in the link below), increasing the amount of green spaces in our neighbourhoods is important for improving community wellbeing by creating places for families to have a picnic under the trees or to play a game of rugby or cricket. Also, it will increase our biodiversity, reduce the urban heat island effects, so our urban environments can be cooler during our summer months and reduce the risk of flooding during major rainfall events. 

Northcote is a good example of investing in new and existing green spaces and playgrounds to support the population growth of the area, with up to 1,700 homes being built in the suburb as part of the Northcote Development with Kāinga Ora alongside Eke Panuku and Auckland Council working together to integrate new green spaces into these new developments. This has been achieved with Te Awa Awataha, which creates a green link throughout the development with new playgrounds and picnic areas along the greenway for residents to come together for events and a place for local children to play. Upgrades were made to Greenslade Reserve with new fitness equipment, seating, and public toilets, with improvements to drainage, with the reserve was lowered to prevent major flooding.

Close to the Northcote Development is Kauri Glen Reserve, a native bush reserve covered in 300 to 400-year-old native kauri and tānekaha trees. In April last year, the tracks in the reserve opened with a new treetop boardwalk located 18m above the valley floor, allowing residents to enjoy a bird‘s-eye view of the mature trees and waterfalls located below when out on a weekend walk. The track is step-free, making the boardwalk accessible to all.

Reshaping our streets:

The final ingredient to add to designing our streets from our neighbourhood streets to our major arterial roads to include public realm improvements such as spaces for outdoor dining to support local eateries, street trees and bioswales to increase tree canopy and biodiversity, and delivering more transport choices to move around such as wider footpaths, raised pedestrian crossings, cycleways, bus lanes, T2 or T3 lanes to support our neighbourhoods as they intensify and more people start calling those new apartments and townhouses their home.

A good example is the recently completed Point Chevalier Road, which has been transformed as part of the Point Chevalier and Westmere Improvements project. The project saw the delivery of infrastructure to help support the apartments and townhouses that have been built in the area in recent years, such as:

• Safer walking and cycling trips to local shops and schools with cycleways and pedestrian crossings across the arterial road and raised crossings on side streets.

• Improvements to bus stops include new bus shelters to catch the frequent bus routes that run down this road (OuterLink, 65 and 66) with T3 lanes so buses and those who carpool can avoid being stuck in traffic jams.

• New street trees were planted.

Later this year, on the other side of the Northwestern Motorway, work will begin on the Carrington Road improvements. These changes will see the road corridor redesigned with:

• Bus lanes or T2/T3 lanes to improve journey times for buses, with improvements to be made to bus stops.

• New crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, especially for those on the busy Northwestern Path, can be made across safely with raised crossings on the side streets.

• The existing painted cycle lanes will be upgraded to become protected, connected to the new cycleways built in the Carrington Development, Point Chevalier Road and the existing Northwestern Path to the city centre and West Auckland.

• New street trees and rain gardens to improve stormwater management.

These improvements will help support the population growth that will occur over the next 15 years as more of the Carrington Development gets built by delivering transport choices to get from A to B. These improvements are funded by the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund.

Conclusion:

As we mix our ingredients together and put them in the oven to bake, the components of these ingredients will help us create more thriving neighbourhoods and better urban environments to ensure the needs of existing and future residents are supported within the proximity of their homes, to make our cities great places to live.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are my personal views.

We start our bike ride in Herne Bay to have a look at the construction of Exhibit on Jervois. The four-storey building, which will deliver six apartments and retail space on the ground floor, has emerged with cladding being installed on the side walls.

Our next stop is the site of Pompallier on Ponsonby with the crane erected into the skyline of Ponsonby to construct the mixed-use development, which will deliver 12 apartments, retail and hospitality spaces. The development is expected to be completed in late 2026.

Also on Ponsonby Rd is Te Rimutahi, a recently opened civic space in the heart of Ponsonby. The civic square was a long-awaited project, with the former Auckland City Council purchasing the site in 2006 to fill the shortage of public spaces in the suburb. Te Rimutahi was designed based on a concept developed by the community, which saw the former liquor store forecourt canopy being repurposed as a covered space for markets and events, seating areas, planters, trees, new public toilets and a green space at the western end.

We go to Great North Road (GNR) to have a look at the construction of the improvements to the road between Karangahape and Crummer Rd, consisting of extending bus priority, separated cycleways, raised crossings on the side streets and 60 new street trees, with works for the improvements expected to be completed in late 2025. So far, improvements to some of the bus stops on both the Karangahape and Crummer Rd ends of GNR are completed, with works ongoing to other bus stops along the stretch of the road, footpaths and cycleways. Several raised crossings on the side streets are completed, with many crossings on other side streets under construction.

We’ll ride along the completed cycleways on Point Chevalier, Meola and Garnet Rd, which were delivered as part of the Point Chevalier to Westmere Improvements project. It’s great to see this project is now fully completed which saw the delivery of a safe cycling connection to schools, shops and around other parts of Tāmaki Makaurau with connections to the Northwestern Path as part of the project.

We go to the other side of the Northwestern Motorway for an update on the Carrington Development. We’ll start with Toi, which is getting closer to its completion date at the end of the year, with the scaffolding starting to be taken down at the top floor of the building, exposing its distinctive verdant green brickwork.

In March, I went to the community day that Ockham held at the site. During the community day, I got to check out the progress of the interior fit-out, where some of the building's 65 apartments and the communal lounge for the residents to use were completed.

The roading and cycleways that were being built in the development are nearly completed, with only one section of the road and cycleway left to be opened up. When this section of cycleways is open, it will connect with the Waterview Path, delivering a more direct cycling connection to the Northwestern Path for those cycling from Waterview, Mt Roskill and Onehunga via the Southwestern Path and those from New Lynn and Avondale via the New Lynn to Avondale Path.

We conclude the bike ride on the other side of Te Auaunga Oakley Creek to check another Ockham development is expected to be completed later this month called Kōanga: a 36-apartment build-to-rent development with a cafe and 72 bike parks, located across the road from Ockham’s Kōkihi development, which was completed in 2021. This BTR development stands out on GNR thanks to its bright yellow bricks and art deco inspired design.

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Today, I braved the rainy weather in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and went on a bus trip around the northwestern suburbs to check out the latest changes to the bus network. These changes build on the new bus network that was introduced in November 2023 through the delivery of upgrades to the WX1 and the 120 to become a frequent route.

So, top up your HOP card or grab your debit card, and we’ll go on a bus trip out west.

WX1:

We’ll start at Lower Albert Street to catch the WX1 to Westgate from the top deck of one of the new electric double-deckers that have been introduced as part of the bus contract with Transit Group, which has added 44 single and double-decker electric buses to the fleet. These electric double-deckers not only help reduce emissions and air pollution. It will increase the capacity of the route with patronage of the WX1 growing at a fast pace with the route exceeding patronage expectations in its first year by 45%.

This is a promising sign, especially with the investment case for the Northwest Rapid Transit project being endorsed by the NZTA Waka Kotahi board last week with the preferred option being a busway along the Northwestern Motorway from the city centre to Brigham Creek, similar to the Northern Busway on the North Shore. The busway will result in faster and accessible journeys from the northwest to the city centre via public transport, with seven stations along the corridor. Construction has begun on the new bus station at Westgate with design, investigation and consenting work currently underway for the busway.

11 and 13:

The 11T and 11W (which run to Westgate via Great North Road) are running with more services, now running up to 6 trips per hour up to 9 pm on weekdays. Additional services have to be added to the 13’s on weekday afternoons (3 pm - 6 pm), with 5 services running the full route per hour and 1 shortened route between Te Atatū Library to Henderson.

12:

I made a quick transfer at Westgate to the 120 (Henderson to Constellation Station via Westgate, Hobsonville and Greenhithe), which has been upgraded to a frequent route, becoming the 12, running 15 minutes (the route will temporarily run every 30 mins at off-peak times). This upgrade of the 120 will create a frequent bus connection between West Auckland and the North Shore and improve the accessibility of Hobsonville Point and Greenhithe by public transport, connecting to the WX1 at Westgate and to the NXs at Constellation. The 12 will also run via SH18 between Greenhithe and Constellation Station, creating more direct journeys. The 12 will continue travelling to Akoranga Station at peak times for Westlake school students.

902:

To replace the Albany Highway, Sunset and Greenhithe Rd sections of the 120 between Greenhithe to Constellation Station. The 902 has been introduced: The new route will run every 30 minutes (5:45 am - 9 pm) and hourly (9 pm - 11 pm).

As we board the NX and head back to the city centre, it’s great to see these improvements introduced to build on the success of the bus network changes made in 2023 and make it easier to get around Tāmaki Makaurau by public transport.

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Since then, the construction of two new stations in the city centre, the redevelopment of Maungawhau Station in the city fringe suburb of Eden Terrace and upgrades to the existing Waitematā Station in downtown have continued at full steam as we get closer to the projects completion date with physical works expected to be completed in November when City Rail Link Limited and Link Alliance hand over the keys over to Auckland Transport and KiwiRail. Trains currently full of sandbags travelling through the tunnel for testing will become full of passengers in 2026. Today, we’ll check on the progress of the stations and streetscape works, which are part of a project that will play a vital role in transforming the way we move around the city by public transport.

Maungawhau Station:

We’ll start in Eden Terrace at Maungawhau Station, where the fitting out of the station’s platforms is continuing with seating, wayfinding, escalators, ticketing machines, ticketing gates, and lighting have been installed. The majority of the architectural fit-out of the station is completed, with all the external cladding and ceiling panels installed, and the spoil basin on the site by Mount Eden Rd is currently being deconstructed.

The urban realm works in the station area is taking shape with upgrades to the surrounding streets and utilities with new footpaths, curbs and drainage under construction. Within the station’s perimeter is the construction of Ruru Lane, which has been designed to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists and will be car-free apart from service vehicles, and Korari Lane, which will act as a drop-off zone, is taking shape with parts of the street completed.

Parts of the station plaza via the main entrance are being formed with bike parking for fellow multimodal explorers installed alongside new seating areas, landscaping works, and concrete for the plaza being poured. The urban realm works will continue with the planting of native trees to begin in May and the creation of a new pedestrian link and green space within the station precinct.

Karanga-a-Hape Station:

Our next stop is Karanga-a-Hape Station, where the station above and below ground is starting to assemble the artist’s impressions. The exterior fit-out is mostly completed at the Mercury Lane and Beresford Square entrances. The sky element facade on the Mercury Lane superstructure has been completed, and the glass, cladding, paving, wayfinding, and bollards have been installed on the Beresford Square entrance.

33 metres below, the architectural fit-out of the platforms is starting to look like the renders as well, with the ceiling battens, wall panels and terrazzo floor tiles being installed on the platform levels.

Surrounding the station’s entrance is the construction of improvements to Pitt Street and Mercury Lane as part of the Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct project (also known as Project K), where the footpath improvements and southbound cycleway on Pitt Street and parts of shared space on Mercury Lane are emerging and public toilets on the corner of the Mercury Lane and Karangahape Rd. Works on Pitt St and Mercury Lane is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Te Waihoroitu Station:

We now go to midtown to Te Waihorotiu Station, where the exterior fittings of the Victoria and Wellesley Street entrances are finished with glass, cladding, and signage installed at both entrances. The sky element facade on the Wellesley St entrance is also completed.

As we enter the Wellesley St entrance, we are greeted by the installation of its feature ceiling with gold aluminium rods and the kauri carving above the ticketing gates representing Horotiu: the kaitaki (guardian) of the people and supporting the abundance of life-giving energy in the area. The carving was designed by Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Manu) and Paraone Luiten-Apirana (Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Arawa). Below ground, the interior fit-out is mostly complete; the station’s ceiling, terrazzo floor tiles, glass balustrades and ticketing gates are installed. By the Victoria St entrance, glazed tiles on the wall were installed containing 3000 pieces of artwork made by primary school children across Aotearoa New Zealand. The artwork represents the dream destinations for these kids to travel via the CRL tunnels.

We’ll return above ground to check about the streetscape works with Albert Street starting to return to the street with the completion of wider footpaths, the road partly open to residents and being resealed and the return of the bluestone wall near Durham Street West. Work is currently underway to get the road ready for reopening, which is expected to happen at the end of the year. On Kingston Street, outside the Auckland District Court, the aluminium cladding has been installed around the ventilation shaft. Designed by Johnson Witehira (Tamahaki, Ngāi Tū-te-auru) and the CRL design team, the cladding reflects the breath of Mataaoho, the Māori atua or deity of volcanic forces.

On Victoria St, the cycleway extension between Federal and Nelson Street has been completed by the time CRL goes all the way to Albert Park when the cycleway being built as part of Te Hā Noa is fully completed with bike parking installed for fellow multimodal explorers. The delivery of Stage 1 of the Wellesley Street Bus Improvements between Queen and Albert St is well underway, with pavings being laid down for the wider footpaths on the northern side of the street by Albert St. Kerbs being installed around Elliott St and Mayoral Dr with utility works well underway around Elliott St. From mid this year, works will move to the southern side of the street with bus shelters, lighting, and seating to start being installed later this year. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Waitematā Station:

We’ll conclude at Waitematā Station, where the bricks have been laid down on Tyler Street to turn the street into a shared space. The pavers started being laid down at the Commerce Street entrance to the station to return the area to a plaza. Both of these are expected in early 2026.

Below the plaza at the station’s platforms, passengers are greeted with a preview of a future with testing beginning through the tunnels from February as documented in the piece below by Grady Weatherley-Connell from NZ Transit Buzz, who was at Waitematā Station when the first test train departed at the station and made a slow journey to Maungawhau Station.

NZ Transit Buzz

GALLERY: City Rail Link welcomes first test train

Early on Wednesday morning a rumour began to spread that a test train would take to the City Rail Link tunnels on Wednesday evening, this rumour was later in the day confirmed to be true by a number of sources close to the project but not yet by CRL themselves…

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2 years ago · 13 likes · Grady Weatherley-Connell

Today, trains have started running at higher speeds with 3000 sandbags onboard to test the trains to the limits. Seeing testing beginning is an existing step for the project as it moves to get ready for passengers to board. It’s also a sign that this project is not away from transforming the way we move around the city and from unlocking the opportunities it will create that I touched on a year ago. I look forward to seeing the progress of the stations and the surrounding streetscape projects as we get closer to tagging on with our HOP cards or debit cards at these stations to explore Tāmaki Makaurau via our train network.

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On the way, we had a small stop at Middlemore Station. Where the station is getting upgrades as part of the Third Main Line project, which will increase capacity for freight and commuter trains and deliver faster and more reliable journeys. These upgrades include a new island platform being installed at the station to accommodate the third main line, a new pedestrian bridge with the existing footbridge being extended, new lifts, a new gate line and accessibility improvements. The Third Main Rail Line is expected to be completed before the opening of the City Rail Link (CRL).

We head back onto a Southern Line train as between Papakura we zoomed past the sites of the construction of Drury, Ngākōroa and Paerātā train stations which are due to open in 2026 to support the population growth of the area with new residential development recently completed, under construction and planned at Drury and Paerātā.

We arrived at Pukekohe Station, where the station was upgraded as part of the project. The upgrades include a new platform and track layout to accommodate 6-car trains and allow trains to pass easily through the station, new shelters, passenger waiting areas and a new stabling yard. As I mentioned above, Southern Line trains returned to the station on the 3rd of February running every 20 mins. Te Huia (the inter-regional train between Tāmaki Makaurau and Kirikiriroa Hamiltion) began stopping at the station on the 10th of February, opening up more transport connections to the wider public transport network in Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato.

Passengers walk across the footbridge to the bus interchange to catch the Pukekohe Loop buses (391, 392, 393) which now run every 20 minutes, the 394 which now runs to Pareātā Rise (every 20 minutes peak times, every 1 hour other times), 395 and 396 which both run to Waiuku and buses to Waikato with the 21 (Northern Connector) and 44 (to Pōkeno and Tuakau), run by the Waikato Regional Council. We went on the 392, going on the loop around the northwestern suburbs of Pukekohe, including a look through a new subdivision.

We tagged off the 392 for a walk around the town centre, which is a nice town centre that is easy to walk around and nicely decorated with colourful murals. To help support the township as Pukekohe transforms from a rural town to an urban centre as the area is experiencing major population growth. Eke Panuku is planning a workstream of projects to add new life to the town as outlined in the Pukekohe Masterplan.

These projects include parklets to create opportunities for outdoor dining, upgrades to the town square, new developments and upgrades to Roulston Park to help create more vibrant and thriving communities especially as Pukekohe grows.

We head back onto the train to Homai to have a look at the completed station upgrades with access improvements with a ramp and stairs installed in the station to replace two pedestrian level crossings as part of the Level Crossing Removal Progamme. The removal of the level crossings helps improve the safety of accessing the nearby Blind Low Vision Education Network New Zealand (BLVENNZ) school, Guide Dog Training Centre and Blind Low Vision’s South Auckland office. New lighting, wider footpaths and new pathways have been installed. The colour scheme of the ramp and bright yellow handrails has been designed to be high contrast so that those with low vision to differentiate the sloping and flat sections of the ramp.

The ramp was designed in consultation with the blind and low-vision community with a 3D model to provide a tactile experience for blind and low-vision people can interact with and to get a better understanding of the proposal. The engagement also included automated announcements at the station. Auckland Transport and Beca won a Best Practice award for their community engagement for the project from the New Zealand Planning Insitute (NZPI).

As our adventure concludes where we started at Waitematā Station. It’s great to see trains return to Pukekohe and have a look around the town. It was also great to see the progress of the rail projects occurring along the Southern Line and look forward to seeing the progress over the next year, as these projects get closer to completion, just in time for CRL.

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We’ll start in Ōrākei with Hawaiki, a papakāinga development that was completed in December by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, consisting of 24 townhouses. The development is part of the hapū’s plan to deliver more affordable housing for hapū members, so that they can maintain their ahi kā (continuous occupation), their long history and connections to their whenua.

The development has been designed with sustainability in mind through the use of energy-efficient appliances, solar water heating and rainwater collection. The development is a 10-minute walk from shops and bus stops for the 76 (Britomart to Glen Innes via Ōrākei) on Kepa Rd with the bus stop for the 783 (Eastern Bays Loop: Glendowie - Ōrakei - Mission Bay - St Heilers) just in front of the development. The development is also a 15-minute walk from Eastridge Shopping Centre.

We then head onto Te Ara ki Uta ki Tai and bike up Meadowbank Rd to get an update on the completed Risland Meadowbank, with residents now moved into the development. Residents have also started moving in at Summerset St Johns, with parts of the rest home open. When fully completed, it will be home to approximately 400 residents. Both developments are located close to shops and bus stops for the frequent 65 (Point Chevalier to Glen Innes via Balmoral Rd) and 75 (Wynyard Quarter to Glen Innes via Newmarket).

Following that, we went to Glen Innes and got an update on the Links to Glen Innes cycleways. The upgrades made to the bus stop on Taniwha St are been completed and the cycleway on Taniwha St between Line Rd and Apriana Ave is completed apart from works around the roundabout to connect to the completed cycleway on Taniwha St between Line and West Tāmaki Road.

On Morrin Rd, the “Tim Tam” cycle separators are starting to be installed and the roundabout at Morrin Rd/Stonefields Ave is completed. Most of the cycleway on Stonefields Ave is completed, with parts awaiting for the separators to be installed.

More homes are popping up in Stonefields with a master-planned development currently under construction on the corner of Stonefields Ave and Morrin Rd. The development is being delivered in partnership with Fletcher Living and Marutūahū with the first of the 143 homes that will be built as part of this development not too far away from residents moving in.

The development is close to shops, bus connections to Glen Innes and Panmure via the 747 and a safe cycling route to Glen Innes on Morrin Rd as discussed above. When the development is fully completed, it will also include a new public open space: Te Tauoma and a network of laneways, shared spaces and pathways to improve the area’s walkability.

We go across the Panmure Bridge along the cycleway built as part of the first stage of the Eastern Busway (from Panmure to Pakūranga, which opened in 2021) to have a look at the construction of Stages 2 and 3 of the Eastern Busway between Pakūranga and Burswood, along the length of Tī Rākau Drive. The project is emerging with sections of the footpath completed around Pakūranga Plaza, kerb lines starting to be installed for the unidirectional cycleway and rain gardens inlet on the Pakūranga bound traffic lanes which should open to traffic sometime later in the year as the project moves to building the busway on the centre of Tī Rākau Dr and when to the Botany bound lanes.

This is done as part of a staging approach to reduce the traffic effects during the busways construction. The busway with stations at Pakūranga, Edgewater (Te Taha Wai Station), Riverhills (Koata Station), Buswood (Pōhutu Station), Botany, separated walkways and cycleways, is expected to be completed in 2027.

On the way back to Panmure, I had a quick look at the new Jubilee Bridge, which was installed in December. The bridge will open in mid-2025, reconnecting walkers and cyclists to the Panmure Basin walkway from Lagoon Dr.

Before concluding the adventure at Panmure Station. We’ll take a look at Simplicity Living’s Te Reiputa development in Mount Wellington, which is under construction and will deliver 297 build-to-rent apartments when the development is completed in May 2026. The development is progressing well as floors are being added and the brickwork starting to be visible on the ground floor of one of the buildings. The development is just south of Panmure Station and bus stops on the frequent 74 (Glen Innes to Onehunga) are on their doorstep.

Before Christmas, I went to get an update on Resido, which is now completed and in residents have moved into the 295 build-to-rent apartment complex. The development is located at the doorstep of Sylvia Park shopping centre and public transport connections to all around Tāmaki Makaurau with a gym, residents lounge and co-working spaces for residents to enjoy.

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