Auckland's heart "transplant".

An interesting NZ Herald article this morning talked about the slow transformation of Auckland city. In the past, Auckland city has not been a desirable place to reside in. The article tackled the idea of Auckland city ignoring its people and lacking 'heart' that global cities have. Below are some good points as quoted from the article:

• Auckland's central city has always turned its back on the people.
• The prevailing notion over the past 50 years has been that Auckland's city centre is for cars, not people.
• The CBD is known better for its ugly architecture and a befuddled roading network than glorious sea promenades.
• "If you compare Auckland with Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver, Paris, London, New York - what defines those cities is a great heart." - Ludo Campbell-Reid (Auckland Council's urban design manager).
• Auckland's heart, "is a little bit sick". - Ludo Campbell-Reid

I completely agree with the points above. Personally, I don't find the Auckland CBD a good place to live in and I only go there because of the University. I have explored the city countless times and it lacks that 'spark' that global cities have that not only attracts people but makes a lasting impression all over the world. Auckland's urban environment is not exactly something to be proud. However, it is getting better. I have explored in this blog the changes that have been happening over the past months. Slowly, Auckland City is developing a healthier "heart".

Mayor Len Brown's plan is to make Auckland the most liveable city. It might not happen as quickly as we want but I think we've started well. The mayor's multiple plans and vision seems too ambitious to most people but he has done well so far in campaigning his ideas.

Also written in the article are the transformations around the city over the past years. Queen St. was transformed by having wider footpaths, Aotea Square was revamped, the waterfront has various promising projects, Shared Spaces and Britomart. Britomart was deemed one of the biggest success stories for Auckland city with its line up of retail shops, award winning bars and restaurants. It has become a great place to hang out. This is what Auckland needs. We need better public spaces. Gone are the days when we plan for just cars. We should plan for the people. 

And what do people want? Better public open spaces that let people escape from their confined office/Uni spaces. We only have a few in the CBD and here are some examples:

Freyberg Place in High Street.
Photos taken by myself.

The Aotea Square in the afternoon.
Photos are taken by myself.

You can read the full article of Auckland, have heart in the NZ Herald website.