Shared Spaces.

If you walk around the CBD, you will notice road works in some parts of the city. This is because of the Council's project Pedestrians in Space. Here are some photos that I took recently of what's going on around Auckland city.

Construction in Fort Street

Darby street almost finished

The project involves upgrading streets in the CBD to make it more pedestrian friendly. Darby street is close to completion while there are sill on going works in Fort St, Elliot St and Lorne St (outside the Auckland library). The outcome is for pedestrians to have the right of way allowing them to move easily and without the fear of speeding cars passing by. There will be more space for outdoor activities and events as well as for people to gather. Its aim is to provide attractive destinations for people to visit, spend time in and shop.

The projected outcome of the streets is shown by these images:

Elliot street
Photo from: Auckland Council

Darby street when completed
Photo from: Auckland Council

from Auckland Council

I think introducing shared spaces in Auckland is a really good idea. It will make the streetscape visually pleasing therefore will attract more people. I know I will be more comfortable walking in a shared space like Darby St. than what it used to be like (full of cars/trucks parked on the side of the road). It will make my trip to the different shops around enjoyable. I can't wait to see the improvements when all the upgrades are done!

Auckland = Global City?

In our Planning 330: Community and Economic Development class, the question of will Auckland ever be a world city came up a few times. Global cities are London, New York, Paris and Tokyo.

The four Alpha world cities
Photo credit: Google Images

With the recent formation of the Supercity, its aim is for Auckland to be a globally competitive metropolitan city. The Council's vision is:

In the next 10 years Auckland's CBD will grow and consolidate its international reputation as one of the world's most vibrant and dynamic business and cultural centres.

Can it actually happen though? As discussed in class, to be a global city is to have the following characteristics:

• First name familiarity.
• Active participation in international events and world affairs.
• A large population.
• Several international cultures and communities.
• Major international airport.
• An advanced transportation system and communications infrastructure.
• A strong sporting community. 
• International financial institutions

Reflecting on the list, a strong sporting community is the only one that can be truly applied to Auckland as it is hosting the Rugby World Cup this year. Although Auckland is also culturally diverse and is home to more than 150 different ethnicities, it doesn't have specific "communities" such as Little Italy and Chinatown but it now has a China Town Mall that has recently opened.

In my opinion and maybe a lot of people will agree on too, is that Auckland still has a long way to go to become a globally competitive city. I don't think it can be achieved in 10 years time. With providing an advanced transportation system and communications infrastructure alone, we are definitely running behind. If we want to achieve the Council's vision and to be like one of the alpha cities, we still have a lot to learn, step up our game and we need to put our plans into actions.

Photo credit: Google Images

We need to make this city every Aucklander will be proud of.

Graffiti Murals: Good or Bad?

Mural in K Road before it was removed
Photo from: Central Leader

Just recently, there has been a lot of talk about the removal of popular graffiti murals all over Auckland city as a part of a major clean-up project in preparation for the Rugby World Cup. The mural above has been removed by the Council and has received backlash from locals who obviously liked the colourful artwork by Askew. The mural was painted with the owner's permission and the artist was commissioned to do it. It was a popular mural in the area and it was even printed on the front cover of pamphlets by the K Rd Business Association to be given away during the RWC in order to promote art.

According to the Council, graffiti will not be removed if:

it appears to be an artwork (i.e) permission was given for work to be done.

If that was the case, then why was the K Road mural removed?

Is this a result of poor consultation from the Council?
According to Council Manager Kevin Marriot, it was their mistake as they assumed the owner wanted the mural gone. They removed it because an Auckland Council anti-graffiti volunteer made a request.

Their assumption that the owner wanted the mural to be removed is not a good reason or excuse. This shouldn't have happened if they consulted the owner or the community instead of relying on a volunteer's request. Now the Council is planning of replacing it with another mural thus wasting time and money for something that shouldn't have been done in the first place.

For the full story, click here.

While I agree that graffiti and tagging should be removed as they degrade the surroundings and bring a negative connotation to the area, I believe that there should be exceptions. Graffiti murals that have the local community's support, reflect the community's identity and are given value should not be considered to be taken off. Some murals around Auckland represent the communities and are visually appealing. Seeing these works of art can be a breath of fresh air from the dull grey or black walls of buildings.

Just take a look at these examples:

Photo credit: Hamish Rickerby

Photo credit: Cut Collective

Photo credit: Cut Collective

If you don't want graffiti murals around Auckland to be removed, you can sign the online petition No More Grey Walls.

A long queue.

Every Friday, I dread taking the bus home from the city. I live on the North Shore and the only way I can get home is by taking the bus. I take the Northern Express bus to and from Uni. (Driving is simply not an option especially with the increasing petrol prices and expensive parking costs in the city).

In previous years, I didn't have a problem using it and I actually found it efficient because it came every 10 minutes. Having the Northern Busway helped too as we avoid peak-hour traffic. However, every Friday after 3pm since Uni started, I find myself lining up for more than 15 minutes just to get on the bus. The queue is so long it almost reaches the Westfield Downtown Mall entrance. I took a photo from last Friday when I was lining up:

For the past year and a half that I have been taking the Northern Express, I have not seen a queue as long as what I have experienced for the past three weeks. On March 11th, I was on a much longer queue so on Friday, I rushed after class and pretty much speed-walked from Uni to Britomart. It was annoying because waiting in line for twenty minutes is not something I want to do on a late Friday afternoon. I want to get home as quickly and efficiently as I can. It also doesn't help that the bus stop is by the corner so the queue blocks people walking and crossing to Queen Street. We are not only in this long line but we get stuck with a cluster of people who are waiting to cross as well. I can just say that it is not the best experience. For people who have no idea of this situation, I found a video of the queue for the Northern Express in Youtube:

There is no question that the public transport system for the North Shore is overloaded. The Northern Express is the main transport for most people who live there. The Northern Busway was a good initiative for people to use public transport but situations like these, would definitely put people off too. I am hoping it gets better every week. Maybe a good solution is to have more buses in peak hours to prevent long queues (instead of having buses every 10 minutes make it every 5 instead, though it is questionable that they will arrive on time) and have a faster boarding system.

In relation to this topic, There was a post on the NZ Herald about someone's experience on using the Northern Express. He stated: 

I find myself arriving ever earlier to the Constellation park and ride (just to fight it out over the last parking spot), only to then be greeted by a line of equally frustrated 'passengers' standing in a queue longer than those experienced outside Studio 54 at the height of its infamy. Once on the bus, if in fact you get on the first or second one that comes along, you are squeezed, face to armpit, on to the most uncomfortable journey imaginable. But at least I get on ... spare a thought for those poor souls at Sunnynook, Smales or Takapuna, who watch overcrowded bus after overcrowded bus trundle by groaning under the weight of all those commuters. In a World Cup year, you have to ask yourself ... how will Auckland cope? Right now, it's not."

He has a valid point. What will happen to Auckland's transportation system during the Rugby World Cup? Will it get worse than what is is now? How can this issue be solved? Will the transportation system get better for us who live in the North Shore? Or will we keep on wasting our time in long queues just to get home?

My view of Auckland.

Photo taken by myself.

Before I talk about the different issues in Auckland, I want to start of with writing about what I like about this city. After living in New Zealand for almost five years, I have developed a love for this country and this city. Although it is not perfect, I love the diverse culture and the relaxed atmosphere. Coming from a country with 90 million people (in 2006), Auckland was a dream. I remembered the first time we explored the city, I found the air so fresh and clean. I was used to seeing smoke and fog in the air and littered streets. Though the CBD is developing problems of pollution and congestion, it was nothing compared to what I've experienced before.

To me, Auckland is a beautiful city. There are multiple beaches and dormant volcanoes that provide amazing views. For thrill seekers, there are various adventure sports and activities available and for nature enthusiasts, there is a variety of places you can go to.

View from North Head in Devonport, Beach in Arkles Bay
View from Stanley Point, Muriwai Beach
All photos taken by myself

Even the most famous cities in the world have problems, Auckland has too. Further in this blog, I will look at some of the issues and problems this city is facing today.

Overview.

This website is for Planning Management 331.

This blog will be about planning issues I am interested in or passionate about.
It will contain my observations on certain issues concerning planning in New Zealand especially in Auckland.