The Happening #91 : City Centre E-News Jan 2024🌆🌃

View this email in your browser

E-NEWS #91

The Happening

January/Hānuere 2024

Subscribe to The Happening

Find, Contact, Follow, and Like CCRG on your preferred platform

CCRG Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Email CCRG

Neighbourly

OUR NEXT PUBLIC CCRG HUI

To be Confirmed

Happy New Year 2024
Ngā mihi nui o te tau hou

Great Video of Sky Tower Fireworks from a resident from the St Patrick's Square Neighbourhood.
Ngā mihi o te tau hou and may it be a good 2024. #citycentre. 🎥 Katherine Gladwin Ross

Our pokapū tāone/city centre was the focus of NY celebrations, with the weather clearing just in time.

St James Theatre

Once Upon a Rebuild - Abandoned Theatre Project EP. 5 Insane in the Membrane

Looks like things are heating up (in a good way) for the St James theatre.
Recent major roof works means the building is now 99% weather tight.
Next will be the new foundations system, including 120 new piles and base isolators.

CCRG have sent a letter of support to Minister Paul Goldsmith.
You can also write to the Minister in support.

We expect the biggest controversy will be whether the statue replacements are clothed or not.

There are some informative VLOGS on the magical story about the restoration, called Once Upon a Rebuild.

And check out these IMAGES of city centre theatres, past and present.

The Queen Street area in front of the St James needs to have buses removed so that we all have a seamless connection across to the Arts Quarter (Civic, Aotea, Town Hall etc) and patrons and everyone else can enjoy pre and after function street facilities like they do elsewhere in the world.

Progress in re-build of Auckland’s St James Theatre, construction expected this year

2024 Actions

With a little effort, our city can be a better place to live in this year.
Here are some effective ways to get to it.

25 simple resolutions you can make to improve your city in 2019

Yes you read that right. But just as valid for 2024.

Actions to help change the world

Start locally, start with oursleves.

Laura Gemmell, CEO of the Ministry for the Environment, has these tips.

1. Stop buying unnecessary stuff. As apartment dwellers we understand this - where to put it all? Something in, something out? (up/re/out-cycled).

2. Do your research & watch out for Greenwashing

3. Accept Trade offs - some products may just be a bit less effective. Don't let Perfect be the enemy of Good.

4. Kiwi No 8 wire - the amount of waste we send to landfil is amongst the worst in the world - a lot could be repaired or repurposed.
Support local businesses that offer repair services, take broken items to repair cafes, learn how to fix things.

5. Stop wasting food. LoveFood HateWaste. Food waste costs the average household about $650 a year. Make sure your building gets the Council Food Scraps service, or if not eligible, use a private collector. The city centre UoA Bee sanctuary also has a food scraps service.

6. Take notice. Hold decision-makers to account, by joining a protest, writing to your local MP or local board members, signing a petition, and voting for reps who value the same things you do.

7. Volunteer!

8. Create a ripple effect. Share the changes you're trying to make. A word from a trusted friend is still the most powerful behavioural change tool.

Queen St & Waihorotiu Path looking lovely.

📸 X @thirdculturebot

Next to do is geo-fence hire scooters off the footpaths and into some nifty scooter parks like these.

And then to provide consistent enforcement, or cameras on the loading & servicing zones, that are so essential for residents and businesses on Queen street. So we have less of this...

Help raise awareness of issues in our urban spaces and make our cities safer for all.

Cities that are good for women are good for everyone.

It is a known fact that men and women have different mobility patterns. Women tend to make more trips with multiple purposes. Many urban areas are not designed to accommodate women and girls’ needs and preferences, and expose them to various risks and challenges. As a consequence, they face unwelcome, unsafe and stressful situations in their daily travels.

In 2018, Women in Urbanism Aotearoa conducted a survey of women and found that more than 75% of them had experienced harassment while using public transport, walking or cycling. This is unacceptable.

Women and girls over 16 are invited to share their stories and perspectives on how they feel and what they encounter when they move around their city.

Survey closes at midnight on Friday 16 February.

‍Women's Experiences in our City - Survey

Fill a bag for $15.

City Mission and Foodtogether host a weekly pop-up shop, providing access to fresh fruit and veges for our communities & neighbourhoods.

Every Wednesday 1 - 3pm
HomeGround: 195 Federal Street, (front shop space by entrance).

Pre-orders close Tuesday midday or you can bring your own bag. EFTPOS is available on the day. No cash.

Make a city-centre-safety-difference in 2024 and join the Central community patrol group.

This is a group of locals volunteering for a safer and more secure environment for everyone in our city. Volunteers are the extra eyes and ears (Note: 'ears and eys') for the Police, actively patrolling the streets, and contributing to the overall well-being of the community.

Safety Hubs are located in Queen’s Wharf, High and Queen Streets.
The patrol not only prioritises safety (including that of the patrollers), but also actively engages with the community.

Patrol Info and Contact

Queen Street for People 🎥 Auckland Council

Residents (and visitors) are loving the new wider spaces for us all, and the greenery everywhere is something to behold. Call out to your neighbours across the street, pop across to the store or cafe on the other side.
Easy.

From Square to Square - Walk, Bike, Scoot, Protest! or bus up to that event around Aotea, or down to Te Komititanga and the Waitematā.

A welcome 2023 Kirihimete 🎁💝

Te Poari ā-Rohe o Waitematā
Waitematā Local Board

Our local Board Members:
L-R back - Anahera Rawiri, Alan Matson, Sarah Trotman
L-R front - Richard Northey, Gen Sage (CHAIR), Greg Moyle (DEP CHAIR), Alex Bonham

Contact the local Board or members HERE and find the appropriate portfolio holder for your query.

The board last met on 12 December, and endorsed the wonderful vision for Wynyard Point's Te Ara Tukutuku headland park.
A vision that local WQ residents and CCRG have fed into (see further below).
It's been an exemplary process from our perspective.

Written board member monthly reports for December can be found here.

The board & support staff have moved from Swanson St to the gound floor Hōro ā-Tāone/Town Hall.
The 20 February meeting will be held in the Aotea Centre, Lime Room 2.

We wish them a collaborative 2024, with all that undoubted enthusiasm, energy, and expertise, put to productive use.

All meeting Agendas, minutes, & their attachments

10 Feb Myers Park EVENT aimed at 0-12 years
but in fact, awesome for the whole whānau.

Get to know Myers Park- through play, exploration and education. Sessions are 4 hours of FREE play-based, sensory experience, crafting and nature education, designed to connect you and your tamariki /moko with nature.

Learn about native flora and fauna, how to care for your natural surroundings, develop a sense of kaitiakitanga, and discover the beautiful Myers park on our doorstep.

Te Kaha - 1 Queen Street Opens

The blue fences are finally down.
Experieince the added space.

The adresss doesn't get much better than this, and Precinct's final piece of the development puzzle for this block is now open.

Roof top bar plans to open in April.

INFO

Paearu Tohutohu

mō te Pokapū Tāone

The City Centre Advisory Panel is a key advisory body, supporting the City Centre Masterplan’s vision.

Re-formed by the Mayor in September 2023, including two CCRG reps, this group should have a busy year progressing key issues, and particulalry seeing action on the recently approved City Centre Action Plan, which has residents centred and nested within Six Focus Areas.

CCRG will continue to advocate focussing efforts, and our money, on delivering the OUTCOMES of the City Centre Masterplan, (and the above-mentioned Action Plan).

What CCRG and others asked for were specific statements on exactly what, how, when and where these outcomes are delivered within the city centre, on a project by project basis.
The City centre Action Plan adresses this - and this year the proof will be in the proverbial purini (pudding).

Additional strategies, such as a Night Time Strategy, or the City Centre Parking Strategy must conform to these, and not the other way around.

And it is good to hear that Eke Panuku are working together with Auckland Transport to identify a programme of quick wins, which is what we all expect and need.

CCRG will be focused in 2024, on working with the Advisory Panel and Eke Panuku as City Centre Lead, to give them the vigorous support they may need to ensure the whole of the council family are on the same page, when it comes to implementing our consulted and agreed plans.

Queens Wharf

We've been asking, pushing for, begging even, a masterplan for Queens Wharf for a while.

It's in the City Centre MasterPlan.
But 12 years on, a lot of compromises have been made, and bits of territory carved out.

Here is an unannounced, 'temporary' fence privatising more of the North end of the wharf.

Everyone says that they support a masterplan, but the ongoing evidence suggests otherwise.

There are 'urgent' plans for a (potentially) 2 level, 40m x 20m building (for major electric ferry charging infrastructure) in a location between the LightHouse and Shed 10. With car parking proposed for the central avenue down to the water's edge.

The ferry infrastrusture should have been planned when AT built approximately 4,000m2 of ferry terminals on the western side of the wharf. But since that didn't happen, let's use the existing modern Ferry building addition, maybe with a small extension.
And no one wants to see the centre avenue being alienated for vehicle parking.

For 2024, lets have a solid committment to a publicly notified QW Masterplan now.

Before there's little left to masterplan.
#thepeopleswharf

An End to Shared Spaces?

Novel, needed and welcomed. Still fit for purpose?

For a truly equal road and street network, we need equity, not equality. We need rules and designs that control the most powerful road users, and protects and empowers the most vulnerable.

How well do these spaces work for the visually impaired?

Anarchy, utopia, and failure: The rise and fall of the shared space movement

This is a good analysis of some of the issues in shared spaces here in the city centre,

It underscores the asymetry in the power relationship between the most vulnerable - pedestrians and disabled, & the least vulnerable.

"Shared spaces demonstrated that when you put everyone on a level playing field and give people freedom, drivers get a whiff of power and, very naturally, they exploit it."

The funding for these shared space streets came from the city centre targeted rate.

Thes expensive interventions are now probably increasingly out of financial reach. We can do a whole lot more good on much longer stretches of streets, with newer and more nimble designs and ways of thinking.

(two retractable bollards 'only' cost 100K - ed)

Access For Everyone in action & financed.

This would be neighbourhood building, climate action, safety. and so much more, on a city centre-wide scale, at a fraction of the cost and disruption.

For various reasons, the city was not able (excepting Fed St stage 2) to implement one of the key requirements of truly succesful shared spaces - no thru-traffic.

Maybe it really is time to move to what other cities have already started doing - excluding traffic altogether except at certain times, (or via bollards), or ensuring that vehicles are robustly designed out of areas they are not allowed to be in.

📸 2023 CCRG

Reimagining urban spaces for health and sustainability. And Access for Everyone.
Meristem Design

Rain Gardens, vibrant planters, and bike/scooter -friendly spots - the kerbside, often for Loading, servicing, disabled, gets a fresh, greener perspective. Pedestrians are better protected.
Rain Gardens aren't just fancy urban features – they're a clear choice for a more sustainable future.

Lower Myers Park & Underpass Project

Waimahara Myers Park & Underpass Opening
15 December 2023
🎥 CCRG

First proposed in 2011, this city centre targeted rate project is now complete (with some interactive features to be added in March), turning a rather grim Mayoral Drive underpass and parking lot into Auckland city centre's latest, and brightest new public space.

The name Waimahara, (a 'remembering of water', and a remembering of Te Waihorotiu stream), 'will seek to awaken the senses of visitors to the presence of ancient waters, now flowing beneath the ground'.

Local Residents & CCRG joined the Mayor, Ngāti Whatua Ōrākei, Waitematā Local Board Members, the artists, and many others involved in this project to celebrate, via a dawn ceremony on 15 December.

There are also new boardwalks, wetland plantings, seating areas, and steps up to Mayoral Drive.

(next to progress is the public space link through to Aotea Square, as envisaged by the Aotea quarter Framework, creating a wonderful link and public gathering space for all the theatres and their patrons).

Myers Park opens 1st stage of new artwork - unique in New Zealand, if not the world

📸 CCRG

AT put out this fascinating timelapse, showing just how much peak-time PT there is across the city.
The city centre is of course very well served - it is one of the reasons we live here after all.

And 600,000 Aucklanders (40%) are within 500m of either a Rapid or Frequent transit network.

Hah. Clever people. Sit in Shade is a website that will 'Find the Best Bus Seat to Minimize Sun Exposure While Traveling'.

Surface Light Rail

WEBSITE

Shall we have another go at providing more reliable mass transport options, in a reliable and more sustainable way - unlocking the future?

There's a new, energised young group exploring pathways toward Surface Light Rail, maybe as part of the Infrastructure for Future plan or a potential City Deal between Auckland and Government in Wellington.

Their presentation to the Transport & Infrastructure committee was well received.

CCRG supported the surface light rail option.
It supports a vision for a more connected, accessible, cleaner, and resilient Tāmaki Makaurau.
We have invested billions into CRL, and ground light rail is the best public transport support for that investment.

It's not about getting to the airport quickly, its about all the social impacts & benefits, along with the city and community-building opportunities and environmental benefits that can happen in between.

You can sign the petition, and check out the website.

CRL PLUS Light Rail to help do away with these bus 'sausages'?
Is this a 'Welcome to the Arts Quarter!' or a barrier?
Image

Electric Buses

Rounding off the public transport trifecta this month, CCRG sought information on the rolll out of E-Buses in the city centre along the busy routes in and out, and particulalry Wellesley street, with its proposed 200+ buses per hour at peak.

By 2025 around 50% of buses using this corridor will be electric.
Data for other main streets (Symonds, Customs Street for example) 'is not yet clear or available'.

As we all know, the city centre has a lot of buses.
Plenty of options for us.

But there's only so many you can squeeze onto our streets, and we also all know about the bad air quality, and black carbon.

Road Hazard: Evidence Mounts on Toxic Pollution from Tyres

AT has no plans currently to measure air quality along Wellesley Street to get data on what the air quality might be along that corridor.

Which seems like knowing it's probably bad, but not wanting to know.

CCRG are working on that with the Lcoal Board and others.

ElectrIc Bus Roll out in the City Centre

Road Hazard: Evidence Mounts on Toxic Pollution from Tyres

Researchers are only beginning to uncover the toxic cocktail of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals hidden in car and truck tyres.

“78% of ocean microplastics are synthetic tyre rubber, according to one estimate”

Research shows that particulate pollution from tyres and brakes exceeds pollution from tailpipes.

Over its lifetime, the average tyre will lose around 4 kg of microplastics. (source)
Buses more.
EVs shed more as they are heavier.
It makes sense to be concerned about 200+ buses per hour at peak times (including double deckers) proposed for the Wellesley Street (hilly) corridor.

There is good news on work being done -

EU's Euro 7 regs will regulate tailpipe emissions from, and emissions from tyres and brakes.
Rain gardens, installed to capture stormwater - trapping 96% of street litter and 100 % of black rubbery fragments.
electrostatic plates that affixes to each of a car’s tyres? Removing up to 60 % of particles emitted by both tyres and brakes, storing them in a cartridge.

Tyres' Toxic Pollution

Get to Pitt st Theatre and support local theatre.

Twisted - The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier.
Pitt St Theatre, 31 January– 10 February, 2024, 7.30pm,
with matinee performances on Sun 4 Feb at 4pm, & Sat 10 Feb at 2pm.

Hop on your flying carpet, because this musical parody retells the classic tale of Aladdin... from the villain's point of view

show is R14.
Get your tickets at www.ticketor.com/twisted24

A Future Vision for the Port?

At the Mayor's request, 'Eke Panuku has been undertaking exploratory work for Auckland Council to produce conceptual plans on a potential staged redevelopment of Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) land.

The initial phase of this work has focused on the potential vision alongside the opportunities and constraints of this site on the water-edge of the City Centre'.

Concept Planning Eke Panuku website

Tennis Up Top

Fresh from the inspirations & enthusiams of the ASB Tennis Tournament, we've looked for the tennis courts befitting and benefitting a city centre - the ones up in the air.

Did you know there were once 2 tennis courts on top of the CPO?

Timespanner

Four (one not shown) sky high tennis courts found in the city centre.
Any others?
A long way to fetch ternnis balls....

Tai Chi Classes. In the City Centre.
2F / 22 Emily Place - Aaiotanga Community Space
Beginning Second Week of February 2024
Morning and evening options.

Follow this link to enrol

Tai chi is truly relaxing and invigorating at the same time.
And also designed as a relaxed way to get to know your neighbours and improve fitness and wellbeing.

Classes are by koha/donation with all proceeds going towards supporting more neighbourhood programmes.

This is the second year these popular classes have been offered and are set to start up again in the second week of Feb so jump in there and get your place.

Late 2023 updates

The Strand Optimisation

Waka Kotahi are still working through completing the preliminary design, and doing a range of checks and audits, and will be back with more info in early 2024.

Nelson St Laneway & Emily Place Projects Update

Two resident-focused projects,
(funded by the city centre targeted rate).

Nelson St PROPOSALS

NELSON ST LANEWAY

'Thanks for engaging with the preliminary design for Nelson St Laneway. Over 492 people interacted with the online survey & social mapping website.
We are now working through the responses & input we received'.

MORE

EMILY PLACE

'We are now working through the responses and input we received.
The project team will consider all the community feedback alongside Mana Whenua and Waitemata local board input when preparing the final concept plans and business case for the project.'

MORE

The key for CCRG to both these projects will be to manage the decision-makers understanding of what residents want in their neighbourhoods, and how any proposals demonstrably meet our agreed plans and policies.

Those are our Expectations - easy!

Bring on 2024. #lessgo

CCRG Feedback on Emily Place

New Neighbourhood Notice Board

Emily Place community - if you've got something to put up for the neighbourhood there is now an impressive noticeboard in the middle of Emily Place, under the trees, near the community library. (and the seating too).
Thanks to Council team.

TO POST YOUR NOTICE
Contact Aaiotanga Community Space @ 2F/22 Emily Place

info@acommunity.nz

What is the Emily neighbourhood?

If you would like to join in with a team of volunteers designing and delivering this event, send them an email at info@acommunity.nz

Hidden Gems of the Emily Neighbourhood
Image courtesy of Aaiotanga Community Space Emily Place

Another thing Residents would like to see Change in 2024

All Night noisy roadworks.

Why is it that even in the quietest of traffic periods, the burden of these works is never shared, and the first to be de-prioisritsed continues to be residents being kept awake all night?

Asphalt resurfacing work took place on Union and Wellington Streets for 8 nights in January. 6pm - 6am.

A plan for 2024? - How about Auckland Transport shares the pain - 50/50 between residents and 'the network'? 6 hours each.

How will we achieve the quite reasonable aims of the City Centre Action Plan (supporting and growing resident numbers including families), if we can't even shift the dial slightly on this issue.

It's depressing how there's no budget to repair the patchworked uneven footpaths on Nelson and Hobson streets.
AT report they have no plans to repair these.

How much in rates are the thousands of residential and business owners contributing every year on these stretches of street?
Why is this area so over looked?

The safety and amenity for pedestrians and the thousands of residents here in the area, needs more priority.

These are the sorts of basics that we need to get right in 2024.

Te Ara Tukutuku

Lots and lots of detail and lovely new renders and layout plans have emerged for the Wynyard point area, from year One to years 10+.

The various area or zonal names come from the parts of a Māori hoe (paddle), which this whenua shape will mimic.

A lot of care and thought provided, to bring us truly ground breaking thinking and designs.

Te Ara Tukutuku Framework Oct 2023

Image Fascinating detail on the more formal end of Te Ara Tukutuku, with public and other uses. Bathing/swimming opportunities too.

How the tank farm became a beacon of Hope

Your Waterfront Summer Programme

image

Can't repost all the events in the city centre.
Too many.
But.
For variety, diversity, are full of free activities, and are just perfect to enjoy this Raumati:

2024 is the inaugural Moana Festival
PRIDE Month
Summer in the Square
Auckland Arts Festival
Summer on Queens Wharf

A park that was lost.

"GRAFTON GULLY BUSH TO BE ACQUIRED AS A PARK BY THE AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

A recent aerial view, looking down on the gully showing Grafton Bridge in the foreground and Upper Symonds Street on the right. Steps to acquire privately-owned bush-covered land adjacent to the Grafton Gully reserve are now being taken by the City Council in order that the native bush may be preserved and the land retained for use as a public park." NZ Herald 28 June 1930

TIMESPANNER

City Centre Action Plan

City Centre Action Plan is Go!

CCRG made a significant contribution to the development of the much consulted, agreed upon, and admired (some might even say beloved - ed) City Centre Action Plan – our first integrated implementation plan focused on delivering the outcomes and vision of the city centre masterplan.

Something we have been asking for a few years now.
So it's good to have this milestone achieved.
Merry Christmas!

The Eke Panuku Board has approved the Action Plan. It has also been endorsed by the Planning, Environment, and Parks Committee, the Waitematā Local Board, relevant CCO executive teams, and the City Centre Advisory Panel.

This is no mean achievement and shows the importance and value placed in the city centre. For CCRG and residents, it strengthens and reaffrims our confidence in a collective vision.

This plan is dynamic and will undergo annual reviews to stay relevant, with formal updates every three years to guide long-term planning and budgeting.

You can view the Action Plan in full here.

IMAGE Waihorotiu/Queen St Valley Planned Projects 2024-27 source

Part #2

In a previous Happening we had some suggestions about how we might develop a more vibrant, safe, and prosperous night-time city centre for all, via supporting residents.

This timely article has appeared: Westminster takes advice from 'benchmark city' Sydney on how to improve London's nightlife

Calls for 'balance' are good - but when we're discussing equity, vs equality, 'balance' is not always such a great solution for people living here.

Lived Experience suggests to us that when the word 'balance' is thrown around, city centre residents may be about to be put at the bottom of the priority list (see all-night road works above).

And perhaps a more inclusive term for what we are all wanting is a Night Time Strategy.

Which might prioritise a whole lot of good things, from which the economy, amongst many other things, would benefit.

Let's do that in 2024 as well.

Mural - Te Tōangaroa

Continuing on with the rather stunning collection of glorious large murals on otherwise lifeless walls, and celebrating that which is uniquely Tāmaki Makaurau, is this latest mural by Te Whetu Collective in Te Tōangaroa/Quay Park.

Hana Maihi, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei uri (descendant) along with Te Whetū Collective member Poi Ngawati have completed ‘Tōangaroa Te Tōanga ra’ drawn from the kōrero of Te Tōangaroa, (' the long dragging' of waka across the shallow waters and mud flats that were once here).

“The colours speak to the long dragging across the horizon towards Hine Raumati, the summer maiden.”

The mural depicts the tipua (ancestor), Te Kahu Pōkere guiding us, our waka of Te Pō.

Any whānau and manuhiri wanting to visit the mural can go down and check it out on Dockside Lane in Te Tōangaroa. (source)

Carry Me with You Artist Darcell Apelu (Niue, Pākehā, Te Āti Awa),
‘Carry Me with You’, 2023, commissioned by Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

While recognising this is an art installation, why not combine this with nature, with a tree growing through it? An artistic tree Protection. A connection to Tāne. Maybe 4 seats at the base?

Interpretation

Nga mihi o te Tau Hou Happy New Year.
Welcome to the first Vertical Voice for 2024.

More news on life lived vertically in the city centre

Vertical Voice January 2024

Subscribe to The Happening

Want to contribute to The Happening?

Have a topic of particular interest?
Maybe its just some feedback?

Always good to have a wider range of input from city centre residents.

Contact CCRG

For all things CCRG:

ccrg.org.nz

Placemaking kit down at Hobson wharf extension from Eke Panuku.

Residents' gathering here for a long lunch or dinner in 2024?

Some new views appearing with the gradual removal of the CRL construction shed and fencing behind Waitematā/Britomart station.
Once the glass box is cleaned, we will have a lovely crystal Palace type edifice back.
👍👍💯🥳🙏🥂

(loving the artfully placed road cones - ed)

Bus stops with gardens on top - yes please. A good way to cool hot cities down, a little bit at time.

Is it time in Auckland for COOL SEAL?
'" sunscreen for our footpaths”.

a product designed to reduce ambient temperatures by reflecting the sun to produce 5 - 15 degree cooler surface temperatures.

A missed opportunity for a roof garden - instead a large additional heat sink?
Beresford Square CRL station roof
📸 Myers park of Auckland

City Centre/Pokapū Tāone Welcomes all

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter