The 550 students were allocated specific areas of the Uptown neighbourhood and asked: to explore ‘creation of place’ through the whakapapa of wai, whenua, rangi, rā and mauri; to create place-based ‘activation’ designs; and to consider mixed-use architectural rejuvenation and urban community infrastructure, urban spaces with bluegreen design principles, master-planning across scales, and ‘urban dwelling’ streets and community spaces.

At the end of semester one, a showcase of the student work will be featured as part of a four-day Uptown Futures Festival held over Matariki, which will support the Uptown Business Association’s ongoing thought leadership. Popup installations and special events will bring together the communities and government delivery agents to explore the ways in which these visions could be brought to life.

“We’ve spent time developing an Uptown Community Vision and now this exciting opportunity to partner with the universities will contribute fresh thinking to how the precinct may develop,” says Emma Sparks, Chair of Uptown Business Association. “We’re keen to see how the students apply their thinking to our neighbourhood.”

Urban design advocate and lecturer at the University of Auckland Julie Stout says exploring the area has been a real eye-opener for her students, in every way, “but especially now, as they realise key design moves could transform Uptown into a place with a real community heart”.

Uptown is supported by ECC, Pacific Environments Architects, PB&A Architects, Frequency, The Urban Advisory and Architecture NZ.