15 industry leaders workshop ideas to revitalise Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

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<em>A City of Soul</em>. — *A City of Soul*. Image: Tim D

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According to Auckland Council, the population growth for Auckland is likely to increase by another 720,000 people over the next 30 years, pushing the region’s population to 2.4 million. This projected growth highlights the importance of getting ideas moving and ensuring that Auckland is set up to progress itself as New Zealand’s super city.

This publication, A City of Soul, is a result of a workshop recently facilitated by architecture practice Warren and Mahoney. Industry leaders from relevant sectors in Auckland came together to collaborate on ideas and concepts to revitalise and progress Auckland as a city.

An overview of concepts from the initial workshop:

Concept 1: Stir the senses

Approach urban planning and design to embrace youth culture. Currently, music, art, and commerce, the three primary reasons to come to a city are missing. Fort Street and surrounding areas could repurpose old tenancies with discounted rents to encourage young artists, creative businesses and entertainers to inhabit the city centre.

Concept 2: Queen of hearts

Let’s re-think how we use Queen St — what if the old B and C-grade commercial buildings could be converted into tenancy?

Creating a range of accommodation options will provide a catalyst for more amenities, and attract a more diverse range of residents and by reusing existing concrete and steel structures we can create a suite of net zero-carbon apartments.

Concept 3: Auckland in a single serve

Great cities have iconic symbols and rituals, as a tourist coming to Auckland, it is unclear what makes Auckland “who it is”.

Auckland is a hub for Pacific people, with two-thirds of Pacific residents, and over half of Pacific business owners located in the region – we need to lean into this culture.

Let’s reveal the Wai Horoitu (the long-covered stream that ran down Queen Street) through a series of regenerative landscape episodes that trace the valley’s origins.

Concept 4: A place for the next generation

UN-HABITAT predicts that by 2030, 60% of urban populations will be under the age of 18.

What if the future of Auckland’s city centre was designed by our bright, tolerant, ambitious youth? There is an opportunity for city planners and designers to work closely with the youth to create cities that work for them.

Concept 5: Learning in the centre

Over 2,000 school-age children leave the city centre every day as there are no state schools in the area. There is an opportunity for metro schools to exist in the city through the right design innovation and collaboration to create a city that can co-exist with schools.

Many of the challenges facing Auckland aren’t unique to the super city. Warren and Mahoney’s Wellington studio and Christchurch studio are also exploring running similar workshops to guide conversations around the development of their cities.