Boffa Miskell were the landscape architects for the project, supported by Envivo Limited, the project’s civil and structural engineers.

Auckland Council says the pōhutukawa of St Matthew-in- the-City “once one of the only trees in the street, now stands beside 13 native trees - pūriri, tānekaha, rewarewa and white maire — some more than six metres tall.”

This Auckland Council-led project features a design narrative, developed in partnership with mana whenua, referencing ideas of compassion, community, home and wellbeing. Those ideas are reflected through warmer paving materials, seating and shelter along the new street.

The Boffa Miskell team says the Federal Street project is actually just one small part of the much-bigger revitalisation of Federal Street and surrounding areas that many Boffa Miskell consultants (Rachel de Lambert, Stuart Houghton, Michael Hawes, John Potter, Hanna O’Donoghue, Dave Parker and others) have been working on for well over a decade.

Boffa Miskell says It’s one part of a four-stage Federal Street project which “ties together with our work on the City Mission HomeGround, NZICC street interface and laneway, the broader City Centre Masterplan and all the work at that end of town that Boffa Miskell has led.”

The space was formally opened on Tuesday 19 July 2022 and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says the upgrade has delivered an impressive transformation.

“What was once a street dominated by cars is now a people-friendly laneway in the heart of our city, with trees to provide shade, places to sit and spend time, and upgraded lighting to improve safety,” he says.

“This upgrade builds on other successful projects around the city such as the downtown waterfront upgrade and Te Komititanga (the public space outside Britomart and Commercial Bay), the Karangahape Road upgrade, and streetscape improvements including Vulcan Lane, Fort Lane, O’Connell Street, Elliott Street, Galway Street and the SkyCity section of Federal Street.”

“It is another step forward in our work to revitalise central Auckland by transforming it into a vibrant and attractive place to live, work, visit, shop and spend time. It will be enjoyed by Aucklanders and visitors from around New Zealand and the world.”

The council says the upgrade, which began in early 2021, “responds to the vision for a green city centre outlined in the City Centre Masterplan (CCMP). That vision describes a network of new and enhanced living green corridors, open spaces, walls, roofs and urban farms that are accessible throughout the city centre.”

This Federal Street upgrade is also part of the CCMP’s proposed laneway circuit, a quality walking route enabled by revamped laneways and a series of public squares and gathering spaces from Aotea Square to the waterfront.

The council says Auckland’s laneway circuit follows the example of many cities around the world “where renewed laneways have injected life and created connection.”

“The pace is slower in laneways due to limited vehicle access, enabling more trees and seating which encourage people to linger longer.”

The video below shows activity during the construction of the project.

First published 22 July 2022 on Landscape Architecture Aotearoa.