“The new rail network will bring thousands more people into these streets and spaces, using more transport modes than were previously available,” says Auckland Council Head of City Centre Programmes, Jenny Larking. “People will arrive by rail, bus, walking or on scooters and bikes, and by car or delivery vehicle.”

This shift in functionality and lift in anticipated numbers underpinned the need for the repurposing and redesign of a number of streets and spaces in the immediate vicinity. On both sides of the street, heritage kerb stones have been retained alongside new paving and a flowing water patterning etched into basalt pavers on the southside of the street by artists Chris Bailey and Sally Smith hints at a significant artwork coming to the Queen Street corner in mid-2025.

By then, the Lorne Street to Albert Park section of Victoria Street is due to be complete and the CRL streetscape surrounding the station portal in Victoria Street will also be finished.

The mid-section of Victoria Street, from Queen Street to Lorne Street, is scheduled to open in 2026, once Watercare’s Midtown Wastewater Upgrades are delivered.

Victoria Street has been gifted the name Te Hā Noa by mana whenua, explains Larking, “encouraging people to take a breath and enjoy the experience of the sights and sounds around them.” Mana whenua also guided the terracing design of the stone tree pits, referencing the volcanic geology and forms of Tāmaki Makaurau. A number of the tree pits serve a sustainable purpose in the city’s stormwater drainage system, with surface rainwater from the road and paved surfaces dispersed into the pits, which irrigate the trees and filter the water before it flows to the sea.

Visitors to the finished section of Victoria Street will see uplit trees, widened footpaths and spaces with new seating. They will also be able to enjoy the first flowering of pōhutukawa, which were crane-lifted into the street in September, along with other mature native trees pūriri, taraire and titoki, which are amongst the 900 plants further greening new gardens at street level.

“In time, Te Hā Noa will form a green link across the city, linking two much-loved city parks – Rangipuke Albert Park and Waikōkota Victoria Park,” says Larking.

“The opening of the first section of Te Hā Noa has allowed people to start experiencing the refreshed atmosphere and functionality of the redesigned Victoria Street, which is truly exciting,” says Policy and Planning Committee Chair Councillor, Richard Hills. “Summer is going to be a wonderful time for people to experience these upgrades, including widened footpaths to stroll on and take in the new trees, which provide shade in the day and light up at night.”

Victoria Street is one of three east-west streets in the Te Waihorotiu Station neighbourhood undergoing a major transformation to create a new gateway for the city centre. Before the midtown regeneration project, Victoria Street, Wellesley Street and Mayoral Drive were dense traffic routes carrying more than four lanes of cars, trucks and buses.

“In the regeneration, Wellesley Street will become an important central city bus interchange, and the upgraded Victoria Street will make connecting between walking, cycling, high frequency bus routes and the train station easier and safer,” says Larking.

“We recognise that beautiful public spaces encourage social interaction, creating a strong sense of community and belonging. We are creating streets and spaces that are authentic, safe, sustainable and reflective of our place in the world, with mana whenua-led expression woven throughout, while continuing to support the operations of a busy city centre.”

Some midtown upgrades are already complete, including Queen Street, upper Federal Street and Myers Park. Learn more about the midtown regeneration here.