Auckland Council says before the current lockdown Karangahape Road was the best performing Business Improvement District (BID) of the 50 across the super city, and the recent enhancement programme by LandLAB, the council and Auckland Transport is being credited.

Mayor Phil Goff is pleased the upgrade was having a positive effect pre-lockdown.

‘It shows by making our urban environment more accessible, people friendly and inviting we can encourage more people to the area to spend time and money at shops, restaurants, cafes and businesses.

“Everyone benefits when we make our city a more vibrant and exciting place. “

In June, the Minister for Transport Hon. Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Goff joined mana whenua to celebrate the completion of the Karangahape Road Enhancements project.

The upgrades to Karangahape Road make the iconic street more pedestrian and cycle-friendly, attractive and environmentally sustainable, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said at the formal celebration of the completion of the Karangahape Road Enhancements project.

LandLAB’s Cory Manson was the lead landscape architect for the project. He and his team say improvements have delivered a holistic public realm upgrade to one of Aucklands most iconic streets.

The brief of a cycle lane along the kilometre length of Karangahape Road expanded into broader public realm improvements, acknowledging the unique heritage of the street and its diverse community.

He says the intent was to transform the street to be a destination rather than just a transport corridor, by integrating different transport modes in a cohesive way.

“The integration of these modes with the street’s existing character required extensive design research and an innovative consultation strategy. The project has reallocated space within the street to support walking, cycling and public transport as priority modes. It increases the provision of non-vehicle public space from 30% to 50%.”

Manson also says that as a uniquely diverse community, “consideration was given to how best represent this sense of place within a street upgrade.

“An approach was formed that the street should be simple, cohesive and robust, urban and of high quality, and most importantly, provide the space for the community to use the street to its fullest. There was strong community feedback that the identity of Karangahape Road was not necessarily with the street itself – but the people and community that inhabit it.”

He says pre lockdown it was great to see how the improvements were working.

“The cycleway provides space not just for cyclists and scooters – but additional footpath capacity for when kids are leaving school and in evenings when bars are operating. That introduces some negotiations with those using it to cycle – but also reflects the approach that this is cycle infrastructure within a thriving high street environment. The finished project has been a long time coming, but local feedback on the quality, the planting and new trees has been really positive. The project has meant that parts of the street which hadn’t had investment are now places people are enjoying and spending time within.”

The project included widening footpaths supporting a better outdoor dining experience for local cafes, two rainbow crossings, native planting, safe separated cycleways on both sides of the street, bike parking, and improved bus shelters and bus lanes.