Submissions C: Waterfront Plan

Waterfront Public Space and Urban Parkland The DWP emphasises the need for a “connected and accessible waterfront” (Pg 21). This goal is worthwhile but it sidesteps the more fundamental need for a waterfront urban park – though the images and idea of a Foreshore Avenue (Pg 31, central pictures) – suggest some recognition of that need. The experiences of crowd management during the RWC have brought further focus on the actual capacity of Auckland’s waterfront spaces to accommodate the population. At a reasonable density of 3 people/square metres, then Quay Street (closed to traffic), Te Whero Island, Wynyard Quarter (as it is now), Princes Wharf, Queen Elizabeth Square, Captain Cook Wharf and Queens Wharf could hold about 300,000 people (these waterfront public spaces amount to an area of about 10 hectares, and all are accessible within 1.5kms of Britomart. This excludes the Wynyard Headland Park which is 2km from Britomart). But people would all be standing at 3 people/sq metre. A crowded waterfront. Metrics for good provision of central city urban park space/head (as opposed to open space or regional park space provision) of population are available. Used as a promenade and place of enjoyment, such as is evident at Wynyard Quarter, an occupation rate of around 1 person/3 square metres is more appropriate (ie not a crowded environment), giving a casual visitor waterfront capacity of around 30,000 (this assumes that ALL of the spaces listed in the paragraph above are available as waterfront urban park space). However this provision is modest by international standards, and all of Queens Wharf makes up a quarter of that. That is why Queens Wharf is so important as a central city public space.

Submission 3: Waterfront public space planning needs to include provision for urban park requirements, not just connectivity and accessibility.