Making QE Square Successful

Yep. At it again. But this time I thought I'd start with some international best practice. If we want Auckland to be "most liveable" city, then best practice for parks and squares is not a bad place to start.

But before I get into that, I'm worried if the best Auckland Council can do, is what it is planning for Quay Street. You can see these plans on its website here. There's information about a possible pocket park. Auckland council provide this youtube video about the June experiment they ran for a trial pocket park on Quay Street. The image here is a still from that video. I won't comment about the successfulness or otherwise of this space till later in this posting.

These sorts of spaces have been established in various parts of Auckland. Add-ons after the main event. You can see a posting I did a couple of years ago about a couple of Faux Parks that were developed in Takapuna. They are exposed, unactivated, unattractive, eye-candy for motorists.


Old Auckland knew something about parks and squares, but new Auckland, post 1950's Auckland, has forgotten the art of public square making. For proof of this, look no further than Aotea Square, the extension to St Patricks Square, and QE Square itself. These failures should not be an excuse for the privatisation of QE Square now. What is needed is the application of landscape architecture and urban design skill. QE Square needs to be seen as a public opportunity for Auckland, rather than as a private opportunity for a developer.

International Square Best Practice

I've quoted here from a world best public square and plaza ranking by New York's Project for Public Places (the worst comes next). You can flick through the photos, and I've included their brief commentaries. Some are more relevant or pertinant to Auckland than others. You be the judge of that...

Grand Place | Brussels, Belgium
High density is what makes Grand Place works so well. There are various parks and green spaces close by, but Grand Place is surrounded by everything. There is nothing complex to its design; just a straightforward, strategically located gathering point that everyone loves.

Rynek Glowny | Krakow, Poland
With its multi-use Sukiennice as the centerpiece, Krakow's Rynek Glowny serves as the premiere local gathering spot. The immediate surroundings around this simple square consist of multi-use structures that vary in scale and form a diverse cluster of activity in the city center.

Trafalgar Square | London, England
Defined by its central location and its own landmarks, Trafalgar Square is a magnet for tourists and locals. The layout is stately but uncomplicated.

Plaza Santa Ana | Madrid, Spain
Plaza Santa Ana is smaller than nearby Plaza Mayor, but it is able to balance crowds along its edges (where the cafes and restaurants live) while also feeling comfortably open.

(This has similar scale to Auckland's QE Square - but you can see the difference it makes to have shops and cafes that activate the edge of this plaza.)

Federation Square | Melbourne, Australia
Visually, it is far from conventional. But this space adheres to the basic principles of creating great public spaces. It is easy to find, easy to navigate and serves as an escape from a very busy, high-density area. Approaching from surrounding streets, the short, and varied steps add visual depth as opposed to serving as an intimidating boundary.

Pioneer Courthouse Square | Portland, Oregon
Pioneer Courthouse Square has been successful mostly because of its central location downtown. But it is also enhanced by its own quirks. The public art adds charm and helps define the space. The steps lend themselves perfectly to public performances but also to a spur of the moment decision to sit down for lunch.

Hotel de Ville | Paris, France
 Surrounded by landmarks in a busy part of Paris, locals and tourists naturally gravitate to Hotel de Ville. The square is used creatively according to the season (providing green space in the summer and ice skating in the winter).

Old Town Square | Prague, Czech Republic
Old Town Square is surrounded by charming architecture, cobblestones, and anchored by a sizable and iconic statue. When you take into account its central location, there's no question why it is such a successful space.

Piazza Navona | Rome, Italy
Piazza Navona has charmed the world with its rich history and design. Everything about it makes it one of the best public squares you'll ever set foot in.

Failed Plazas and Squares

Diagonal Mar | Barcelona, Spain
There are extremely positive elements to this space, but it cannot quite compensate for its faults. The black iron fence is creatively designed but exaggerates the sense of separation as its forms resemble enlarged barbed wiring. The green space and the waterways are beautiful but the side of the park that faces the shopping center and Avingudal Diagonal lacks the kind of space and seating that encourage lingering.

City Hall Plaza | Boston, Massachusetts
Open space to this degree would seem like a good idea (especially pre-"Big Dig") but this plaza ends up feeling anti-social with its challenging series of steps and concrete surroundings. There are no lack of planned events here but it does not inspire spontaneous gatherings.

Exchange Square | Manchester, England
Exchange Square is far from unattractive but it is also far from perfect. The seating that is provided feels too structured, as if intended for scheduled events. Walls form as barriers along the charming pubs and restaurants by Cateaton Street. A missed opportunity for a truly vibrant space.

Place de la Concorde | Paris, France
Beautiful fountains and an even more beautiful obelisk make for a great space. But two rings of heavy auto traffic make for a more stressful journey than necessary. This stress is especially noticeable after a walk in the adjacent Tuileries Garden.

HUD Plaza | Washington, D.C. The seating and shelter islands have a vintage charm but HUD plaza is held back from some basic layout issues. In what was likely an attempt to not let the parking garage entry become intimidating, the path for cars is not distinct from the pedestrian paths. However, this makes one feel as if they are sharing the same space-a far from settling feeling for pedestrians. A wall forms at the sidewalk where cars emerge from the garage beneath, forming a barrier that makes you feel as if you have to cross another street just to find a place to rest.

Logan Square | Philadelphia, PA
This square certainly isn't lacking in beauty. But its auto-centric surroundings make it difficult to reach its potential as an ideal gathering space. Traffic calming measures have been put in place recently but the spaces that touch N. 20th and N. 18th are still your best bets for a serene public setting.

Schouwburgplein | Rotterdam, Netherlands Schouwburgplein was once an abject failure. After a 1997 redesign, it is now simply a public square that fails to live up to its potential. It opens itself up to the street but much of the spontaneous pedestrian activity only occurs along its sidewalks adjacent to more dense city blocks. Schouwburgplein still seems too spacious for its own good.

(This is reminscent of Aotea Square. Little going on at the edges. Large open spaces.)

Old Auckland Square Thinking vs Current Thinking

This is old St Patricks Square viewed from Wyndham Street. You can see the church, paving, and several small shops and cafes that front the square. Simple, elegant, very atttractive. (There are corners of QE Square that offer similar potential in the morning hours. Like cats we know where to go at different times of the day for the sunshine...)

And this is the new part of St Patrick's Square which was achieved by purchasing adjoining land. This addition is not unattractive. But you can see that the design is car friendly, rather than pedestrian friendly. And it lacks the intimacy and the elements that make public squares successful.

Come on Council. You can do better with QE Square than privatising it.