Wynyard Quarter Attracts & Detracts

Talk about people places.... Take a bow Auckland.... Take a bow Auckland Regional Council, Auckland City Council, and Sea + City. You take credit for the years of decisions, allocations, and planning that underpin the public legacy we can all enjoy at Wynyard Quarter.

The place attracts and caters for young people. Youth who might only be seen on the waterfront for an event at the Vector Arena. Wynyard Quarter attracts Auckland's youth. The tip of the iceberg of the latent demand that exists in the resident population of 1.4 million people for a public place like this.

They share the playground with kids of all ages. A place to hang out. In the public eye. Informal surveillance. Safe. This photo was taken from the gantry view platform. Inspired I guess. Everybody wants an elevated view of places that attract people. Great for photos and for perspective.

This Chinese delegation from Xinjiang enjoyed their visit. This informal - but somehow formal - seating is inspired. And as the trees grow providing welcome shade across this area, it will attract those who want to sit and watch the world go by. The piano was regularly used...

The WindTree scultpture provided the backdrop for any number of photos, as did the trams looping the Wynyard Loop.

The choice of food and eatery is extensive, from a pot of chips at Sanfords to more exotic fare. Spoiled for choice. Great to have a waterfront place that does not feel like lager alley. Feels safe. Good family fare. Everybody's here (the public toilets are still unfinished though. Very important for young and old. Key to success. Just having one in the container sculpture may not meet requirements...)

Swing from food to walk to swing.

Then there are the fishing boats and the sea gulls. These are the places to sit, take photos, have a snack, and generally chill out. But wait. Something's not quite right. Pan a bit right....

What are all these cars doing here? Not a parking warden in sight. Certainly no sign saying no parking. And none permitting it. More than a few students have remarked to me about the way car parking is already damaging the public experience on Wynyard Quarter. The better the day - the more the informal car-parking is damaging the experience....

The great pictures are cluttered by cars. Sure this is a working waterfront. On my way here, as I biked to and from the ferry, I couldn't help but notice the security guards: "please get off your bike sir..." And of course I did. So where are they when you really need them? Where's one asking, "no parking here sir - unless you need to unload for a fishing boat..." Or something like that.

The wonderful Heritage Net Shed frontage was also stacked with cars. For ages. No evidence of loading or unloading. Someone told me that everyone's being a bit relaxed while things get going. Not a good idea. Bad parking habits get locked in very quickly. The planning for this place was that around - only - 10% of all trips in and out would be by car. The rest by other means. The great design as at risk of being compromised by those in charge of implementation. That's Auckland Council. You need to fix this now.

And here's another place where cars park all day. Unticketed. This is a great public space, an open space, a place for walking and informal being. Not a place for cars. Move them on. Put a couple of security guards here.

They might look cute in the garage, and they might be safe parked here, close to work, so I can keep a watch, and not walk too far. This is the sort of attitude that has completely buggered Princes Wharf for the public. These parking patterns must be nipped in the bud. This is a shared space. But it's not a space that needs to be shared with parked cars. That was never part of the plan.

These are mostly contractor vehicles. This is the argument that will be made in support of car-parking. The thin end of the wedge. In fact we all know that Wynyard Quarter will be a building site for at least a decade. At the same time it will be a fishing port. And a people's place. Parking - for visitors, contractors, and workers alike - must be robustly controlled. Look in the top left of this picture for example. Empty space. How about a bit of parking space there for contractor vehicles? Get this sorted Auckland Council. Don't wait till after RWC. I don't want to end on a sour note. Wynyard Quarter is off to a great and popular start. We can be proud of this achievement. So here's a challenge for the new Auckland Council and its new Waterfront Development Agency. I challenge you to do the same - or better - on Queens Wharf. That will be your waterfront legacy.

Western Reclamation Transformation Apace

The Western Reclamation transformation work is proceeding at break-neck speed. The direction for this was largely determined before Auckland Council arose from the abolition of Auckland City Council and Auckland Regional Council. It has been implemented by Sea + City, which has been rebranded and bits added to form the Waterfront Development Agency (WDA). This posting is a step in time - a few weeks ago - as development has unfolded. Starting at the South Eastern end, this is where steps down to the water are being formed. This picture shows the temporary sea wall built to keep the sea at bay while steps are hewn out of the reclamation...

Near the steps is the rapidly developing Marine Event Centre. This was Auckland City Council's baby. Looking at it now you wonder about the need for the McCully Cloud on Queens Wharf. It's a pretty high spec building. Great you would think for exhibitions when there are not marine events being run out of it (like the Volvo Round the World and such like...)

The Marine Event Centre looks pretty good close up too. High spec. I haven't even been inside it yet. Shows - I suppose - what sort of gap existed between Auckland City Council and Auckland Regional Council...

This is one of my favourite bits of the transformation. This is North Wharf - looking South East. Detailed pavement work is being carried out here, but the old rail sidings remain...

This is a wider shot of North Wharf looking South East. You can see the Net Shed building to the right. It has been restored to a very high standard. It is still recogniseable as a corrugated iron shed. That's good. It will be interesting to see how the Net Shed gets used....

Stepping through the Net Shed, and turning round to look North West along Jellicoe Street. See how wide it is. Room for substantial street tree planting. Wide pedestrian pavements. You can see Sanfords here, Net Shed to the right. Remember that the ASB Building - and ancillary parking buildings etc, with sky walk between - is to be built beside Sanfords....

This is another favourite for me. The Six Pack Cement silos. Lots of character here...

And a lot of silo detail has been retained. This will be highly valued as time passes. Good call...

Then we get to the small wharf and harbour complex at the North Western end of Jellicoe Street. It's being reclaimed so boats can easily come and go. It's a great space because of the wharves that almost encircle the water space... so much potential. This is where I saw (in my vision for this place) a lot of character and heritage boats being moored....

...but I think there is a real risk of this space being lost to big yachts and commercial boat parking... This would be another great Auckland tragedy of the commons. We are so good at letting go of what is of great public value and potential, and letting commercial interests get title and rights. Short-term boat parking and moorage fees call the tune. When really - this place could be of enormous public interest - a sort of heritage destination anchor at the end of Jellicoe. This is why we have one Auckland Council. If there is a genuine interest in maritime heritage at Auckland Council (not just lip service) - make sure this space is not commercialised.