Upgrades are underway in Auckland neighbourhoods

Long-planned streetscape upgrades for Ōtāhuhu and Mt Roskill have broken ground.

The major transformation of Ōtāhuhu town centre has started with changes to Station Road. These will include a shared walking-cycling path and improvements to wayfinding elements that connect the town with the Ōtāhuhu bus and rail station.

Boffa Miskell was appointed in December 2016 to undertake the design for the Ōtāhuhu Town Centre Streetscape Upgrade. Design lead Yoko Tanaka says, "Ōtāhuhu is one of the oldest retail centres in Auckland and has a rich character and cultural heritage. Throughout consultation, we've recognised the need to protect and promote these attributes."

The Boffa Miskell team worked closely with mana whenua representatives to ensure that cultural values were integrated into the design.

Planned amenities include wide paving, native trees, new lighting, rain gardens and new street furniture. The Station Road improvements will take approximately seven months to complete before work moves into Great South Road.

Also scheduled is the signalisation of Princes Street at the junction with Great South Road to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers and the redevelopment of Great South Road as a town centre with a focus on people.

"We are working with engaged and enthusiastic local stakeholders on creating a new community heart for Ōtāhuhu by upgrading the streets and revitalising the public spaces," says Yoko. "This will produce economic benefits for local retailers through dramatic improvements to pedestrian prioritisation and enhanced traffic movement."

On the other side of the Manukau Harbour, less than 15km away, Mount Roskill village is also getting a makeover. Work is about to start on a town centre refresh on Dominion Road, between Keystone Ave and Jasper Ave in the north and Mt Albert Road/Dominion Road intersection in the south.

The Mount Roskill village – a small retail strip – is on the city side of Mt Albert Rd, which cuts across from Pt Chevalier to Royal Oak. Revitalising the heart of the village through a public space upgrade that showcases its natural and cultural history has been in the works for several years, says project manager Cathy Challinor.

"Beginning in 2013, Boffa Miskell worked closely with Iwi to understand the stories of the landscape, flora and fauna of the area, and that resulted in the Dominion Road Cultural Landscape Plan, identifying a set of Māori values that could be integrated within the streetscape."

These cultural values are incorporated in the design, most notably in patterns derived from whāriki (woven mats) that will extend across Dominion Road to link the village space. Dominion Rd is the longest suburban street on the central Auckland isthmus, stretching from just beyond Upper Queen St almost to the Manukau Harbour.

"The Rauputiputi weave design represents flowering, blossoming, and growth," says Cathy. "Pīwakawaka, tūī and kererū — all native bird species important to the area — will be represented along the southern wall of the Laneway. Handcrafted kōhatu seats will be made from locally sourced stone, from Te Tātua o Riu-ki-uta (Three Kings)."