For Uptown chief Brent Kennedy, with so much going on, it’s vital to think about how all the transport modes and services relate to each other as a whole.

"If you look at the CRL, its whole purpose is to move people around space – people are going to be coming out of that station and we want them to come up to Symonds Street. The station is also going to be a catalyst for feeding the apartments and other housing around the area. So how does that flow in terms of how people will navigate it? Not just in their cars, but in other modes of transport as well.

“The thing about the whole story is how we – Eden Terrace, Grafton, Newton – got dissected and ripped apart by the motorways. In that light, all these plans are restoring and reconnecting us.”

The main town-centre effect of Connected Communities is going to be on Symonds Street, which Brent sees as the big opportunity. He compares it to Surry Hills in Sydney, with its pavement dining.

“We're still concerned about parking, but the main parking we want is just short term for people to come drop things and get things – to pick up a repair from Gemmell’s, or for an Uber Eats driver to collect from one of the restaurants. It's better for the businesses that the parking is short-term, because they get the turnover of people.

“The other big concern is connecting the two sides of the street. At the moment, the wide expanse of Symonds Street is a barrier. We’ve got more residents still coming on the south side, so what we tried to do with our feedback to Auckland Transport was to get beyond just the road and say, well, how are people going to use this area? How do we connect the two spaces?”

Albert Eden local board member Christine Robertson, emphasising she’s speaking for herself rather than the board, agrees that crossing opportunities are important for both walking and cycling:

“Just making it easier to go from one side to the other on Symonds Street or New North Road, instead of being stuck on one side and feeling like it's major undertaking to get the lights to get to the other.”

Dr Natalie Allen, director at The Urban Advisory, has been working with Uptown for some time and supports the business association’s response, noting that “transport projects are urban development projects, and we need to think of them as such”.

“This means planning for the future places that will be supported by the infrastructure as part of the whole delivery process, not just what is delivered by council entities and government agencies, but a coordinated response that includes both the private and community sectors. Collaborating well is where the magic happens and we start to see outcomes that are best for the people who live in the places that are being reimagined.”

One ultimate promise of all this transport capacity converging on Uptown is a very practical one: the precinct will be the easiest place in New Zealand to live without owning a car.

“The new housing is going to be super-connected to public transport. When the New North project happens, there'll be safe cycling and walking and that makes it an ideal prospect for car-free living. You’ll get around easily and cheaply and safely and not have to own a car and think about where to park it,” says Christina.

“It is potentially the most amazingly connected place,” Brent agrees. “You could walk out of your apartment and then just go straight out to the airport, or anywhere you want via the CRL. You wouldn't need to find your own four wheels and a garage with you, you'd be at the nexus. You'd be right in the heart of all the main transport nodes in Auckland!”



It’s going to be a challenge to keep track of all these projects and their respective consultation times, but Uptown will be onto it – and the best way to keep track of what’s happening and when to have your say is to subscribe to the Uptown newsletter. You can do that at the bottom of the home page of the Uptown website: uptown.co.nz.