The City Rail Link (CRL) has the potential to transform the Uptown precinct. Rapid and frequent trains, a new Mt Eden station (we prefer to call it Uptown Station) and 100,000m² of land available for future development will bring more people to live, work and hang out in Uptown. That’s why the Uptown Business Association has launched a drive to base future development plans on solid pillars. These are:

• Keep the character and stay edgy
• Make moving easy
• Grow up in Uptown
• Housing that works for everyone
• Grow differently, together
• Foster emerging and creative business

"We want new developments to revitalise the whole precinct, to embrace diversity and to be planned with the community, including local businesses, right from the start. We are now networking with locals and decision-makers to make the case for a truly inclusive city fringe development project – a project that strengthens the old, delivers innovation and connects the two together."

That networking is a key part of the Urban Advisory's role. We've begun a community visioning process to include current and future residents, workers, business owners, iwi, local institutions and other stakeholders in the completion of the vision. An initial survey of 290 Uptowners delivered some strong ideas on on what they thought was important:

• The success of Uptown rests on the retention of its existing character and a respectful layering of its history within its current urban fabric.
• Creativity in public investment should be optimised so that people can navigate at human speed. The walkability and accessibility of the area needs to be prioritised in future planning.
• Opportunities for health and well-being should be promoted, so that families feel welcome and so that there are places that allow children, teenagers and adults to play locally.
• There needs to be housing that caters to the local community at price points that residents can afford.
• There should be continued support for growth in diversity to add to Uptown’s existing diverse community.
• For business activity to flourish, there needs to be sustainable growth that protects the existing local community, while making room for additional businesses.

The overall theme was that what exists should be supported to grow, while creating a truly urban village in Uptown as a distinctive and creative destination.

Uptown has an amazing, colourful and diverse past. We feel privileged to be a part of the community effort to make it's future even more amazing, colourful and diverse.