TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT - COMMUNITY VISIONING

The Challenge

• To develop a set of citizen-centric principles that would guide future development for the Uptown Business District, specifically the development of land surrounding the new Mt Eden Station.  

The Journey 

• As part of an ongoing process, the project was initiated through two phases: 

• Phase 1: A Community Visioning Process. TUA worked with Uptown Business Improvement District to design a thorough survey that gathered community input into the project.
• Phase 2: To further increase citizen voice and community stakeholder engagement. TUA hosted a public event that facilitated discussions of ongoing and future projects in the Uptown District. 

The Outcome

• Both phases developed ‘Place Pillars’, an applicable site strategy that was tested and developed with the community of Uptown. These Place Pillars guide a future approach to developing the station and its surrounding land.The strategy was able to be shared with relevant decision makers (i.e. City Rail Link, Auckland Council, iwi, Kāinga Ora, and Local Boards). 
• TUA delivered a place strategy that was evidence-based and truly citizen-centric. This approach, particularly for a central station, is not business as usual. It is instead the start of a process that can become a model for other transit-oriented development projects that are crucial in making our neighbourhoods more accessible and sustainable. 

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