Multimodal exploring around Tāmaki Makaurau No.3
A deeper look into urbanism and transport I checked out during my multimodal adventures.
This article is a continuation of the multimodal exploring series. In this series, I look deeper into what I checked in urbanism and transport during my multimodal adventures, with the one discussed in this article, done yesterday.
The adventure begins at the Downtown Ferry Terminal in the city centre to catch the ferry across Te Waitematā to Devonport. Whereas part of the improvements completed last year in the town centre, new raised crossings and an uphill protected cycle lane were installed and accessibility improvements to bus stops on Victoria Rd.
I biked to Takapuna via Devonport to Takapuna Path, Where two apartment developments are under construction. The first one is Amaia on Esomode Rd: a mixed-use development consisting of apartments, retail, eateries, a gym, and a civic plaza. It’s surrounded by green space and a coastal reserve. When the development is fully completed, it will deliver 81 homes.
Located north of Esomode Rd is The Loxley, which will deliver 47 homes when it’s completed. Both are within a 10-minute walk to Takapuna Town Centre, close to bus stops for the 82 and a 5-minute bike ride to Akoranga Station on the Northern Busway.
In the heart of Takapuna, I had a look at Waiwharariki Anzac Square: a public space completed in August 2023. The square creates a gathering space for events, festivals and markets. A place to meet up with friends and whānau to have lunch on a sunny day, between your lunch break from the nearby offices, after checking out the local retail or after a day at the beach.
Takapuna has seen a boom in apartments and townhouses in recent years, With apartment buildings with Sky Loft completed in 2023, Alba, which consists of 19 apartments and The Sargeson, which consists of 92 apartments. Townhouses are under construction and were recently completed in the area. All of these are within a short walking distance of Takapuna Town Centre and close to buses to the city centre and other areas of the North Shore.
I headed over the Northern Motorway via the Northcote Safe Routes to the Northcote Development, which is part of Kāinga Ora’s large-scale development programme. When the development is fully completed, 1,700 new homes will be built, ranging from state, affordable and market housing, including replacing 380 aging state homes with 480 new state homes.
Along Lake Rd, several large apartment buildings are under construction and nearly at completion using modular construction methods. There are several apartment buildings nearly at completion along Te Awa Awataha, a greenway with a daylighted stream to improve resilience and walking and cycling connections to local schools, playgrounds, Northcote Town Centre and Greenslade Reserve. I discussed The Northcote Development and how it integrates with the transport network in my previous article.
Following a look around Northcote, I head west on Orewa Rd via Birkenhead, where hidden behind the shops on Mokiha Rd are the sites of the proposed Chelsea Rise apartments. The apartments range from 1 to 3-bedroom are located in the footsteps of Birkenhead Town Centre, and Highbury Shopping Centre, frequent buses with the 97’s to the city centre and close to stops to buses to Takapuna, Glenfield and Albany. The people who will call them home will enjoy a resident lounge, gym and views of all around Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
I followed the route of the 97R to Beach Haven. Where townhouses were built including a mixed-use development along Rangatira Rd. It’s good to see this mixed-use development, as it’s located on the doorsteps of local shops, cafes, and green space located across the road with the Opaketai Beach Haven garden and the nearby Shepherds Park. All of these developments discussed above are close to bus stops for the 97R, 941, 942 and 966. The mixed-use development is close to the 933 on Beach Haven Rd which takes passengers to Beach Haven Wharf to catch the ferry, where I went next to take the ferry back to the city centre.
As the ferry crosses to the other side of the harbour to Hobsonville Point. I had a look at the progress of Catalina Bay apartments, which will deliver 82 homes when completed. The apartments are on the doorsteps of the Catalina Bay farmers market, cafes, boardwalks along the waterfront and the Hobsonville Point Ferry Terminal and bus stops to Northwest via the 112 and 114. The apartments will feature views of the city and harbour.
The ferry heads east across Te Waitematā and under the harbour bridge to return to the Downtown Ferry Terminal, where the adventure concluded at the same place it started.
Interesting . thanks Shaun . so promising .
That’s a hopeful narrative. New (and, presumably, decent quality) housing a comfortable walk to necessities and amenities. Are the apartments generally for sale or rent? If they are for sale, is the land purchased or leased? What are prices generally like?