The city's waterfront - finding inspiration in Venice

Auckland leaders want your ideas on what should happen to the city's waterfront. The Herald takes a walk - and gets some expert opinion on what works and what doesn't. Numbers in text refer to map (click on link at right).

This part of town could definitely look better. As you stroll along Tamaki Drive and arrive at TEAL PARK (1) on Mechanics Bay, fast-food litter is strewn everywhere.

The tiny bay, dominated by a stone sea wall and the squat grey Auckland Marine Rescue Centre, is the beginning of the waterfront block stretching to the Auckland Harbour Bridge whose development is under scrutiny by Auckland regional and city councils and Ports of Auckland, the major landowners.

Concept plans have been drawn up and residents are asked to comment. Things to bear in mind: the port won't be moving, although it blocks access to the sea; what's left of the fishing industry, east of the Viaduct Basin, won't be leaving either. The rest needs to be as friendly to people, the environment and economy-boosting activities as possible.

Almost all of Auckland's waterfront is reclaimed land - from 1879, city fathers started filling in the spaces between Auckland's numerous points and headlands.

Shortland St used to be the water's edge. Mechanics Bay is a sliver of its former self; it used to run inland as far as the old railway station. Right next door to what's left is the FERGUSSON CONTAINER TERMINAL (2), its cranes and trucks filling the air with noise and fumes.

There is no access to the sea here - the port's red fence and stacks of shipping containers dominate the next 1.4km of coastline. But you can get a bit closer by climbing to the PORT COMPANY BUILDING'S OBSERVATION DECK (3), which is open to the public for a bird's eye view of the port at work.

The ports company is expanding Fergusson by reclaiming about 10ha of land in two stages, says corporate communications manager Karen Bradshaw. On the outside edge it intends building, by mid-2006, a public walkway and viewing platform.

The only other way to see this coastline if you don't own a boat is to take one of the port company's free, 55-minute boat trips. The Wednesday trips alternate week by week between school groups (call the Maritime Museum to book) and the public (call Fullers).

Heading into town, you are committed to a noisy stretch of Tamaki Drive that segues into Quay St. Container trucks just off the motorway hurtle along just a few metres from pedestrians. Perhaps that's why hardly anyone is strolling here, and joggers are shooting through ASAP.

But there is a surprise half-way along: where the red fence gives way temporarily to a metal and glass barrier is a pretty MOSAIC MARKING GREENPEACE'S 30th BIRTHDAY (4) in 2001, featuring the downed Rainbow Warrior. What a shame it's in a place few see it.

Closer to town, it's long annoyed people that the port's tall red fence cuts off the sea. But according to Ms Bradshaw, it can't move - much of it is heritage-protected.

Heading towards the ferry building, banging and crashing and the shouts of builders announce that the extension to the Devonport ferry terminal, on Queen's Wharf, is nearing completion. But you can't get to the end of the wharf, and can't step on to neighbouring MARSDEN WHARF (5) or CAPTAIN COOK WHARF (6) at all.

That's a problem, says Dushko Bogunovich, associate professor of urban design, at Unitec.

"Those wharves are such an obvious organic part of the central business district - there should be access to the public. QUEENS WHARF (7) should be an extension of Queen St. There needs to be a combination of public open space and maybe another passenger ship terminal.

The Princes Wharf and Viaduct areas are great spots for people-gazing and grazing - but once out of the restaurant precinct and into WAITEMATA PLAZA (8), overlooked by only apartments, foot traffic dies off.

"Waitemata Sq is a disaster - totally dead," says Elizabeth Aitken-Rose, senior tutor, department of planning, University of Auckland. "There's no sense of a village there. If you're going to have residential development there's got to be tolerance of other activities."

You can imagine tumbleweeds bounding across the road at Halsey St, now home to Team New Zealand and a lot of empty former America's Cup bases.

Tony Watkins, senior lecturer in planning and urban design, University of Auckland, has an idea for this area."I suggest we reclaim it for real yachting - mums and dads and kids and boats to right up the scale. The point of Auckland is the harbour - we need to let the harbour flow into that area in terms of activity." At Jellicoe St - quite off the beaten track - is a discovery: Sanford's AUCKLAND FISH MARKET (9), opened last August, teamed with an attractive fresh fish market, cafes and outdoor seating, and a fish cookery school. Further east, you're into the Western Reclamation, or the most unlovely "tank farm", where there is little traffic and few footpaths - presumably no one wants to walk here.

On foot, you appreciate how vast the space is - and how much could be done with it. The leases on tank farm properties expire between 2015 and 2022; the city wants to find alternative homes for the tank users and develop this area into a home for marine and fishing industries and public recreation.

Architect Pip Cheshire thinks the tank farm could be a water-based extension of the city.

"We could get water in there through digging canals. We could have little ferries that run back and forth every quarter of an hour, like a Link boat. If you look at places like Venice, and Stockholm, they have engagement with the water, they allow the water back into the city."

At the end of Brigham St, by the sea and right next to Wynyard Wharf where tankers unload, is the little-known WYNYARD POINT (10). People are leaning over the barrier fishing; several tradesmen have parked up for lunch.

It's a little oasis, complete with an old piece of crane wedged artistically in the ground.

Nigel Cook, an architect and member of lobby group Urban Auckland, says we need to have high-density residential development in the tank farm.

"It's one of the last areas left for development and the important thing in Auckland is that we increase the density by about 10 times - that will totally transform the place. That's the single most important factor in making a vital, and viable, and sustainable city."

At Westhaven, the loud chirp of cicadas and the roar of motorway traffic meld in unholy symphony. Westhaven is made for carparks, not walkers: the footpath is up against the noisy motorway, and what pier-side walks there are don't link.

ST MARYS BAY (12) is a cute, small and barely used beach: Auckland City has suggested a new pedestrian bridge to run over the water from the beach to the PUBLIC BOAT RAMP (11) further back along Westhaven Drive, creating a basin for sailing small boats.

Road-builder Transit and the ports company own the pieces of land just west of the harbour bridge. Called HARBOUR BRIDGE PARK (13) by the council, it's undeveloped, looks neglected, and houses the temporary-looking buildings supporting bungy-jumping off the bridge.

It would be nice to think that one day, this might be the end point of a more integrated stroll along Auckland's waterfront.

"We need a walkway, and a wide walkway, all around the waterfront," says Elizabeth Aitken-Rose.

Have your say

Public submissions are still open over plans to redevelop Auckland's waterfront. Some of the main ideas proposed are:

* Turning the America's Cup bases into a marine events centre.

* Extending public walkways.

* Buying waterfront land, such as Harbour Bridge Park, if the opportunity arises.

* Restoring contaminated land.

* Protecting the best lookout points, such as Teal Park.

* Creating lively "people" places.

* New footbridges for Westhaven Marina, but no apartments.

* You can make a submission until this Friday. Feedback forms are available at the Auckland City website (see link below) or by phoning (09) 379-2020.