High Street Improvements Project

About the project

High Street, one of the busiest laneways in our city centre, is brimming with potential. With neighbouring O’Connell Street, Jean Batten Place, Freyberg Place and Ellen Melville Centre enjoying relatively recent upgrades, and with Victoria Street undergoing its own significant transformation, it’s now time for Aucklanders to help determine how they want to use High Street in the future and for the next generation.

In 2020 we made some temporary improvements to High Street through a pilot project.  Key changes included using boardwalks to widen the footpath, increasing greenery along the street, trialling waste management solutions and improving loading and servicing functionality. Learn more about the pilot here.

The High Street improvements project will result in an updated plan for High Street’s future.

Sign-up here to stay up to date with the project.

Have your say on High Street's future

Over the next year, we want to hear from the High Street community to understand your ambitions, hopes and priorities for High Street through a series of opportunities to engage. Your insights will enable us to develop a design for the street that responds to community aspirations for High Street’s future.

Hearing the views and aspirations of residents, businesses, shoppers, visitors and people travelling on High Street, will help us determine how High Street will look for the next 30 years and how we can continue to make High Street a place people choose to locate their businesses, shops and cafes, walk through on their way to work or home, relax, shop and socialise.

We don’t have a particular design in mind. We’re eager to explore a variety of development options and design ideas, that could range from operational changes, minor improvements to street upgrades.

Engagement open now

Our first step is to gather information and hear from High Street businesses, residents and the surrounding district to understand ambitions and priorities for High Street. 

Our online survey is now open, until 18 August: 

• If you are a resident in the area, please click here to complete the survey
• If you are a business in the area, please click here to complete the survey

Be notified about consultation opportunities by signing up here for updates.

Consultation timeline

July to August 2024

Engage with residents, businesses, workers and property owners in a series of interviews, a survey and some intercept interviews. 

September to October 2024

Consult with people who visit, shop, play and move through High Street and the broader public.

Early to Mid 2025

Consult with you on options that we develop.

Mid 2025

The preferred option will be taken to the Waitematā Local Board for feedback and followed by Auckland Council’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee who will make the final decision on the preferred way forward for High Street. 

Late 2025

Once a preferred option has been endorsed by the committee, we’ll develop it in more detail and determine timeframes for implementation.

We’ll let you know when public consultation opens and share the ways you can have your say.

Be notified about consultation opportunities by signing up here for updates.

Why are we doing this?

Guided by our City Centre Masterplan (CCMP), Auckland Council is investing in transformational projects to ensure that we have a thriving city centre well into the future. Determining how High Street will look and feel in the future is one of these important transformational projects.

What's involved

We’ll also work with our mana whenua partners and seek feedback from the Waitematā Local Board, technical specialists and other stakeholders before making a recommendation to Auckland Council’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee (councillors). It will be the committee’s role to make the final decision on the preferred way forward for High Street. 

Delivered by

This project is being delivered by Auckland Council and is funded by the city centre targeted rate which is paid by city centre commercial and residential property owners and is used to help fund the development and revitalisation of the city centre. The programme of works funded by the rate aims to enhance the city centre as a place to work, live, visit and do business.