Nelson Street Laneway improvements

About the project

We’re progressing the Nelson Street Laneway upgrade to make it a more accessible space and a better street environment. The laneway will be safer, greener, better lit and a more pleasant place for people to move around, especially when walking.

Why are we doing this work?

The refreshed City Centre Masterplan strongly promotes the opportunity to transform important city centre streets, including Nelson Street, into more liveable and more accessible green avenues. Nelson Street is home to a very high number of residents and businesses in our city centre.

In 2019 and 2020, we spoke with local residents and businesses about the Nelson Street Laneway. We heard that it wasn’t seen as a very a nice place for people walking or on bikes, and was unloved and not well maintained. We want the Nelson Street Laneway to be a nicer place for people to enjoy, while also making it easier for everyone using it to get around, so we used this feedback to help shape an initial concept design for the laneway.

We want future improvements to make the laneway:

·      A more welcoming place for local residents, businesses and the community.

·      Safer for people walking, cycling or using scooters.

·      A more attractive space with planting and lighting.

·      A laneway that the neighbourhood is proud of.

Engagement

Recent consultation and community engagement on the Nelson St Laneway preliminary design closed in October 2023.

The project team are considering the community feedback alongside Mana Whenua and Waitemata local board input in preparing the final preliminary design for the project.

The team is obtaining technical input from subject matter experts such as Community Facilities and Auckland Transport required to inform the final design.

Any changes to the design will need to meet project objectives, technical requirements, as well as operational considerations. Following this, we will establish the expected costs to make sure the design is within the budget.

We will summarise the community feedback and tell you how we used your feedback towards the final detailed design. There will be opportunities to view and comment on the final preliminary design when it’s finalised.

Partnering with mana whenua

While we are at the early stage of cultural design work that will celebrate the area’s special cultural heritage, we are ensuring cultural values are integrated into the project’s design by working with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Te Ākitau Waiohua.

We are working together to identify opportunities for the integration of mahi toi (art) elements in the streetscape.

Dates

We anticipate finalising the detailed design for the project in late 2024. We will also work on getting the required consents and approvals before starting construction. At this stage, we think construction will begin in 2025 and be finished the same year.

Delivered by

Auckland Council

More information

If you would like to learn more about the Nelson Street Laneway improvements project, please feel free to contact us via the email address below. We are happy to provide additional details about the project and answer questions you may have.

nelsonstreetimprovements@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Thank you for your interest in this project.