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case studies
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One sustainable city, super-sized Green learnings for Auckland from Waitakere, Australasia’s pioneering eco-city Intensification of downtown Auckland through innovative “shared spaces”
By Adam Benli
The new Auckland Council was formed out of the 2010 amalgamation of eight local governments. It is the largest local government organisation in Australasia, governing an area of nearly 500,000 hectares
Consistently ranked in the top five places to live in Mercer’s Quality of Living survey, New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, has long pursued ecological sustainability. Today, that ambition has been translated into tangible initiatives by the region’s governing body, Auckland Council, which was formed in 2010 following the amalgamation of eight local councils. The Auckland Council, the largest local government organisation in Australasia, governs an area of nearly 500,000 ha – a land mass bigger than some countries. As well as hosting New Zealand’s largest city, much of the Auckland region is rural, making the new Auckland Council the country’s largest rural council. Through its draft 30-year plan and economic development strategy, Auckland Council has a bold ambition to make Auckland the world’s most liveable city by 2040.
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A long history Sustainability goals for the Auckland region were spearheaded some 20 years ago by the former legacy council Waitakere City Council (WCC), situated in the region’s west. Waitakere became New Zealand’s first local government to adopt the eco-city concept, cemented in 1993 when it implemented the goals and programmes proposed under Agenda 21, the United Nations’ programme of action from the Rio Summit of 1992.
By 2000, it had introduced a Better Building Code to steer the development of more environmentallysustainable public buildings. WCC also led the way on a number of retrofit schemes, which saw all traffic signals incorporate light-emitting diode (LED) technology and swimming pools fitted with variable speed drives and ultraviolet filtration technology. Other legacy councils within the Auckland region followed suit, with the North Shore City Council implementing a public transport project that eased traffic on the harbour bridge crossing, and the former Auckland Regional Council driving policies on pest control and urban planning.
“The world was waking up to environmental problems. We rode the trends and were first off the block.” – Former mayor of Waitakere City Bob Harvey
The former mayor of Waitakere City Bob Harvey says his lifelong commitment to the environment inspired him to create an eco-city and to preserve the Waitakere Ranges from development. He was elected on a vision to transform Waitakere into an environmental city and in the 18 years, the six-term mayor led his councillors on an inspiring journey. “We cleaned up our streams, replanting weeds with natives, invited the Maori to join us and made an art form of consultation, building beautiful libraries and public complexes that included sculpture and art.” Harvey says it will be hard to match what they did as the tasks have got more difficult and complex. “We were pioneers at the cutting edge of change. The world was waking up to environmental problems. We rode the trends and were first off the block,” he says, adding that his councillors were as deeply committed as the staff to make a difference. “We never gave in. We made the environment and our community perfect partners.” Harvey is now chairman of Waterfront Auckland, the city’s waterfront development agency. The waterfront is among a number of urban areas in the city targeted for a 75% housing intensification.
Carrying the torch Today’s Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, is convinced the eco-city