Waihorotiu Queen Street

Permanent Upgrade

The co-design journey continued, taking learnings from previous temporary trials to inform the permanent upgrade that would include widened, basalt footpaths, native planting, the Waihorotiu Path and an Essential Vehicle Area. Construction for this phase began in January 2022.

Traffic Reduction & Essential Vehicle Area 

To improve the pedestrian experience, it was important to continue to reduce general traffic in the street. The addition of a new Essential Vehicle Area (EVA), between Wellesley Street and Wakefield Street limits vehicle access to buses, bikes, goods and emergency vehicles to reduce congestion, air and noise pollution.

Additional measures to reduce general traffic include: 

• Prioritised loading and servicing activities by removing general parking on Queen Street between Customs Street and Mayoral Drive. Queen Street offers only loading and servicing spaces along the length of the project area with P30 mobility parking around the arts precinct.   
• A peak hour bus lane (4pm-7pm), heading north, between Shortland Street and Customs Street. 

No-Dig Approach

A ‘no-dig’ construction approach was adopted which referred to surface level upgrades, avoiding major excavation or underground works. The project focused on installing modular basalt paving on top of the existing surface, using planter boxes and surface-mounted furniture for a faster delivery, lower costs and fewer road closures and disruptions for local businesses and residents. 

Waihorotiu Path

At the heart of the upgrade lies the Waihorotiu Path — a 3.5-metre-wide multi-use path from Mayoral Drive to Shortland Street for people walking, on bikes or riding e-scooters. Named after the waterways that once carved across the land, the path daylights knowledge of the stream that continues to flow under the street. 

Located between the footpath and the vehicle lane, the path is designed to separate slower-wheeled users from pedestrian traffic, improving safety and flow. It is visually distinctive from the main footpath and includes safety cues such as wayfinding cultural patterns, textural changes and signage. These elements work together to provide a buffer of protection for shoppers and others using the footpath. 

Fort Street Pocket Park 

As part of the A4E strategy to reduce general traffic on Queen Street, the intersection of Fort Street and Queen Street was blocked off to traffic and the Fort Street Pocket Park created. It offers a flexible piece of public realm furnished with modular seating, planting and artificial turf. It is a place to rest and pause in the downtown area.  

Planting Strategy  

The planting strategy aims to bring native flora back into the street and increase biodiversity through the installation of more than two hundred steel planter boxes.  

Species selection and planter box colours vary by precinct, adding meaning and narrative to the streetscape. Species were chosen to reflect the three native ecosystems that existed along the length of the street creating a transition from harbour edge to valley reflecting the historical Waihorotiu landscape –  

1. Coastal edge (downtown): harakeke, rengarenga lilies, sedges 
2. Wetlands and stream margins (central Queen Street): toetoe, tī kōuka, mikimiki 
3. Lowland forest (uptown/Aotea): kōwhai, karamu, mānuka, ferns

Conclusion

The Queen Street project, completed in 2023, is an example of how the city is moving from a car-focused environment to a place that prioritises people, putting into practice the vision of the City Centre Masterplan.  

The project has evolved over many stages since 2020, with learnings from each phase informing the next.  

Measures to reduce general traffic while improving public transport access, public realm and pedestrian amenity have resulted in a safer, cleaner, more vibrant streetscape where people choose to visit, enjoy and stay. The elements that make up the street – the planting, the furniture and the paving have been carefully selected to ensure the street identity is uniquely Tāmaki Makaurau.  

Response from Businesses 

Local businesses have responded favourably to the changes with Ian Cavit of furniture store chain Studio Cavit Luxury says the upgrades to Queen Street and the waterfront make the city centre an attractive place for new businesses.    

Grant Partridge of Partridge Jewellers says “In order for Queen Street to fulfil its potential as the main street in New Zealand, I believe the prioritisation of pedestrians in its new design will be a move in the right direction. Pedestrianisation has great potential as being a way of bringing people together in a similar vein as other international cities.”