Source: Auckland Council
Māngere is the latest suburb to experience pop-up street improvements – as part of the Innovating Streets for People programme.
Construction starts next week on the Māngere East improvements, which involves trialling low-cost, temporary measures like pavement art, planters, public seating, speed humps and street furniture.
These improvements are the result of community co-design involvement.
In addition to the Māngere East work, there’s also a range of Safe School Streets upgrades for local schools at St Mary MacKillop Catholic School, Viscount Primary, Māngere College and Māngere Central.
These schools are trialling new designs including kerb buildouts, planter boxes and wayfinding signage to make it safer and easier for children to get to and from school.
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board is co-funding the Māngere East project, and Chair Lemauga Lydia Sosene says the temporary changes are a great way for the community to be engaged by seeing the changes first-hand before they are constructed.
“We’ve heard from our community that parts of Māngere East are difficult to move around, crossings are not safe, and there needs to be easier and better ways for people to safely get around their neighbourhood. As the project is a consultation by trial, we can quickly address the issues, and determine if the proposals are working.”
“We’re also keen to improve safety and access for schools – and by trialling different methods for school pick-ups and drop-offs, hopefully we’ll be able to have a safer, easier and more active way for kids to get to and from school.”
Auckland Transport’s Group Manager of Network Management, Randhir Karma, says the installations will make it easier, and safer, to move around Māngere.
“By trialling consultations in real-time with temporary and removable measures, we’re able to get the community to experience the benefits instantly. This innovative way of consultation also makes it easier to make quick tweaks to the designs if needed.”
The Māngere East project sits alongside events and trial installations at over 30 sites across Auckland that are funded through Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s Innovating Streets for People pilot fund.
Throughout the trials, Auckland Transport will monitor the projects and seek community feedback.
To find out more about the projects, click here
