Will Auckland Pass Up Yet Another Opportunity to Transform its Waterfront

Waterfront redevelopment has been a hot topic for decades in urban planning and development, and recently on the pages of Planetizen (see Washington, D.C., Seattle, Toronto, Manhattan, and even Lagos). With one of the most scenic urban waterfronts in the world, Auckland is hoping to join the above list. Despite a laundry list of failed developments and propositions, the city is finally looking to take its waterfront seriously. "'The waterfront is ready. It has been forever,' said Auckland Architecture Association spokesman Adam Mercer," reports The New Zealand Herald's Michael Dickison.

"What was required to create a vibrant waterfront was a long-term directive pushing activity to the harbour edge - something Auckland has only recently started to take seriously," [Mercer] said. "Auckland must continue to find the courage to let good architecture and urban design take the stage.'"