Chambers Laneway Upgrade

19 September 2024 - 31 December 2024

Old Papatoetoe
Complete

Chambers Laneway is now complete. New planting has been finished, and we now have a refreshed, safer and more pedestrian friendly Chambers Laneway.

The upgraded laneway runs from and includes the Civic Plaza on St George Street, through to the Wallace Road car park and Pikotoetoe development.

The concept design for the upgrade was approved by the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board in September 2023. It will deliver safer public spaces, improved pedestrian and public transport user experiences, and reflect the area’s distinctive cultural history, while enhancing the local natural environment.

Construction was undertaken between September and December 2024. Access to existing shops was maintained through the construction period.

Before and after

A comparison slider showing the space before works began and an illustrative render of what the finished space could look like.

Drag the toggle left and right to compare

Improved safety

This was a primary concern of the local board and local community. The design:

provides clear sightlines through removing the existing canopy and utility boxes
replaces the existing two bus shelters with a single, more see-through structure
improves lighting for night-time use, which will also make existing CCTV coverage more effective
removed seating in difficult to see areas
encourages more pedestrian presence between St George Street and Stadium Reserve, which will soon be upgraded

Enhanced pedestrian and public transport-user experience

To create a more people friendly environment to linger in and move through:

improve the entrance of the laneway by relocating the existing utility box and the canopy
a single, more attractive, less view-obstructing bus shelter
improve lighting for night-time safety
new paving to provide easier access and a fresh new look and feel
new attractive planting, while retaining significant mature trees

Incorporate our distinctive mana whenua culture

As with all significant Eke Panuku (now the Auckland Urban Development Office) commissioned projects, the design will reflect the unique status of our mana whenua, enhancing sense of place through:

the installation of a large mural, designed in collaboration with mana whenua, along the eastern side of the laneway.

Enhance the natural environment

applying water sensitive urban design principles to the management of stormwater, channelling it into in-ground planters, reducing run-off into the downstream environment
provide a green link between the St George Street and the Stadium Reserve with new planters along the laneway and retaining the existing mature totara and puriri trees