Urban regeneration along the Eastern Busway
2023 - TBC
- Eastern Busway
- In Progress
A regeneration programme for the Eastern Busway.
The Auckland Urban Development Office is leading a programme of urban regeneration in neighbourhoods along the Eastern Busway route between Pakūranga and Burswood.
About the urban regeneration project
The Auckland Urban Development Office, in partnership with Mana Whenua, is planning for high-quality, environmentally friendly, residential and commercial development in areas neighbouring the Eastern Busway.
The opportunities are focused on land in easy walking distance to the new bus stations at Pakūranga, on Tī Rākau Drive (Te Taha Wai and Koata stations), and at Burswood (Pōhatu Station), so more people can live and work in areas close to public transport.
We are focusing on land that was acquired for the Eastern Busway that will no longer be needed for transport purposes after the busway construction is complete (called residual land). This may also be supplemented by some strategic property purchases, to enable high quality urban renewal.
The work will support and stimulate East Auckland’s economy, provide more housing, enable sustainable city growth, and help create amazing places. It will also maximise council’s investment in the busway.
About the Eastern Busway
The Eastern Busway will connect Panmure, Pakūranga, Burswood and Botany through a dedicated busway, with adjoining cycling and walkway facilities. The busway is being delivered by the Eastern Busway Alliance, a partnership between Auckland Transport and four other companies. The Alliance is responsible for designing, consenting, and building the busway. You can find out more about the busway on the Eastern Busway project website.
Where the Auckland Urban Development Office will work and what we will do
The section of the Eastern Busway between Panmure and Pakūranga is complete and opened in 2021. The Auckland Urban Development Office is already working in Panmure, where we are delivering urban regeneration in connection with the improvements to bus and train services. The work proposed to be done by the Development Office is in neighbourhoods along the section of the busway between Pakūranga and Burswood.
A Strategic Regeneration Overview produced by Eke Panuku (now the Auckland Urban Development Office) outlines our vision and strategy for urban regeneration in these neighbourhoods.
A summary of the project is here.
It is too early to say what future development may look like, but it is likely to involve construction of medium to high density residential buildings, alongside retail and commercial premises where these make sense.
We have started by exploring opportunities along Tī Rākau Drive, as shown in the image below. Our work will lead to the delivery of a mix of high-quality new homes near Te Taha Wai and Koata Eastern Busway stations, with good access to the busway, local schools, parks and shops. The project will also include exploring restoration work along the coastal edge, and improvements to the reserve behind the Edgewater Drive shops.
We are also investigating opportunities for mixed-use development on the land surrounding Pakūranga Plaza, integrating the future Pakūranga Station. The aim is to help make the area a more vibrant destination as envisioned by the Pakūranga Town Centre Masterplan 2015.
The third project area is in Burswood, on the land near the future Pōhatu bus station.
We will work with our Mana Whenua partners and the Howick Local Board throughout the delivery of the programme.
The regeneration programme is likely to take a number of years. It’s a complex process that includes property transactions, development planning, design, consenting and construction.