Emily Place Improvements Project

About the project

The Emily Place improvements project aims to develop the full length of Emily Place and the adjacent reserve into a people focused space, allowing for placemaking opportunities, pedestrian movement, servicing, and community access spanning from its connections from Custom Street in the north to Shortland Street and Eden Crescent at the southern end of the site.

The proposed improvements align with the City Centre Masterplan which focuses on making better use of city centre spaces and improving the quality of the environment.

The overall objectives for the Emily Place improvements project are to:

• Deliver a quality, accessible, attractive, distinctive and desirable public place.
• Create a destination that celebrates and responds to the cultural heritage and built form of the area.
• Provide a space that empowers local community-led placemaking and activation opportunities.

Preliminary design update

The preliminary design builds on the final concept design we shared in June 2024, which was shaped by feedback from the community consultation in late 2023.

In the concept phase, we finalised the overall design approach. During the preliminary design, we started to develop the concept ideas into buildable plans.

The overall direction and design narratives remain the same, with some updates based on technical assessments and site investigations.

The preliminary design phase brings together a range of responses, developed in close collaboration with our mana whenua project partners, technical specialists and key stakeholders, including asset owners and service operators.  

View the preliminary design here  

Watch a video presentation on the preliminary design here

 

Don’t have enough time to watch the full video? Jump to:

• 02:07: Mana whenua partnership and cultural narrative
• 03:30: Lower Emily Place
• 05:57: Mid Emily Place, North
•  08:15: Mid Emily Place, South
• 10:40: Upper Emily Place  

Partnering with Mana Whenua

In partnership with Ngāti Whatua Ōrākei and Ngāti Maru, cultural narratives have been developed. 

Design opportunities to celebrate the story of Te Rerenga Ora Iti (the former headland), the original shoreline as well as native flora and fauna are being explored.

Community engagement on concept design

Community consultation on the draft concept plan wrapped up in October 2023. 

• Read the engagement report here
• Find out what we did with your feedback here
• View the concept plan here 

What happens next?

The next steps include progressing with the detailed design work, alongside necessary approvals and consents.

We will also carry out further detailed onsite investigations to help inform the next stages of design and continue to work with technical specialists, asset owners, mana whenua and the Waitematā Local Board.

Please note the design will continue to be refined and may be subject to further change as the project progresses.

 

At this stage, we expect the final design for Emily Place to be available in early 2026 with construction currently scheduled to follow in 2026. 

We’ll keep you up to date as the project progresses.

Delivered by

The Emily Place improvements project is made possible by funding from the City Centre Targeted Rate and is being delivered by Auckland Council.

More information

Thank you for your interest in the Emily Place improvements project. If you would like to know more about our work, you can contact us on email at: emilyplace@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz