Focus area 5: Better integrate land-use and transport

Transport infrastructure and services are important for enabling and supporting residential and commercial growth in new and existing urban areas. The location of growth also affects how well the transport system performs. Because transport and land use are so strongly connected, all decisions need to consider their impact on the other.

Inefficient land use patterns lead to longer travel times, increased car dependency and more transport emissions. To address these issues, we need to encourage housing and employment growth to occur in areas that allow the use of better travel options.

Encouraging growth to be concentrated in areas with better travel choices will result in more use of public transport, walking and cycling. This will ease some of the pressure growth places on our transport system and contribute to reducing transport emissions.

Integrating land use and transport is particularly important for rapid transit. The speed and reliability of rapid transit improves the accessibility of an area, making it more attractive for redevelopment.

Unlocking growth around rapid transit corridors and stations is essential to address Auckland’s housing and transport challenges. It will also maximise the benefits from the large investment required to build and operate rapid transit.

An ideal street, showing a two-way cycleway, separated from road traffic by trees. A large bus, car and train are in the middle of the space, with wide footpaths, including room for people in wheelchairs and outdoor dining.

An example of ideal street design.

Integrating land use and transport is also required at the street level, particularly as Auckland grows and competition for street space increases. The planning and design of our streets must support quality, vibrant urban amenity and good living environments.

This means we need to find the right balance between a street’s transport function and its place function.

Auckland Transport's Roads and Streets Framework outlines how this will be done.

Auckland Transport's Design Manual provides design and technical specifications that support this framework.

Designing streets and transport facilities to reflect Māori culture, through the use of Te Aranga design principles will help affirm Auckland's unique point of difference.

Find out more about these principles on the Auckland Design Manual website.

How this can be done

Better integration of land use and transport to support quality urban living will include:

prioritising transport investment that supports intensification in the existing urban area
prioritising transport investment that supports Auckland’s growth and improves connections between these newly developing areas and the rest of Auckland
encouraging housing and employment growth in areas with better transport connections
designing and managing streets in a way that creates vibrant and inclusive places, reflects local character and our Māori identity, and uses good design to manage any trade-offs between vehicle movement and place making functions.