Many people in Auckland believe we can do a lot better when it comes to building our town centres and our cities. Joel Cayford is currently an Auckland Regional Councillor - previously on North Shore City Council. He is being advised by a team of councillors and professionals who want better urban design outcomes for Auckland - especially for its public places.

This website contains pictures and ideas about Auckland, and from other places round the world. "We are open to ideas and thoughts and examples that are exemplary and positive."

"During my 6 years on North Shore City Council", says Joel Cayford, "I tried - but without success - to change the Council engineering design standards for footpaths to give greater priority to pedestrians, mobility scooter users, kids on bikes, and parents pushing baby walkers. The current standards still give priority to cars driving over the footpath in and out of private property...."

"Another example sticks in my mind: North Shore City Council is pressing ahead with a large number of road widening projects right now. Glenfield Road was on the drawing board while I was at Council. Glenfield Road meanders through the urban landscape and many felt it should become a tree-lined avenue. We pushed for it, but officers advised the trees should be 'frangible'. I had to look that word up. Basically the trees needed to snap when hit by a car. The road needed to be safe for cars at 60+ kph. With that thinking we'll never have the Fitzgerald Avenues of Christchurch. We'll end up with the bleak, wide car-filled roads of Manukau City. But city streets are places for people - not just fast cars..."

"Then I got onto ARC, looked around the rest of Auckland, and saw the scale of the problem. Sprawl, car domination, and poor consideration for the needs and wants of people in the street and in our new public places - like the waterfront and like our new and regenerating town centres..."

Places4People seeks an urban transformation - a new face for Auckland - where the best mobility solutions, combined with great people places and spaces, generate exemplary urban landscapes, whilst providing for economic vitality.

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