What is the Innovating Streets for People programme?
Innovating Streets for People is a nationwide programme initiated and 90% funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. The programme aims to make it faster and easier to transition our streets to safer and more liveable spaces through trialling quick, low-cost improvements in the road reserve.
Rather than the more traditional method of gathering feedback to proposed plans, the project trials allow community members to interact with the changes in real time. There are 21 projects taking place at 36 to 39 sites across Auckland to make streets safer and more liveable.
What is a co-design process?
A co-design process involves designing, engaging, and communicating with local people, schools, and businesses, using participatory approaches to gather, and input insights and ideas. The goal is to create places and spaces that reflect the needs of diverse communities, using interventions that can be trialled and iterated over time. Attitudes towards sharing power and prioritising relationships are essential to the success of a co-design process.
*Participatory approaches can include but aren’t limited to co-design workshops, interactive sessions, public activities.
What does ‘consultation by trial’ mean?
Consultation by trial is an approach which allows for temporary changes over normal project processes enabling ‘experiential’ engagement and consultation. Rather than proposing designs online or in a brochure, communities can interact with proposed street changes in a real-life context. Installations are adaptable if necessary following feedback and onsite observations.
Feedback will be collated throughout the trial until a decision is made about whether to keep the installation in place, or if further refinements are needed. Ultimately successful trials will lead to a permanent solution, which will take on board feedback collected from the community during the trial period.
What are the benefits of a ‘consultation by trial’ approach?
Auckland Transport is embracing a 'consultation by trial' approach for the Auckland Innovating Streets Programme. Due to the temporary nature of trials, they are adaptable if feedback and onsite observations require changes.
This method places trials in front of street users and helps to address the challenges of generating awareness and response typically associated with engaging with communities on street design.
This can lead to more of the community being engaged. Having a project tested in real-time enables the community to experience the benefits of the proposed changes before committing to the final outcome, and being able to smooth out any issues to feed into permanent design.
Giving a platform to less-heard voices not only helps the more vocal and engaged sectors of the community appreciate the demographic diversity of local people who actually use streets, it ultimately enables more needs of the local population to be met.
Are the changes permanent?
No, all the changes are designed to be able to be removed. These projects are trials, and it will depend on measuring success against project objectives and community feedback after an initial period, whether any of the trials need to be discontinued. See “How is it decided whether trials should continue?”
Will I have a say in what happens in my community?
Absolutely. We’re keen to hear from as many voices in the local community as possible. To find out how you can have your say, visit the individual project page for more information about how to provide feedback.
Who is leading the programme?
The projects are led by local boards, Kāinga Ora, Auckland Transport, Auckland Council, Tāmaki Regeneration and Panuku Development Auckland; while communities, schools and local businesses are encouraged to contribute ideas to create the places they want. This is part of a nation-wide programme initiated by Waka Kotahi: https://nzta.govt.nz/roads-and-rail/innovating-streets/
What is a retention decision?
Once the initial trial period is complete and data, observations and feedback collected, a decision will be made on whether to continue the trial installation in the medium term. The factors considered in making the retention-decision are listed under "How is it decided whether trials should continue?” and are intended as a basis to confirm there is no need to discontinue the trial.
How is it decided whether trials should continue?
Decision-making about keeping the trial installations includes the following considerations:
- Local and wider community response to the installation
- How successful the trial has been against project outcomes and any specified key performance indicators
- The road safety impacts of the installation
- What impact the trial has had on the transport systems for buses, trains, cars, bikes and pedestrians.
- How materials that have been used in the trial are performing and how long they will last
- How far away the funding is to implement a permanent installation
- What the cost would be to continue the trial in the medium-to-long term
How can I provide feedback on the trials?
To find out how you can have your say, visit the individual project page.
How long do the trials last?
Each trial has a different installation process and timeframe for assessing results and gathering feedback, ultimately to monitor the real impacts the trials require longer timeframes to collect data and enable the changes to ‘bed in’. All trials will have an initial period of a few weeks-months monitoring and gathering feedback from the community before a decision is made about whether to continue the trial installation in the medium term. Some projects are events and will be in place for a few hours only. Timeframes for individual projects can be found on the relevant page within this Innovating Streets Hub.
Has the safety of people been considered for these trials?
Yes, the safety of those in the community is paramount to these projects. The design process includes determining whether an independent road safety audit is required and actioning this. Additionally, Auckland Transport’s Road Safety Technical Lead reviews all designs before installation.
