Northcote

“More of what we love about Northcote, please.”

In short, this is what people want for their place, along with fulfilment of their long-held desire to revitalise the Northcote town centre.

Since its birth as two volcanic craters, Northcote has become a multicultural centre with a great array of food outlets and established community facilities.

Add its central location and easy connections to Auckland’s city centre, Takapuna and other North Shore beaches, and the potential of Northcote is unquestioned.

We’re leading urban regeneration here on behalf of Auckland Council. We share in a vision of tomorrow’s Northcote where:

• The safe and well-designed town centre provides even more variety in shops and services.
• The food is recognised among Auckland’s best, meeting local needs and attracting visitors.
• From kindy to high school, there are great schools, and, after that, AUT is just across the road.
• Well-built, new homes offer a range of housing types and reflect changing needs.
• There is a better connection to the Awataha Stream, coupled with the creation of Te Ara Awataha, a greenway along the riverbed that weaves its way to and through the town centre.
• People enjoy improved walking and cycling options, and flood-free parks year-round.

This Northcote will be a place more and more people want to move to. Our plan emphasises the importance of development that strengthens community, respects Māorihītori (Māori history) and reinforces local character.

Why now for Northcote?

New planning rules, market conditions and opportunities with partners mean now is the time for the regeneration of Northcote.

Northcote has been given ‘town centre’ status under the Auckland Unitary Plan, which highlights its potential for more people, higher-density housing and business floorspace. Vibrant, well-planned and sustainably designed town centres will help the city meet its economic and housing needs under the Auckland Plan 2050.

The Kaipātiki Local Board, guided by community feedback to its 2017 local board plan, has also identified that the town centre needs revitalising. It’s already investing in local facilities to help build the centre’s identity as a vibrant, multicultural hub. Another priority is building a greenway along the Awataha Stream that links Northcote town centre and local homes.

Upgrades to stormwater and transport infrastructure are also taking place, as it’s a good opportunity to combine this work with town centre improvements.

What's planned for Northcote?

What’s proposed here focuses on four areas of action that we believe will combine to achieve what residents want for tomorrow’s Northcote.

We call these the key moves, where people will eventually enjoy:

1. A town centre with a vibrant heart.
2. Lake Road as a neighbourhood boulevard.
3. A greenway linking public open space.
4. More homes, and a better mix of housing options.

At Eke Panuku, we’re taking the lead on renewing the town centre so that it truly becomes the heart of the neighbourhood. We’ve developed a masterplan of what this could look like, and will soon be speaking with potential development partners interested in working with us to develop the town centre.

1. The town centre - creating a vibrant heart

Northcote’s town centre will be redefined. It will be better integrated with Lake Road to create a welcoming entrance to the shops and town square, with a multi-purpose community building.

To make this happen, the community facilities on Cadness Reserve at the back of the town centre will be moved to a new multi-purpose community hub building. The town centre will feature higher-density housing.

Our plan includes a new, larger supermarket with mixed-use development including shops, housing and car parking.

We’ll also improve public spaces by:

• Upgrading the Greenslade Reserve community sports field.
• Creating a new town square. It will be a dedicated and safe space for events, activities and celebrations.
• Upgrading Cadness Reserve to include a children’s play park.
• Investing more in public spaces.

2. Lake Road - a neighbourhood boulevard

Lake Road has been upgraded to provide better connection from the Northcote town centre to the wider North Shore. There are now wider footpaths, a cycleway and more trees, making it a pleasant and safe place for people who are walking and cycling.

The town centre will be better integrated with Lake Road to create a welcoming entrance to the shops and town square.

3. Te Ara Awataha - a green network of public open space

Weaving along the path of the old Awataha Stream, Te Ara Awataha will be a green walkway that connects the reserves around the Northcote town centre. It will also provide links between the town centre, schools and public transport.

The Awataha Stream will be brought to light for long distances of the greenway. This regenerative process, known as ‘daylighting’, will boost the mauri (life essence) of the stream, improving water quality and allowing it to become a habitat for manu (birds), ngāngara(insects) and tuna (eels) once more.

We’re delivering Te Ara Awataha alongside Healthy Waters and Kāinga Ora, with input from the Kaipātiki Local Board and mana whenua.

4. More new homes - increasing choice and affordability

New homes will offer people more choice in types of housing, tenure and price. Redeveloping Northcote’s town centre and the surrounding residential area also means increasing the numbers and types of homes available.

Kāinga Ora is developing 1700 new homes near Northcote town centre, including a good proportion of affordable homes. In addition, we will facilitate the building of hundreds of new homes in the town centre. This housing activity, which we’re leading, is likely to drive additional market-led housing on private land.

Northcote town centre benchmark masterplan

Released in April 2019, the Northcote Town Centre Benchmark Masterplan was developed in collaboration with Kaipātiki Local Board and mana whenua, and is based on more than a decade of legacy planning and community input.

It outlines our plan for the town centre renewal. It shows how the renewed town centre will offer all the things that locals need including eateries, shops and public spaces while retaining a distinctly Northcote flavour.

The benchmark masterplan builds on previous plans for Northcote, including:

Northcote framework plan

Released in 2016, the Northcote Framework Plan shapes the scope of the project and develops high-level concepts into robust proposals for achieving regeneration.

We developed the framework plan in collaboration with Kāinga Ora (formerly HLC), the Auckland Council whānau, Kaipātiki Local Board, mana whenua and local community groups.

High level project plan

The High-Level Project Plan was adopted by the Mayor and councillors in 2016, and provides us with the Auckland Council mandate to make change in Northcote. In this document, we highlight key actions that need to be taken, including making better use of properties the council owns.

Northcote Plans