Walkers and greenery the new masterplan for Auckland's CBD

Auckland has a new masterplan for the CBD, aimed at getting rid of some eyesores, congestion and the Cloud.

There will be a new waterfront park and cruise terminal, and a greater emphasis on pedestrians over cars.

The waterfront is currently uninspiring and some would even go so far as calling it a wasteland, but that's about to change.

"It's critical to have a plan, this is the heart of the biggest city in the country," Mayor Phil Goff said.

Opening up the waterfront has been deemed critical to getting back the city's heartbeat.

The proposal would see the tank farm gone and replaced with green space.

Although contentious, Halsey Wharf could be extended to incorporate America's Cup syndicates while a new ferry terminal will allow more ferries to deal with a doubling in demand.

The Cloud is to go from Queens Wharf, Captain Cook Wharf would be extended to allow for larger cruise ships and a new terminal, and Marsden Wharf is set to go completely to make room.

The future of the port itself is left out of the plan, as is any mention of a stadium.

The population in the CBD has exploded. It was predicted hit 45,000 residents by 2032 but we've already hit that number.

It's 15 years early and another 200,000 people turn up to work or study every day.

"The planning now is pretty critical that there are great places for people to live, and enjoy being and businesses can survive and thrive," Heart of the City's Viv Beck said.

To do that, much of downtown will become almost exclusively for pedestrians.

There's also the potential to turn Queen Street into a pedestrian-only mall. One day light rail could eventually link downtown to the airport.

But the jewel will be a new park, currently where the tank farm is.

"I love the idea of the Headland Park instead of those hazardous substances tanks, and the idea of the linear park," Mr Goff said.

The linear park will make the city much greener. It would run from the new Wynyard Point Park to Victoria Park, and along Victoria Street to Albert Park, creating a pedestrian and cycleway to link the three.

"What's it missing? It's missing money mainly... We've got the plan, now have to prioritise within that plan and find funding for it," Mr Goff said.

It's certainly not a pipe dream, but there's a way to go get the city's heart beating again. 

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