Te Ara Awataha is a 1.5km-long green corridor that redefines public space in the Northcote neighbourhood, integrating ecology, infrastructure, and community amenity. Designed to support walking, cycling, play, and social connection, it links existing parks—including Te Kaitaka—and open spaces through a shared path network, native planting, and playful landscape interventions. Featuring a primary shared path which aligns itself with the daylighted stream and several key ‘nodes’ and puna (where water is visible) the project features secondary exploratory tracks that connect to the wider regenerated landscape.

At its heart is the daylighting of the Awataha Stream, once confined to a concrete channel behind properties and largely invisible to the public. The stream now flows through a restored native corridor, enhancing stormwater capacity, biodiversity, and habitat creation while offering educational and recreational value. This transformation invites the community to face the stream, engage with its presence, and reconnect with wai māori (freshwater) as a living system.

Location: Northcote, Tāmaki Makaurau (2017–2023)
Client: Eke Panuku, Auckland Council Healthy Waters, Kāinga Ora
Role: Lead Landscape Architect (with Isthmus)
Collaborators: WSP, Piritahi Alliance, Janine Williams, Reuben Kirkwood
Contractor: Piritahi Alliance
Photography: Misc + David St George (rights owned by Isthmus)