Awful awnings an aching eyeful

Tatty covers to keep pedestrians dry do little for the look of city streets. John Landrigan reports
Christian Graffeuille looks up at the grimy ceiling and shudders. Beside him are tawdry advertisements for products that are no longer for sale from outlets that are no longer in business.
It's a typical view outside shops throughout Auckland.
The French migrant and inner-city office manager believes our streets will remain unattractive until we strip away the ramshackle shelters tacked on to the front of shops.
``These canopies force pedestrians into a tunnel vision of cheap shop advertising and dirty, decaying panels. They rob us of daylight and of views of beautiful building facades lining Queen St.'
Mr Graffeuille is bewildered by the accolades showered on such an unsightly place.
An upgrade of Queen St over the past two years won an urban design award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects. As much as $43 million was spent on the footpaths and kerbing along the main thoroughfare and surrounding lanes in 2007. The upgrade was part of a 10-year, $160 million central business districts revitalisation.
Auckland City CBD projects group manager David Jones says no consideration was given to removing the canopies during the upgrade. He is unaware of any campaign seeking their removal or even of any council plan to consider doing this. ``The canopies are not council assets so it would be very difficult to have intervention into something we don't own,' he says.
However, Mr Jones says bylaws do exist to ensure that canopies are maintained and sign placement is controlled.
Heart of Auckland City represents many Auckland City businesses. The organisation's chief executive, Alex Swney admits the canopies are not up to scratch and blames the council for not enforcing its own rules to ensure the city looks good. But he insists the shelter is necessary to protect shoppers from the weather.
``The canopies do not need to be removed. The council needs to enforce its existing rules to ensure they are maintained to an acceptable standard.'
Mr Graffeuille says that if the council can order them fixed then it should tear them down.
``You won't see this hideousness in any European city, or any nice city anywhere, for that matter.'
Mr Graffeuille, who moved here from France with his family eight years ago, says the canopies give only ``patchy protection' from rain - people still have to cross the road and dash between the intermittent cover.
``London,' he says, ``is a very wet and cold city, yet it shows off its streets.
``New Orleans, Seattle or Miami are wetter than Auckland but their people do not dissolve in rainwater.'
Mr Graffeuille wants to start a campaign to regain a ``wide-open, boastful and welcoming Queen St'.
Earlier this month, The Aucklander revealed an Auckland City Council proposal to remove all street signs, traffic lights and kerbing from inner-city streets. The tactic is based upon European-influenced designs in which pedestrians and vehicles share space. In all the photographs supplied by the council to demonstrate how good this looked, there was no sign of canopies. john.landrigan@theaucklander.co.nz 18 06 2009