Te Ara I Whiti - The Lightpath

This hot-pink path is an interactive feature of Auckland's inner city, a whimsical cycleway that cuts a path through central Auckland, celebrating being active. The path was formed from an unused part of the Nelson Street motorway off-ramp and suspended above city motorways, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to travel from Upper Queen Street to Victoria Street West.

The concept for Te Ara I Whiti / The Lightpath was created by Monk Mackenzie Architects and LandLAB, in association with artist Katz Maihi. Maihi's six-metre-tall black metal pou (land markers) welcome cyclists and pedestrians onto the path, and at the beginning of the cycleway there is a large pink Māori design that has been worked into the road surface. The path also features carved laser-cut designs along its western side. During the day the pink path adds energy and heart to its location, with a colour that represents the heartwood of a freshly cut tōtara tree. LED lights line the safety barriers and pulse as people pass them, making the path just as vibrant at night

Opened in late 2015, the project was delivered in partnership between Auckland Council, NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport, as part of a three-year programme to make cycling safer and more convenient for Aucklanders.

Te Ara I Whiti / The Lightpath was named among the supreme winners at the 2016 New Zealand Best Design Awards. The path also received a transport category award at the 2016 World Architecture Festival in Berlin.