Celebrating 25 years at Boffa Miskell: John Potter

One of Boffa Miskell’s most influential landscape architects and urban thinkers, his work has helped transform city and town centres, streets, and public spaces in Auckland and across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Landscape architect John Potter is known for his ability to reconcile the competing demands of walking, cycling, public transport, servicing, traffic movement, accessibility, safety, and activation; while always ensuring streets function not just as corridors, but as civic spaces. He brings deep technical knowledge, complemented by a strong commitment to universal access, and an understanding of how people use and inhabit space.

John’s work reflects the evolution of streetscape and public‑realm design in New Zealand, especially in Auckland’s city centre. As Programme Manager for the Auckland City CBD Streetscape Upgrade Programme (2005–2014), John provided strategic leadership across a portfolio of high-impact projects that includes Federal Street, Fort Street, O’Connell Street, Darby and Elliott Streets, St Patrick’s Square, Victoria Street, Albert Street, and Beach Road.

More than simply upgrades, these projects represented a paradigm shift in Auckland and the introduction of shared‑space streets, which fundamentally rebalanced the relationship between vehicles and pedestrians, prioritising people, accessibility, and street life in our country’s largest city. The restoration and upgrade of St Patrick’s Square became a landmark project, later recognised with the NZILA George Malcolm Supreme Award.

Alongside city‑centre work, John has played a leading role in town‑centre revitalisation and active transport projects across Auckland. As Project Director for the Ōtāhuhu Town Centre upgrade and the Mount Albert Town Centre project, he helped guide multimillion‑dollar investment into places that combine improved pedestrian amenity, cycling infrastructure, public transport integration, and high‑quality public‑realm design.

Following the Canterbury earthquakes, John relocated to Christchurch to join the Design Leadership Team for the Te Papa Ōtākaro / Avon River Precinct and the associated East Frame projects. This work represented the largest streetscape and public‑realm transformation undertaken in New Zealand and was pivotal to the rebuild of Christchurch’s central city. The Avon River Precinct has since become a defining feature of the rebuilt city and a benchmark for large‑scale, people‑focused public‑realm design.

People‑first thinking has continued through John’s leadership on active transport projects, including the Point Chevalier to Westmere Cycleway. Acting in a senior design review and advisory capacity, John worked closely with Auckland Transport, council stakeholders, technical specialists, and the local community to help reframe the project’s objectives beyond a simple cycling route. His influence ensured the cycleway was conceived as a genuine streetscape upgrade that balances cycling, walking, parking, access to local shops and homes, and the everyday needs of residents.

John’s experience helped navigate the project’s complexity and public scrutiny. Through testing of design options and a willingness to challenge assumptions, he ensured the project achieved better integration with the surrounding neighbourhood, improved safety outcomes, and a more coherent public‑realm response. The result is infrastructure that supports modal shift while remaining grounded in place.

John brings the same thinking to Boffa Miskell’s practice, including championing the move away from traditional desk‑based offices to flexible and collaborative workspaces – influencing not just what we design, but how we work together.

His contribution to the profession has been equally significant. A Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects Tuia Pito Ora, he has spent years mentoring emerging practitioners, supporting professional registration, and advancing the evolution of landscape architecture as a discipline in Aotearoa.

After 25 years, John’s imprint on Boffa Miskell is visible in the streets and spaces he has helped shape, in the culture of design leadership he has fostered, and in the many people who have learned from working alongside him.