A greener, cleaner, more accessible Victoria Street is on the way for Auckland.

The council has started building Te Ha Noa, a linear park on Victoria Street.

The project, expected to be finished by 2025, will have more than 20 native trees lining its sides and will be accessible to cars, pedestrians and public transport.

It will also feature green spaces and Maori art and design.

Auckland University Architecture Senior Lecturer Bill McKay says the green spaces are important, as they soak up heat better than concrete.

"With climate change, all the concrete and everything that we've got in cities- they overheat compared to the greener surroundings like the suburbs and things."

He says at the moment the street isn't being properly utilized.

"At the moment, people use Victoria Street as a way of cutting through the city centre, and I don't think that's a good thing."

Auckland Council City Centre projects head Jenny Larking says it should compliment another large upcoming project.

"We're anticipating that when the City Rail Link opens in the next few years, Victoria Street will be one of the key gateways for people coming into the city centre."

An Auckland Central business advocate says plans for a revitalised Victoria Street need another look.

Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck says she expects it to be a gateway from the City Rail link to the City.

But she says that will mean nothing if some groups can't get into it.

Beck says businesses and other Aucklanders have told her that the proposal needs more work.

"Access is actually the number one issue that's raised with us. And not only by businesses in the central city, by Aucklanders. We want to see that addressed."