Auckland's CBD is full of hidden shortcuts, parks and viewing platforms.

Transport Blog contributor Matt Lowrie says there are many walkways Aucklanders don't know about that make getting from A to B a lot quicker.

"One that can be a huge time saver for university students is from Fort St through the Lumley Centre onto Shortland St.

1 of 6 TOM CARNEGIE / FAIRFAX NZ. Waitemata Local Board chairman Shale Chambers beside the public access sign at SkyCity International Convention Centre. 2 of 6 TOM CARNEGIE / FAIRFAX NZ. A member of the public uses the Lumley Centre public access link which connects Fort St and Shortland St. 3 of 6 TOM CARNEGIE / FAIRFAX NZ. The Lumley Centre public access way is open during the day. 4 of 6 TOM CARNEGIE / FAIRFAX NZ. Artwork hangs in the Vero Centre plaza. 5 of 6 TOM CARNEGIE / FAIRFAX NZ. The 246 Queen St access way to Lorne St. 6 of 6 TOM CARNEGIE / FAIRFAX NZ. Beaumont Quarter park.

"That saves you a detour up a decent hill and also keeps you dry when there is rain," Lowrie says.

Waitemata Local Board chairman Shale Chambers says in the past, property developers made public space concessions with Auckland Council in return for bonus floor space.

Chambers says no record of these concessions was kept and a lack of policing meant some developers were not meeting their end of the bargain.

In 2011 Chambers initiated an audit to identify the bonus floor provisions and through-site links in the city.

The audit was carried out by Auckland Council and is updated annually.

The results of the October 2015 audit show 65 out of 72 properties inspected had fully complied. Three were still non-compliant and four were removed from the list.

Chambers says the SkyCity walkway from 107 Albert St to Federal St and the SkyCity Federal St bridge are examples of recent victories for the public.

He says Sky City put up permanent signage for its public spaces in September 2013, more than 15 years after it was granted its bonus floor space.

Other notable bonus spaces include a lawn at Beaumont Quarter and public viewing platforms at the Hilton Hotel, Princes Wharf and Oracle Tower.

Chambers says some developers have managed to avoid compliance by having new consents granted.

"Resource consent rules have become more liberal over time.

"Some developers have managed to have new consents granted that override their old ones that included bonus space concessions," Chambers says.

Creating a public register

The Waitemata Local Board now wants to increase public awareness of the CBD's bonus spaces.

Board chairman Shale Chambers says with the October 10 audit update showing more than 90 per cent of sites now fully complying, the next step is to boost public knowledge.

"There are spaces such as a through-site link from 246 Queen St to Lorne St and a plaza decorated with artworks in the Vero Centre that not many know about," he says.

Chambers says the most effective way to increase public knowledge of these would be a public register.

"The local board is now advocating for a register, it would mean people could easily find out about public spaces they may want to use," he says.

Chambers says this would be relatively easy to create as the annual audit has already identified the majority of bonus spaces in the CBD.

He'd also like council to install signage on public property if the private owner fails to comply with its bonus space provisions.

"If a business fails to install signage then the council could put signage on footpaths and public buildings notifying the public that a walkway, park, viewing platform or art space is nearby," he says.