Invercargill Master Plan moves forward — LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AOTEAROA

Invercargill City Council has approved the preliminary design for stage one of the Isthmus-devised City Centre Streets project – a key step toward delivery of the city’s vision to be a ‘city with heart’. With this latest approval, Isthmus landscape architect Nik Kneale says detailed design can now proceed at pace, driven by the need to deliver the project on site by November next year, in line with the opening of significant building developments adjacent.

Stage one - which focuses on Esk and Don Streets in the core of the city - is part of a $20million upgrade to central streets. Esk Street will become a shared space, the “civic axis” linking existing and developing civic functions while activating areas currently lacking. Designs for Don Street build on its existing entertainment uses while cribbing substantial space in the street for people.

Kneale says the key drivers for the Master Plan are around dealing with a lack of community pride, energy and vibrancy in the city centre. Also identified was a lack of places for people, and a real difficulty in moving freely and comfortably within the city centre. Early and ongoing engagement with Waihōpai Rūnaka has identified the importance of this place and its wider landscape, and the lack of acknowledgement of this in the city currently. That will change.

The aim is to create an Invercargill for Invercargill – a place where locals see themselves, where locals of all ages and abilities come to their city centre more often, move freely and stay for longer because there are multiple drawcards.

At the moment there’s a lot of “destination travel”, Kneale says, with people circling the block in their cars until a close carpark comes free, and then doing the same for the next destination.

“As far as cities go that’s not helpful at all. It just increases vehicle movement, reduces the number of people on the street and on the cycle goes… streets feel emptier or devoid of people, footfall to businesses drop and community connection and pride in their city centre drops away.’ Invercargill city are looking to reverse this.

The adjacent Invercargill Central multi-use development is about to inject over 600 covered carparks into the city, accessed from the state highway and enabling a new way of moving in the city. “The idea is you park once in a big new parking building with great pedestrian access to the street, and filter through the city on foot. Esk and Don Streets are places for people, with vehicles as visitors.

While there has certainly been robust discussion around the impacts on local retailers, Kneale says it’s worth noting that the three main objectors to the overall plan - retailers who will lose parking spaces outside their businesses – ultimately spoke in favour of the intent and vision of the designs at the recent council meeting.
With such a short timeframe for design, it has been critical that momentum is maintained and that council are on the journey, all working at the same pace.

“We’ve designed iteratively and collaboratively with council, being there often, presenting current thinking, using physical models as design tools and drawing out reactions early. This has allowed us to work in an efficient and informed way, getting to the nub of the issues while building ownership within council. It’s been a high energy, rolling process and it’s been fantastic. We’re looking forward to carrying that momentum and positivity into the next phase. Ki te hoe!”