Hutt City Council

A boardwalk and town square for our city centre?

Tuesday, February 03, 2009


Artists impression of a future CBD

Hutt City Council Urban Design Manager Paki Maaka is beginning work to bring new life to the city centre with a project called CBD Making Places.

“This project will flesh out the ideas we gathered during the recent Vision CBD 2030 consultation,” Paki says. “We now need to ‘make it more real’ by understanding, for example, what people really mean when they say they want more ‘vibrancy’.

“Do they mean more cafés, or are they looking for other things as well, such as exciting business opportunities and more creative things for people to do and enjoy?”

Something else that came out of Vision CBD 2030 was that people wanted “a connection to the river” – that could be achieved with a boardwalk similar to what they have in New Plymouth.

It could also mean a corridor from the business district through to the river, where public art could be installed and public spaces would encourage street events, community activities and businesses.

“The river is a ‘sleeping giant’,” Paki says. “We need to unlock its potential, not only as a place to enjoy leisure activities such as fishing, swimming and kayaking, but also as a reason to venture beyond the mall and the business area.

“The river should be a safe and exciting place to be and something for everyone to rediscover and be openly proud of.”

A “vibrant city” might also include a town square where people can gather to enjoy public performances and celebrate as a city.
If it’s considered important, where should a town square be, how big should it be and what do we need to do to make it happen?

“We can change the way we see ourselves as a city. If New Plymouth, Wellington, and Hamilton can, then so can we,” Paki says.

CBD Making Places will also focus on sustainability, better choices for walking, cycling, and public transport, and the future shape of the city.

If you are interested in finding out more, and if you want to have your say, the first public meeting is on February 18.

CBD Making Places  Public Meeting

Please RSVP by 5pm February 13. Note that spaces are limited

“We can change the way we see ourselves as a city. If New Plymouth, Wellington, and Hamilton can, then so can we.”