Can Nelson emulate Christchurch’s revitalisation?

Award-winning landscape architect John Potter has seen first-hand the transformative power of smart city design. John has been at the forefront of landscape architecture in New Zealand for more than two decades, and works for Boffa Miskell, the team leading design on Whakatū Nelson’s Bridge to Better project.

John worked on the largest-ever public realm transformation undertaken in New Zealand, Te Papa Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct and City Promenade in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, which was critical to the rebuild of Christchurch following the 2011 Canterbury Earthquakes.  

One of the many success stories of Te Papa Ōtākaro is the Riverside Market. With 30 independent food outlets and 40 fresh produce stalls, Riverside Market is now one of Christchurch’s must-dos for tourists, as well as much loved by locals working and living in the inner city.

Oxford Terrace is another area transformed into a shared space. With rain gardens and new plantings, it’s a lively place with a strong connection to the river, buzzing with people visiting shops, bars and restaurants.   

John believes urban streets should be welcoming spaces for people to congregate, socialise, shop, and dine.  

“There’s a whole series of positives behind having vibrant streets that attract people to the city centre, making it a great place to come and spend time, and money, in,” says John. 

John is excited about the Bridge to Better project and its potential to make Bridge Street a destination. With community engagement just starting he wants people to think innovatively about how redesigning Bridge Street could create people-centric spaces, foster community engagement, and support local businesses. 

According to John, clever urban design means building in flexibility – which means a street, or an urban area can be used in different ways at different times. In the inner city, it’s about creating space where both people and businesses can thrive.  

He cites Montgomery Square as an example of how flexibility around space can facilitate an event that draws hundreds of people to the city centre. Daytime on weekdays, Montgomery Square provides convenient parking for shoppers and workers. On the weekend, it transforms into Nelson’s popular Saturday Market, which is a drawcard for locals and visitors alike. 

“It’s about getting the balance right and thinking cleverly how we can best use the space that we have. For hundreds and thousands of years, streets have been places where we come together to trade, to eat, to meet each other, to walk – all sorts of activities that bring life and vitality to city centres. 

“The key is that it’s people that go to shops. If you make it an attractive environment, it becomes a place where people want to come and have coffee or lunch, meet up with friends, do a bit of shopping, all that kind of good stuff that talks to civility in the inner city. It’s a place you want to come and spend time.” 

The experiences of businesses and communities in other centres that have had similar revitalisation projects has been overwhelmingly positive. The projects have brought people back into the city, made them feel positive about where they live, and have been good for local business. 

“We have before and after data from other urban revitalisation projects. An example is Fort Street in Auckland. It used to have two-way traffic, car parking on both sides and teeny tiny little footpaths. Once it was transformed to a shared street space, the bars and restaurants’ takings went up 140%.” 

In other centres, John has seen business owners leverage off urban revitalisation with their own projects. 

“In Hamilton a developer invested in refurbishing a building just off Victoria Street. The project included a small park on the edge of the river. It’s a cool building with a great connection to the river and a Melbourne-like vibe. People love it.” 

John says the Bridge to Better project will have a range of great outcomes.  

“It’s all about having conversations. What do we want to see in our inner-city streets, how do we want to use them, and how do we design and allocate the space accordingly.”