Fiddle Lane to get makeover with climate change message

Nelson’s Fiddle Lane will become a quiet green oasis away from the bustle of the city centre’s streets thanks to a Youth Council project with a climate change message.

Green Lane is a joint project between Nelson City Council’s City Development Team, Events Team and the Nelson Youth Council and aims to raise awareness of climate change while creating an inviting, quiet place for people to sit, socialise or eat lunch.

Nelson Youth Council members worked with Council staff and local designers to come up with the new layout, which incorporates refurbished planter boxes from Upper Trafalgar Street, locally sourced plants, and seating, with flourishes of bright colour and custom artwork by local artist Isaac Anderson incorporating the whakataukī, “Hutia te rito o te harakeke, kei hea te kōmako e ko?” (If you remove the heart of the flaxbush, where will the bellbird rest?).

Boffa Miskell Ltd Principal Landscape Architect Alan Gray says the idea for Green Lane evolved over the course of a year and was inspired by an incredible “walking forest” project of moveable trees in the Netherlands.

“Green Lane is about transforming a somewhat barren Fiddle Lane into a green oasis for people to relax, socialise, and participate in civic life. The team has worked with Council and designers to upcycle the planters from Upper Trafalgar Street, provide needed seating out of the busy streets, and develop a place of sanctuary and respite in our central city.

“The Youth Council has stayed involved with a small group of committed representatives playing an influential role in the design process - from ideas on the whiteboard down to meeting budget, deadline, and finer details.”

Youth Councillors Ruth Buckland, 17, and Finn Kerby-Pinguet, 16, were among those who took a keen
interest in being part of the Green Lane Project.

Ruth says seeing how a simple idea could become something much bigger and positively impact the community has been a highlight.

“I hope that this laneway will inspire people to become aware about their thoughts and actions towards the environment. I hope that this will inspire individuals to take positive action in whatever way that looks like for them.”

Finn says rangatahi have been engaged from the inception of the project and it was heartening to see a tangible outcome to a kaupapa [principle] they felt so strongly about.

“If Green Lane just gets people thinking about the climate crisis as they move through town, it will have fulfilled its purpose. The project is designed to be a thought-provoking and reflective installation, and hopefully the awareness that it creates can go on to influence people’s behaviour and actions to become more sustainable.”

The planter boxes were installed in Fiddle Lane (next to Farmers on Bridge Street) over Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 December, where they will remain for at least two-three years.

The project launches with a celebration on Friday 8 December with live music and food carts selling climate-conscious food from 5pm-7.30pm. All are welcome to join Nelson Youth Council and celebrate the new-look space.