Leveraging the regenerative potential of city streets

While many of these projects have emerged from the need to address ageing infrastructure or transport developments, each capitalises on the opportunity to reinvent the public realm. They are revitalising spaces that support the businesses lining them as dynamic social destinations and culturally affirmative drivers of economic growth. These streets need to be able to magnetise investment, and engage with local communities, consumers and tourists.

The retail landscape has been changed forever by the rise of online shopping and decentralisation of the workforce. Our city centre streets, once reliant on the shop front to drive commerce, need reinvention to retain their vital social and cultural functions and remain commercially viable. The challenge – and the opportunity – facing councils across New Zealand is this: ​‘How can we leverage the latent value of our streets to shape retail precincts that continue to thrive and engage with the community?’

The presence of a broad cross-section of people endorses a street as a worthy destination. Footfall plus time on the street equals vibrancy and consumer spend. It seems simple, but understanding the needs and desires of people is key to unlocking social and economic success. So, what do people want and how can local councils and designers deliver it?

What do people want?

• Convenient access: Parking is a primary concern that can be addressed by improving public transport, freeing up more off-street parking and reallocating short-term parking spaces close to their destinations.
• Streetscapes that authentically reflect our place: Our public realm is a window into who we are as a community and a place. Streetscapes have a role of reflecting the authentic identity of a place, celebrating its built heritage, cultural diversity, and ecologies. Successful design serves everyone, irrespective of age, ability, culture or gender.
• Safety: Clear sightlines, good lighting, and vibrant, active street life ensures streets are perceived as safe, welcoming and attractive destinations.
• Human-centred experiences: People want places where public life thrives, with streets that are visually appealing, universally accessible, comfortable and flexible. Programming the city centre as a public events space can provide a platform for community cohesion.
• Access to nature: Our towns and cities occupy natural landscapes and geologies that are enduring and rich with cultural values. Access to green spaces enhances people’s connection to nature while benefitting from the ecological systems that sustain life.

How can we deliver this?

• Define the challenges: Gather real-time data through public life surveys, economic assessments, crime statistics, and parking and access audits. Understand the broader metrics related to attraction, relevance and functionality. Post-project evaluations allow us to track homegrown progress and showcase the real-world benefits.
• Define the socio-economic benefits associated with regeneration: Reinvention needs to take account of the nested and multi-layered interdependencies of city centre streets. Highlight the tangible economic benefits of public realm improvements such as increased foot traffic, rising property values, attraction of new businesses, and increased tourism.
• Commit to broad, early and frequent engagement through the life of the project: The politicians committing to investment need to understand and champion the value of urban regeneration to the public and the commercial sector.
• Create a universally shared vision: Guard the vision and objectives throughout the life of the project. The design narrative should resonate with diverse stakeholders, from policymakers and businesses to the wider public.
• Generate relevant homegrown metrics: Measure the success of streetscape projects. Before and after evaluations help designers and policymakers to quantify return on investment and provide evidence that the investment delivers value for everyone, including the funders.
• Start with a light touch: Tactical urbanism and street trials are a powerful engagement tool that can initiate change fast, cheaply and with the flexibility to redeploy in response to feedback. More permanent work can follow.

By embracing the regenerative potential of our city streets, we can unlock more than just physical transformation – we can foster inclusive, vibrant communities that thrive socially, economically, and environmentally. Councils should look to invest in streets that will pay dividends and breathe new life into their existing infrastructure for the next generation.