Eye on city centre

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

A City Centre Spatial Framework made public last week identifies a need and opportunities for residential intensification around the city centre, and deficiencies that include a lack of mature vegetation, places for children, all-weather/paved public open spaces and a complete cycle network. It also says apparent excess parking capacity around the city centre provides an opportunity to reallocate road space, to help make the CBD a more attractive destination.

There is a lot of information in the framework document and The Herald will report further on it as our lead article in the Weekender next Saturday, August 24.

Regarding the lack of paved open spaces, the council document says existing open spaces including the street network were considered the most viable options for developing a “town square” — and that the most logical place for Gisborne’s primary town square is Heipipi Reserve and the southern end of Gladstone Road. It lists the following as other potential locations for new town squares or plazas:

Treble Court: This space could leverage off the recent upgrade to the HB Williams Memorial Library and other important locations in close proximity such as the Bright Street bus terminal.

Lowe Street, east of Gladstone Road: This street could be closed to through traffic to create a shared space/plaza area with the Wi Pere Memorial and Taruheru River as a focal point. This location would also support the establishment of a dining precinct to capitalise on the street’s orientation and proximity to the river and Gladstone Road.

Junction of Grey Street and Gladstone Road: The meeting point of the city centre’s two primary streets, bordered by some of its tallest buildings and several heritage buildings. A new square in this location would complement the proposed Grey Street Linear Park and council aspirations for a shared space along Gladstone Road.

Junction of Peel Street and Gladstone Road: The block structure, street network, movement patterns and extent of primary retail frontages mean this junction reads as the true centre of the city.

n Our webpoll this week so far shows Treble Court as the favourite on 23 percent, with Heipipi Reserve and the Peel St/Gladstone Rd junction next on 18 percent each.