SHARED STREETS

There is much discussion on the proposed design changes to Lichfield Street. A good friend owns Pot Sticker Dumpling, a better dumpling you’d be hardpressed to find. His dumpling shop fronts Lichfield Street, and I suggest our views on the proposed upgrade diverge. He is slightly aghast at the loss of some car parks.

Over the years, I have not placed a lot of value or expectation on the cars I have owned. At past get-togethers of my fatherin-law’s family, I tended to gravitate to the dishes rather than offering to lift the hood on my Corolla. I was more comfortable drying the Dalton than polishing chrome. Not having a personalised number plate that was a play on my surname limited my involvement, too.

To an extent, this frames my thinking on inner city shared streets. Streets where the vehicle is subordinate to the pedestrian. Seemingly, a concept that many of us find relatively difficult to conceive. The mainstream proclivity for oversized vehicles coupled with the want to drive them everywhere I find somewhat odd. As I do, the chameleon-like effect driving a vehicle has on a good number of us. Obtuse and belligerent become some.

The inner city may not be for everyone; spaces can be vacuous and unwelcoming too. But I do like the inner city: the vibrancy, the smells, sights and sounds excite me. So does the diurnal rhythm of the heart of the city. Shared spaces contribute to this.

There is a rich history of shared space within the urban fabric of many a European city. In the Netherlands, a Woornerf – traditionally referred to as a living street – is a way of life. As are shopping streets. Within Aotearoa, as our cities become denser and our towns reimagine themselves, the inner-city/town centre street needs to engage.

Rather than simply a conduit for Roger and his Range Rover, the street needs to be a connector for people. A social space where it is pleasant to perambulate, to linger, to eat, meet and greet, to shop, a space to run errands, a space that supports the sustainability of the city. One in which the status of the pedestrian is elevated, and the street permeates life and just not exhaust.

I am of the opinion a well-designed shared street can become a destination, a high-quality, attractive and distinctive public space within our inner city. A space within which we can engage with the tactile nature of the city.

I accept that it can be a tricky balancing act with microclimate being quite determinative. However, plenty of evidential research suggests marked increases in pedestrian volumes and consumer spending within a shared street environment when designed well. A space to enjoy and share a dumpling or two. Wonton soup, too.

If a city has a heart, it is the people that will keep it beating.