Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve
Develop design concepts to enliven the Mt Druitt reserve at Ralph Place and make it a vibrant, attractive, well connected and inclusive open space.
Comfortable pedestrian access from the south is restricted by the train line.
Town Centre Reserve 6min Walk 12min Walk
6min
12min
100m
Westfields and other commercial zones provide a gravitational pull for consumers.
Commercial - Westfield - Shops - Parks
100m
Numerous ‘Human Services’ and education institutions concentrate around the reserve.
Commercial Services - Schools - TAFE - Medical Centre
100m
Civic functions are sprinkled through a zone which takes 10 minutes to walk across.
Commercial Services Civic - Hospital - Train Station - The Hub
100m
Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve is hidden within behind the backs of adjoining sites
Looking West
- Rear of Chinese Supermarket site - Rear of Chambers Cellars
Looking South
- Rear of TAFE - Fence limits access to site
Looking North
- Rear of Shopsmart outlet complex - Visual Connection limited by dense low lying vegetation - Dead End road provides access to site without thoroughfare
The reserves isolated position withing the urban fabric makes it vulnerable to misuse....
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Graffiti
Vandalism to council and private property is costly to remove and visually disruptive.
Alcohol Misuse
Reports of alcohol misuse in various locations around the site.
These issues combine to create significant problems for positive use of the park.
Careless Needle Disposal
The proximity to Hospital needle vending machine makes the park a convenient and quiet place for injecting.
The Wider Field...
Mount Druitt Town Centre Reserve is 1 of 800+ natural parklands under B.C.C. management.
200m Plumpton Park
Extracts from B.C.C. Management plan; - Sports grounds are “barometers in assisting the maintenance of community health and well being� - Reflect the community and designed to assist their needs - Planned to be within walking or cycling distance form homes - Cultural interface between private lives and porting life of community
Sherwood Park
Rooty Hill Leisure Centre
Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve
The Wider Field...
Mount Druitt Town Centre Reserve is 1 of 800+ natural parklands under B.C.C. management.
200m Plumpton Park
Sherwood Park
Rooty Hill Leisure Centre
Any proposals must address the grass roots problems with affordable & ‘doable’ solutions.
Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve
Building on the well known design mantra ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ we believe in creating an integrated network that brings together all the existing parts to create a safe and uniting pedestrian thoroughfare.
100m
Civic Strip
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
By creating a pedestrian and cycle thoroughfare from the Transport Hub at the Station via the shops, services, The Hub, The Pool, The Reserve, Kevin Betts and the Hospital, the reserve will live up to its name as the Town Centre Reserve.
Key Points - Train Station - The Hub - The Pools - Town Centre Reserve - Kevin Betts Stadium - Hospital
100m
The existing pedestrian experience is dictated by the car
No Pedestrian Crossing
Vegetation Blocking Visibility
Uncomfortable Pathways
Redundant Fencing
More clearly articulated pedestrian and bike zones.
View east along Pedestrian Network at Ayres Grove
Provide safer street crossings
Cobled roads to provide drivers with audible warning
Planter boxes for aditional safety
Lighting elements or coloured paving to further enhance crossing
Ayres G ro
ve
Mount
Street
Relocation of pool fence along Ayres Grove.
Ralph
Existing
Fence Realigned
Winter Mode - Park offered to community
Improving visibility and signage to increase awareness of nearby civic functions including; The Town Centre Reserve, The Hub, and Pool.
A new method of communication promotes pedestrian connectivity.
Mt Druitt Hospital
Health Clinic Dawson Mall
The Hub
Westfields
Transport Interchange Area Map
HeadSpace
The Pool
Chinese Supermarket
ShopSmart
The Park
Kevin Betts
Mt Druitt’s two football field sized ‘blank canvas’ awaits rejuvenation...
Develop design concepts to enliven the Mt Druitt reserve at Ralph Place and make it a vibrant, attractive, well connected and inclusive open space.
The current condition of Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve involves ambiguity, poor pathways, and limited passive surveillance.
PH R AL
PL
Pedestrian Vehicle Parking
Reconfiguring vehicle access to the site by linking with existing parking to the north, and opening up towards the hospital.
Pedestrian Vehicle Parking
Moving the cars to create a safe pedestrian zone
Pedestrian Vehicle Parking
Potential for passive surveillance through increased activation along northern edge.
Shopsmart
North South Site Section
Northern Edge Section
Bike & Pedestrian Network
Playing Fields
TAFE Grounds
Mt Druitt Town Centre Reserve reframed as a revitalised sporting and outdoor venue.
Kevin Betts & Basketball Bike Stop & Cafe Public Toilet Seating Bus Stop Table Tennis Chess Boards Rock Climbing Wall
Pedestrian Vehicle Parking
Providing additional amenity while deterring misuse.
0.5 m
13 m LED lights
Location of stadium lights, & secondary path lighting.
Stadium Lights
Solar Panel
Stadium Lights are fitted with a low level solar powered motion activated light, that illuminates zones of the field where motion is detected. Acting to improve facilities for sports people and deter misuse of the field.
Solar panels mounted on top of stadium lights also provide renewable energy used in secondarly lighting along the civic strip.
Advantages
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts� We hope by focusing on pedestrian connectivity the benefits of what already exists in Mt Druitt the advantages will be multiplied. - Stronger Connection from Transport Interchange throughout Civic Strip - Safe thoroughfare to reserve and hospital - Better use of existing Council open space - Providing more varying and interesting places for people - Increase in access to reserve, which will - Bring more people to the park, to - Increase natural surveillance - Enhancing existing facilities and services - Reinvigorating existing reserve
100m
Civic Strip
Future: Kevin Betts Stadium
Existing - Twin Undervocered Courts
Expand - Four Undervocered Courts
Seperation allows connection - Walkway through building and visual connection to Civic Stip
Offset - Restricting access along rear fence to prevent missuse of area. - Create space for outdoor court and bus bay parking at rear.
Insert - Attrium celebrates the entry to both frontages and provides space for office & meeting space. - Additonal activation and passive survailance to drive away missue.
Future: Bike Network Town Centre Reserve as a pit-stop in an expanded bike network linking existing open spaces, Cumberland planes, and Blacktown Olympic Park. Town Centre Reserve as a Bike Track Pit Stop
Proposed bike trail connecting Cumberland Plain & surrounding parks
Future: Potential expansion can bring additional facilities for a new population of users. Ping Pong, Chess, Mini Soccer.
Kevin Betts & Basketball Bike Stop & Cafe Public Toilet Seating Bus Stop Table Tennis Chess Boards Rock Climbing Wall
Pedestrian Vehicle Parking
Mini Soccer Universal Playground
A strong, connected network that is planning for a better future...
View east along pedestraian network into upgraded Mount Druitt Town Centre Reserve