Sir Victor Davies Park presents great potential to support our city centre green space network and activities. Better use of the space focusing on reinforcing the mauri of the awa and creating a healthy and attractive landscape will enable the park to become an integrated part of the city centre and Huatoki corridor. Opening a direct connection below Powerdham St for walkers and cyclists to connect to the city will be key. Bringing activities such as residential living on the edges of the park will attract more people and make Sir Victor Davies Park a safe and vibrant place.
Whakapapa and naming should also be considered through a wider engagement and co-design process to better reflect its rich Māori history.
The alignment of the Huatoki is currently semi-channelised. The stream’s banks should be widened, naturalised and planted with native species to provide stabilisation and a habitat that supports fish and bird life. Where the stream meets open spaces the interface should allow for people to connect to the awa.
The car park space could be converted into a pedestrian connection / semi-open green space that links the underpass at Powderham and the city centre to the Huatoki walkway.
The design of the open spaces and the connections through Sir Victor Davies Park should strongly reflect Māori identity, history, land use and values associated to the immediate context. This could include mahinga kai (food gathering place), occupation, waahi tapu, battles and historic events. This should be the driving force for the expanded parks design and a key contributor to the final outcome. Whakapapa and naming should also be considered through a wider engagement and co-design process.
Rejuvenation of the Mill building as an integral piece of the central city’s leisure and food and beverage sector, leveraging off Sir Victor Davies Park and Courtenay Street. Look at the potential for a public, private partnernship.
Through the design of the expanded Sir Victor Davies Park, the location and timing of the Mill Market should be explored. In order to create critical mass of events and markets in the city centre there is potential in the future, once projects come on line, to consolidate various produce and craft markets in one place in the city centre. This could potentially occur in a car-light space such as the proposed Currie Street upgrade.
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Page last updated: 09:07am Wed 10 November 2021