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LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AOTEAROA
Porirua Revitalises
Bringing colour and direction into the city centre
Text by Helen Frances Images by David St. George
SMALL CHANGES TO LANDSCAPE
and architecture are lifting spirits
in the centre of Porirua city. A colourful kiosk, greenery and street
furniture inject a friendly, relaxed,
more contemporary vibe. The
changes are part of a long-term
plan to revitalize the central city.
“It’s an exciting time for Porirua,”
said the city’s mayor, Nick Leggett.
“I think we’re poised for the next
wave of change here.”
Since its construction in the
1960s the life of the city and use of
the buildings has changed considerably. A mall, a mega centre and
the north city centre were added
in the 1990s. Sail canopies were
erected to create a sheltered
shopping area. But over time the
central city lost vitality and some
parts became downgraded due to
vandalism and changes in consumer and business activity.
Mayor Leggett said aspects of
the city centre had reached their
use by date and the city needed to
open up.
“The jewel in our crown is the
harbour and we have turned our
back on that. What do you do with
this big chunk of land and a whole
lot of commercial property that is
zoned? We’ve got to open them up
and connect the CBD down to the
stream site and railway station.”
Planning began in 2003 and
implementation has proceeded at
a measured pace as Porirua City
Council and Isthmus Group add
new elements and allow people
time to acclimatize and respond to
the change.
Two years ago, Council engaged
a group of people from across the
community to activate the space.
They introduced green astroturf,
some trees, tables and chairs a
basketball hoop and concrete table
tennis tables, all of which attracted
positive energy. The canopies,
which were at the end of their life,
came down, letting sunlight into
the shopping area.