Shared streets

Tony Milne from Rough Milne Mitchell considers the look and function of inner city Ōtautahi Christchurch and is inspired by the opportunities to create engaging shared spaces.

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 hard-pressed 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 father-in-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.

 A pedestrianised street in Europe

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.

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