Re-imagine Tory street

This project is the result of a partnership between LAND321-SoA-VUW and Wellington City council (WCC). WCC proposed to develop an interim street design project on lower Tory Street. Following principles of tactical urbanism, the project aimed to utilise the expertise of university to run a participatory project which was then implemented.

Following different workshops with local community and wider public, eleven teams of students developed concept designs that were presented and exhibited. The public voted for their favourite design. The winning proposal was developed by a team of seven students coordinated by teaching staff and supervised by WCC officers. The design was implemented by WCC with assistance from the University.

The design prioritizes pedestrian space, reducing traffic flow to one way and removing on street parking except for three loading zones. The driving lane draws a chicane for reducing speed while creating three different areas for pedestrians, with paint strips and planters providing continuity. The central area was thought as a flexible space, while the other two areas were focused to hospitality and education. The platforms of the central area and the planters were built using sustainable materials and thought to be reutilized in future projects.

The planting was seen as an opportunity for education of native flora. Many of the selected plants are rare, threatened and endangered species. The planting design is as an abstraction of NZ landscapes, symbolizing a journey from inland to coast, including low-lying plants that are low maintenance and adapted to dry and windy environments.