Richmond On The Rise! is looking to make the town centre of Richmond a more vibrant and attractive place to live, work and visit. Making this happen involves pulling together six key ‘moves’.

While these are similar to the six themes that we are looking to work on in wider Richmond [link], some of these ‘moves’ are more specific to the town centre.

The moves include:

• Building a network of green spaces in the city centre.
• Identifying key council-owned land that can lead the way.
• Making the most of the streams that currently run in stormwater drains.
• Making it easier for developers provide better commercial spaces.
• Improving how some areas of the city centre are used.
• Supporting growth in the town centre by increasing housing in the neighbourhoods around it.

The Plan aims to set up a strong green network in the Town Centre, by joining parks and reserves with attractive streets that are easily accessible and designed to be nice place for people to spend time. This would see more planting on key streets such as Queen Street and Cambridge St. and better use of existing parks, playgrounds and public spaces. The focus of green spaces is proposed to be on Sundial Square as a central public open space in the Town Centre.

What does the Plan propose?

• Making Sundial Square the public open space heart of the Town Centre.
• Adding more trees and vegetation to Queen and Cambridge Streets to provide green corridors and link to the park and playground on Cambridge Street.

The Council currently owns a number of areas of land in the town centre that aren’t well used through the day and week and could be developed in ways that help make Richmond On The Rise! a reality.

Development doesn’t necessarily just mean putting buildings on these sites but would also include the other key ‘moves’ described here such as new community activities. For example, a larger playground.

There are two streams that used to run through, or close to, the Richmond town centre. Currently these run through storm water drains and do nothing to improve the town centre. They are also limited in their ability to accommodate stormwater in extreme weather. These streams are a key part of the identity of Richmond, as they link the hills to the sea, both of which are part of what defines out town.

These streams could be bought back to the surface and become part of parks and green spaces of the town centre. They could also be celebrated and remembered in the story of Richmond.

What does the Plan propose?

• Investigating bringing the two stream that used to flow close to the Town Centre back to the surface, making them features in parks and green spaces, and better able to handle stormwater flows.
• Celebrating, in urban design and storytelling, the streams and wetlands that used to be around Richmond.

Upgrading the public spaces around the town centre and making the streets more focussed on people encourages developers to develop commercial and retail spaces that ‘fit in’. Streets that currently only have closed building frontages and footpaths can be ‘activated’ by encouraging cafes, bars, restaurants and shops to open out that bring life to the street and in turn attract more business.

Some areas of the current town centre have grown and developed in way that means they are quite disconnected. These areas are ideal for mixed use buildings where residential buildings have retail and commercial spaces on the ground floor. These areas could also be better linked to the rest of the centre with improved walkways and lanes or new public spaces.

What does the Plan propose?

• Encouraging mixed use retail, commercial and residential developments in the Town Centre.
• Creating additional streets and lanes that better connect the Town Centre to the urban areas around it.
• Changing some of the Council owned public car parking areas to other uses such as public green spaces.

Successful urban development in the town centre will be supported by strong connections to the surrounding urban areas. Increasing the density of housing around the edges of the centre and improving streets that work better for people and businesses that extend into the street will also all help to strengthen this connection.

What does the Plan propose?

• Allowing the development of higher-density apartments and townhouses, up to two to three storeys, in areas around the edge of the Town Centre.
• Creating more streets and walkways that join the Town Centre to surrounding neighbourhoods.

Thanks to all those who shared their feedback in 2023.