Page 46 - Tropic Magazine Issue 17

TROPIC • URBAN AFFAIRS

11 keys to the

Cairns CBD

SPECIAL REPORT
Experienced planners Nikki
Huddy and Sharon Harwood
explore the key elements of the
Cairns CBD.

The Cairns CBD faces significant challenges.
Retailers and restaurants are doing it tough and
the streets lack greenery and vibrancy.
Here’s what we can do to bring it back to life.

1 Fine grain facades and 4 Diversity 7 Line of sight
active frontages
They have a rhythm to them. A This is really important. The more a city Knowing where you are going and
knowing that it is safe at different
mingles everyday diversity of uses and
consistent feel of 10-metre wide users in its streets, the more its people times of the day. Shields Street and
window and frontages allows for support well-located attractions. the waterfront are examples of where
activity and lots of it, inducing a Rusty’s Markets and Grafton Street are attention has been given to enhancing
natural, continuing flow of life and the best examples in our city. the line of sight.
use. There is huge value in eyes on the
street; people in shops look out, people
on the street look in. This creates 5 Time 8 Legibility
interest and can be entertaining. It A crucial element to vitality in a CBD. Makes it easy for people to
attracts people. Grafton Street is a Vibrant places are active from sunrise understand the city’s layout. How
great example of this. to midnight, attracting different many times do you see tourists on
people at different times of the day, corners trying to figure out where
2 Dead frontages week, and year. Think how differently they are? The use of landmarks,
office workers use the city compared signage, art, and places of interest
These turn their backs or blank sides to tourists and families. When we get allows differentiation of routes and
on to the street and leave the city and the mix of uses right there is activity corners by designing them with
the people blind. These areas are not all day, every day. Rusty’s and Grafton differing qualities of materials.
interesting, often perceived as unsafe Street are again the best examples.
and usually are places you drive to. The Esplanade and Lagoon area and
Examples include parts of Cairns Shields Street don’t quite have the mix 9 Robustness
Central, the western side of Sheridan of people across all time frames - yet! Places that are used for many
St including state government offices, different purposes, offering their
the police station and courthouse.
6 Permeability users more choice than places with
a single fixed use. Consider how we
3 Permanent residential This means the measure of alternative close streets for cultural events and
accommodation ways to navigate through the city. the difference between active and
Residential living is part of the Laneways and foyers through dead frontages.
solution to parking and traffic due buildings are local secrets and are fun
to on-site parking. It also puts more for visitors to discover.
people on the footpath - looking,
shopping, eating - creating vibrancy
and helping out our small businesses.
Locals living in the city use the city at
all times of the day and evening.

46 • Tropic • Issue 17