Drews Avenue project receives Agent for Change trophy
Published on 15 December 2021
The Drews Avenue streetscape project – put in place by Whanganui District Council’s town centre regeneration team – has been hailed as ‘ingenious’ by central government funders Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
Waka Kotahi’s urban mobility manager, Kathryn King, says the Drews Avenue project is an excellent example of how to open street space to meet the needs of the community.
Through the project, Drews Avenue was made more people-friendly with communal seating, bike racks and greenery and more attractive with road art and installations such as lightboxes showing UCOL student art. The built structures were designed by Patchwork Architecture.
“I was impressed with how the project team worked so closely with the community and local businesses to transform the area by embracing creativity and listening to the needs of the people who visit, live and work in the street,” Kathryn King says.
“The ideas developed were ingenious, including the giant marble run and the retro telephone handset with local stories.”
Kathryn King offered her congratulations to the team and the wider community. Her comments were made after the Drews Avenue project, along with projects from ten other councils, was awarded an Agent for Change trophy during a virtual ceremony on Thursday, 2 December.
Through Innovating Streets, Waka Kotahi has provided support and funding for streetscape trials to over 32 towns and cities.
Kathyrn King says the Innovating Streets vision is for “an Aotearoa where children can bike, scoot or walk to school independently, explore their neighbourhoods safely; and where you can hear birdsong instead of car engines, and streets are pleasant, sociable places.”
Town Centre Regeneration project manager, Ellen Young, wants to thank the generous input of the Drews Avenue and creative community who made the project what it is.
“Through workshops and conversations, this project harnessed the incredible creative ideas and energy of a broad range of people associated with Drews Avenue.
“This acknowledgement from Waka Kotahi really belongs to the community of people who helped develop the vision and had faith in the project to see it to fruition.”
New Zealand Glassworks manager, Scott Redding, says the opportunity to be part of the rejuvenation has been “fantastic”.
“Now we actually have an area where we can come together with our different businesses to chat, exchange, and share ideas and I can see that will keep going and we’ll also be a hub for different events in the future,” Scott Redding says.