to 64 - Palmerston North City Council

Church Street ConnectorThe connections from Church Street to adjoining mid-blocklinks, open spaces and buildings will influence the outcome forthis East-West Connector.This presents an opportunity to create a sequence of differentspaces and places stretching East to West across the Southernside of the city centre. For example, the section of ChurchStreet along the edge of The Square can be reconfigured as a‘Place’ focussed street, providing for further connectionsbetween the buildings, footpaths and The Square.The old Railway Land open space also plays an important rolein this East-West connector. The vegetation, footpath treatmentand street furnishing should also aim connect Church Street tothis significant area of open space within the city centre.Strategic Development sites 4 and 5 are positioned along theCook Street connector. Future developments on these sitesplay an important role in this connector.Northern ConnectorRangitikei Street plays an important role for people travellingin and out of the city centre from the North and from theAirport via JFK Drive and Airport Drive. The street links StateHighway 3 to the city centre.Views toward the city centre are dominant along this route asyou approach the city travelling from the North. These viewshelp visitors orientate themselves as they approach the citycentre. The Clock Tower (and lighting at night) in particular is akey signal. View towards the Clock Tower from Rangitikei Streetshould be enhanced and protected to ensure that visualconnections toward the city centre remain.The CCF proposes that the section of Rangitikei Street betweenFeatherston Street and the Ring Road will be a ‘Movement’focussed street, allowing for through movement into and outof the city centre.The section Rangitikei Street between the Ring Road and KingStreet is proposed to be focussed on both Movement andPlace, enhancing the sequence of arrival into the city centre.The most significant transformation for this NorthernConnector is reconfiguring Rangitikei Street between KingStreet and the Square to become a ‘place’ focussed streetdirectly connecting into the King Street, Cuba Street andThe Square.North/South ViewFitzherbert Avenue is one of the key Avenues into the citycentre from the South, the bridge over the Manawatū Riverand the Massey University’s Manawatū Campus. Views towardsthe Square (in particular the Clock Tower) from alongFitzherbert Avenue help to enhance the experience of arrivinginto the city centre and are an important part of how peopleconnect with the city centre travelling in from the South.The Northern section of Fitzherbert Avenue is proposed tobecome a ‘place’ focused street, with a reduction of vehiculardominated environment, increase of active frontage andadditional trees and vegetation. This shift in visual characterwill help create a vibrant and distinctive gateway andconnection on this Southern side to the city centre.Strategic Development site 3 is positioned along FitzherbertAvenue. Future development of this site plays an importantrole in this connector.The Ring RoadEnhancing the character and function of the Ring Road willhelp with both North-South and East-West connectionsbypassing the need to go through the city centre.The Ring Road consists of 3.4 kilometres of movement street,providing vehicles, cyclists and people a clear route around thecity centre travelling East to West, West to East, North to Southand South to North.The general character of the Ring Road consists of 4 lanes oftraffic, cycling facilities and trees planted in a centralmedian strip.Three of the East-West connectors that straddle the Ring Roadhave a significant influence on how the city centre Street andOpen Network functions. These are Cuba Street, and itspotential linear park, Main Street West, and the link betweenthe railway land and Te Manawa, and Church Street stretchingeast to west across the southern side of the city centre.Intersections between these connectors and the Ring Roadshould give priority (visual and physical) to pedestriansover vehicles.27DRAFT CCF FOR PALMERSTON NORTH key directions [ kd 2 connectors ]Strategic Development site 1 is positioned on the corner ofRangitikei Street and the Ring Road. Future development ofthis corner plays an important role in this Northern connector.Fitzherbert Avenue