to 64 - Palmerston North City Council

VegetationFrameworkA preliminary structure to the Vegetation Framework consistsof the following key characteristics:Large Scale VegetationThe majority of the city centre’s streets are wide and generallydominated by asphalt and vehicles. Some of these streets havelittle or no vegetation on them. In addition to enhancing thecharacter of a city centre and breaking down the dominanceof asphalt, trees can provide shade, ecological habitats andreduce the heat island effect within a city centre.31The Ring RoadVegetation on the majority of the Ring Road should beconsistent in size, species and position (i.e. spacing) to inform ageneral character to the Ring Road and thus helping to delivera more legible and understandable function/purpose of thering road. The only exception to this consistency in charactershould be on Pitt Street in between Church Street and CubaStreet, where the vegetation takes more of an informalcharacter/layout to reflect and reinforce the East-WestConnectors (Cuba Link, Main Street West and Church Street).Cuba Street BoulevardThe Cuba Link provides a great opportunity to create a formalcity boulevard of mature trees that visually link the ArenaManawatu through to George Street and provide essentialvegetation within the city centre.Tree species, size, and spacing should be consistent and wellthought through to ensure this boulevard delivers a strong,dominant visual and ecological link along Cuba Street.Rain gardens, swales and other storm water managementshould also be considered when planning and designing theCuba Link linear park.In addition to the Ring Road, large scale trees planted in aformal arrangement should be considered for the followingstreets: Main Street, Cook Street, Cuba Street, Church Streetand Fitzherbert Avenue.Small Scale VegetationSmall scale trees and vegetation are intended to help definethe character and finer grain of some of the Place Streets,Movement/Place Streets and open spaces. They help bring thescale of the urban environment down to a human scale andrespond to the use of the streets and open spaces.Informal VegetationThe informal vegetation builds on the existing informal patternof mature vegetation on the old Railway Land, by theConvention Centre and in the Square. There is also anopportunity to use vegetation to inform references to thePapaioea clearing.Low impact design and small scale vegetationLondon Quay, PictonLow Impact Designand HydrologyIn addition to vegetation, hydrology (and the way we manageit) plays an important role in the future of the city centre. Thequality and quantity of stormwater runoff and inundationdirectly affects the function of the city centre and indirectly theManawatū River. Development of the city centre provides anopportunity to integrate stormwater management systemswithin landscape and urban design objectives. Stormwaterdesign should seek to reduce and treat stormwater runoff,while also raising awareness of naturally occurring processes inthe catchment. It is anticipated that low impact designapproaches in the developed landscape will contributesignificantly to the amenity of the built environment and helpcreate a unique sense of place.DRAFT CCF FOR PALMERSTON NORTH key directions [ kd3 nature in the city ]