Parks and laneways are key assets
Parks, plazas and laneways hold the key to open community spaces in Drouin.
The draft plan has identified a number of potential sites for development as key community spaces where the public can mingle and gather for community events.
Tract Consultants said the laneways of Drouin “have the potential to completely transform the town centre, if they are enhanced and more of them opened up to public thoroughfares.”
There are at least five existing laneways, some of which are publicly owned and already functioning as pedestrian connections, and others which are currently not accessible and/or privately owned.
“They can provide a secondary off-street pedestrian network that will add life, vitality and ease of movement in a safe environment.
“The opportunity also exists to encourage more retail uses to locate along the laneways to further activate them.
“In addition, there may also be the chance to create supporting civic places along the laneways that can provide places to sit, linger, and chat.
The consultants said a prime example for this would be for Festival Lane, which connects Princes Way to Woolworths, to continue through to the entrance of Woolworths where a new civic plaza could be created.
In addition, ground floors could also be designed to engage the laneways and provide additional civic space.
There is also a service lane that connects the key blocks within the town centre which should be retained and continue to be utilised to provide vehicular access to car parks.
The plan identified Drouin’s five public parks as significant assets for the town.
Consultants suggest the focus should be on enhancing better connections between them.
While the town area does not require additional park space, it could benefit from additional urban plazas or activated and widened footpaths.
“These spaces would be smaller, more intimate civic spaces that would provide places for locals to stop, rest, chat and wait.
“The focus for new public realm would be less on green open spaces and more on urban places with paving, seating and shade trees adjacent to retail, office and commercial,” the plan said.
Key solutions:
Encourage land owners, developers and business owners to invest in initiatives that will activate laneways such as pop-up cafes, dining terraces, ground floor modifications to better address laneways such as side entrances, coffee windows, or an undercroft terrace.
Prioritise improvements to Festival Lane given that it is already a recognised thoroughfare connecting key destinations in the Town. Improvements to Festival Lane also have the opportunity to tie into a new Civic Plaza outside Woolworths
Support the establishment of additional civic places for public gathering and events or improvement of existing civic places, specifically within the context of the off-street pedestrian network and laneways, and work with local traders to realise the potential, for example a new civic plaza outside Woolworths.
Improvement of existing civic places in laneways or existing footpaths, and work with local traders to realise potential, including a plaza at the corner of Main South Road and Princes Way.
Ensure all parks are highly accessible to each other, the town cCentre and the broader Drouin township, by reviewing footpaths, bicycle access
Pursue opportunities for public art and cultural interpretation within existing and new public spaces.