Edmiston Jones moved into Wollongong’s mall in mid-2016, in the intervening years things have changed noticeably, not always for the better. While a great place to be and conduct our practice, with all the vibrancy and convenience expected of a city location during work hours, there are underlying concerns as to whether the CBD is reaching its full potential.
So how do we catch an apparent decline in visitation and increase in retail vacancies in the CBD with a view to revitalising the city’s core?
Consideration of the following could be a beginning for reimagining Wollongong’s CBD:
These are complex questions and not able to be answered in the space of this blog, but an approach might be considered. A worthwhile starting point would be consideration of precedent – what examples of a similar city and set of conditions work successfully? What is a flexible approach to infrastructure that addresses medium term problems but enables future adaptive use?
There is much work to be done!
One thing is for certain, we are blessed with a magnificent environment. The opportunity for Wollongong to be an even greater place to live, work and visit is there, and it must be seized.
Have your say on the future of the CBD, click here to access the Wollongong City Council planning review survey.