Aro Valley Upgrade

Aro Park

Wellington City Council is upgrading the area around the Aro Street shops and Aro Park to make it safer for pedestrians.

The work will start in mid-August and is expected to be completed by mid-October. It will be carried out in stages to minimise disruption. There will be access through the park at all times and the toilets will remain open.

Feedback

The Council sought community feedback and worked with the Aro Valley Community Council and local businesses for more than a year to determine how to improve the park and nearby shopping area.

The overriding view was that the area should be geared around pedestrians, rather than vehicles.

Features

Already, a large new sump has been installed in the road near the shops to help prevent flooding, and the footpaths have been resealed.

Upgrade work in Aro Park will include the following:

• construction of a well-like structure that will allow people to see and hear the Waimapihi Stream running underground
• a new path on the well-worn route across the grass
• an extension of the grass area, and improved drainage so that the grass is less boggy in wet weather
• installation of removable steel bollards to prevent general vehicle access to the area adjacent to the Aro Valley Community Centre and preschool
• off-street parking for community centre and preschool staff
• extension of the lay-by outside the park to increase the number of car parks from four to seven (helping caregivers to drop off and collect children outside the preschool)
• installation of a large new timber and steel planter box along the entranceway adjacent to the fence.

Further Improvements

Additional work in the Aro Valley area will include:

• upgrades of the planter boxes in Aro and Epuni streets
• coloured bands on the road at each end of the shopping area to encourage vehicles to reduce their speed
• a new crossing point on Abel Smith Street at the rear of the park.

More Information

Peter Kundycki
Urban Designer

Related Links

• Community Centres

Department Details:
Urban Development & Transport