Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the laneways projects are part of a bigger plan to transform areas of the CBD for now – and the future.
“With more and more people living in the inner-city, this community garden provides a new opportunity for residents to connect with nature and neighbours. This new garden is the first of its kind in Wellington’s CBD,” says Mayor Wade-Brown.
The areas where café seating were located are being transformed into public community gardens and seating. This is delivering on the Council’s ambitions for urban agriculture which is about growing more food in the city and providing respite for apartment dwellers.
“The polka dots transformed Bond Street from a dreary back street into a local destination, bringing the area to life. The reinvigoration has been a real success, so we’ve decided to develop it further – including the community gardens, which should appeal to the increasing numbers of people living in high-rise buildings nearby,” adds Councillor Nicola Young, Portfolio Leader for Central City Projects.
The gardens will be run by the community and will include fruit trees and herbs where local residents and businesses can grow edible plants. The garden areas have been designed to fit within a standard carpark space and are able to be moved around to other locations.
This inner-city garden will support the Council’s vision of creating a more liveable, sustainable, and resilient city, and encourage people to grow and share food.
Community Services Manager Jenny Rains says: “We are growing our city and this is one of the projects supporting our city’s urban agriculture. It’s all about resilience – caring for the environment, encouraging healthier lifestyles, and community involvement.”
This Saturday 28 May, we’re having a Garden Party to celebrate the public opening and planting of the community garden. There’ll be music, children’s entertainment, worm farm making, and environmental activities, along with afternoon tea and plant giveaways.
The event runs from 2pm-4pm, with a rain day pencilled in for Sunday 29 May. Traffic management is in place, and vehicles will be able to use the street during the event.
Meanwhile, as one laneways project comes to an end, another has started with the upgrade of Egmont Street work starting this week. The upgrade of this laneway aims to make this key pedestrian route safer, more attractive and more inviting – bringing more pedestrian activity into the lane, supporting local businesses, and creating clear links between Ghuznee and Dixon Streets.