Hampshire Road Civic Green

The Hampshire Road Civic Green project is the final stage of the Hampshire Road Master Plan which was adopted in 2014. The Master Plan sought to establish Hampshire Road as the ‘heart’ and traditional ‘main street’ of the Sunshine Metropolitan Activity Centre by creating: •A safe and comfortable place for people •A unique and vibrant place that references its history and is a magnet for shoppers, workers and visitors •A sustainable environment that prioritises pedestrian, cyclist and public transport users over through-traffic. The key challenge was to create a resilient urban street for people to meet, shop and hang out.

The redesign of Hampshire Road provides an alternative to Sunshine Plaza, Market Place, Watergardens and Highpoint through urban design outcomes that create places for people, supports pedestrian and cycling and the economic activity of a main street. The Master Plan created four distinct zones that has driven urban design outcomes as follows: •Urban Boulevard •Hampshire Square •Civic Green •Shared Zone The Civic Green was the last stage of the Master Plan which removed cars, created wide footpaths and used green infrastructure forms to defined spaces, while separating walking and cycling. Hampshire Road supports nature, people, culture and active transport.

The Civic Green has created an urban landscape for people to hang out and shop in a green place. A shade study revealed that locating the urban plaza component on the western side would maximise shade and cooling of this space and mitigate the impacts heatwaves. Green infrastructure is placed in areas supported by structure cells or in portable green wicking beds that will ensure the urban forest can utilise stormwater and grow to create a very green place. A Vietnamese restaurant owner told Council the following on completion: “It’s beautiful. All my customers think it’s beautiful. We love it!”

Other key components include: •Two significant public art pieces one by renowned Australian and Sunshine local, John Kelly, titled, Man Lifting Cow, and another by Col Henry titled, Reflexio Qualis. •Water play area with stepping stones with water diverted to underground storage tank and reused for irrigation •Multiple event spaces •Portable green wicking beds that can be removed to accommodate the annual Sunshine Lantern festival occurs •The reduction of car parks from around 40 to 9 •Underground storage tank for water •Tree canopy cover will exceed 50% •Legible cycling lanes that connect all along Hampshire Road and will connect to new lanes being created in Devonshire Road •Multiple sitting options ranging from rambling walls, picnic tables with chess options, elevated long table that is DDA compliant, wicking bed seats and or course the lawn •All exiting trees except one were retained with another 50 planted •Coloured lighting of water play area and street trees at night and atmosphere.