1 Introduction The ACT Government has developed a draft master plan for the Curtin centre. The draft master plan outlines a vision, planning principles and strategies to guide growth and development in the centre over time. It has been informed by input from the community, stakeholders and ACT Government directorates. How is a master plan implemented? When a master plan is finished the following may happen: Territory Plan variation A variation to the Territory Plan to introduce a new code for the group centre is the next step of a master plan. The code can address details such as building heights, building setbacks and land uses specific to the group centre. The aim of this draft master plan is to develop an integrated and community supported vision for the centre. It recognises the centre as a successful urban village that is valued by the local community and retailers. Sale of Territory owned land Some Territory-owned land may be identified as appropriate to sell in the future for uses that meet the needs of the market and the community. What is a master plan? A master plan is not a detailed design, but: a process that defines what is important about a place and how its character and quality can be maintained and improved sets out how a particular area could develop and redevelop into the future sets out objectives and strategies to manage development and growth over time. Meet the planners: When: Thursday 3 December, 11am to 1pm Saturday December, 10am to 1pm Public domain upgrades Infrastructure and public improvements may be identified as part of the master plan process. This will involve various government agencies and funding consideration through future government budgets. Industry opportunities It is up to the business community to take advantage of opportunities identified in a master plan. When proposed changes are on existing developed sites, market forces will dictate when / if they are redeveloped. Changes may therefore take a number of years to occur. Where: Curtin shops, central courtyard Have your say: Please take the opportunity to read the draft master plan and tell us what you think of the strategies to guide the future development of the centre. For more information: Visit: www.act.gov.au/curtin Email: Curtin@act.gov.au Call: Access Canberra on 13 22 81 Comments close Friday February 2016 Meet the planners session, stage 1
2 The master plan study area The study area for the Master Plan is shown below and is bounded by the dashed red line. The area includes shops, a hotel, schools, churches, Curtin south, development and open s. It is bounded by the open corridor to the west, to the south, to the east and community facilities and land zoned medium density along to the north. Curtin is approximately 3 kilometres north of Woden town centre and 8 kilometres south-west of Canberra s city centre. What we heard from you... Community engagement undertaken earlier this year highlighted issues that informed this draft master plan. Key messages included: Protect solar access to internal courtyards. Address parking capacity and layout of parking. Maintain the western open s (but opportunities to enhance them would be valued, particularly by children). Improve bike path connections to the centre. Provide a rapid transit stop in the area. Make the connections between schools and shops safer and more attractive, particularly for people with disabilities. Provide more diverse s for older children. McCulloch Improve street lighting in key public s, including courtyards and underpasses. Make the central courtyard smoke free. Street There was a mix of views regarding provision of diverse housing, with some people suggesting that townhouses are Centre core 8km to City required, while others preferred detached dwellings in the surrounding areas to remain. Curtin study area Curtin South Western open Strangways Street Holy Trinity Catholic church and school How the draft master plan responds... Input from the first stage of community engagement helped develop five planning principles for the centre. Principle 1: Support varied lifestyle options for a diverse community. Principle 2: Promote the centre as a convenient and Curtin primary shcool 3km to Woden accessible place for people of all abilities. Principle 3: Ensure the centre is resilient to a changing climate. Principle 4: Celebrate the centre core area as an attractive low scale urban village. metres 0 100 200 300 400 00 Principle : Strengthen the sense of community and pride of place. Timeline of major developments in the Curtin group centre Prior to 1962 Land used for sheep grazing 1964 First residents move into Curtin, centre opens 1971 8000 Canberrans call 1990 closes 1999 Public domain improvements 2014 Curtin celebrated 0th anniversary 1962 1966 Primary schools, churches and supermarket established 1986 Aged care facility opened 1993 Emergency Services Agency moves to ex-school site 201 Master planning process begins
3 Challenges and opportunities The challenges and opportunities, outlined below, bring together the background analysis and the outcomes from community engagement in the first stage of the master plan process. Challenges identified for the Curtin group centre... Minimal population growth is anticipated in the suburb of Curtin over the next 17 years. Future nearby developments, such as the Yarralumla Brickworks and Molonglo Valley, could contribute to an increase in visitors to the centre. Limited opportunities for new development and redevelopment in the centre. Poor connections from the centre to surrounding areas. Lack of activity outside of the central courtyard and after hours. Opportunities identified for the Curtin group centre... Attractive and appropriate location for some increased and commercial development. Continue to allow for a diverse range of shops and services in the centre that contribute to its character and convenience. Improve the public s and connections into the centre to make it a safe and attractive place for people, and to realise the full potential of the open network. Improve pedestrian amenity, entry to the centre and traffic management on and. Reduce energy, water and private vehicle usage through the design of the public s, improved pedestrian and cycle connections, planting large shade trees and providing a rapid public transport stop on. Lack of visual identity for the centre. Inefficient parking layout and design in the centre. Pedestrian and cyclist barriers Major intersections Poor connections Inactive frontages Limited night-time surveillance Parking layout issues Level changes Block 2 Section 99 Future land release Potential mixed-use development Community, sport and recreation attractors Rapid transit route Establish rapid transit stop Improve pedestrian connections Improve public domain Potential redevelopment opportunities Redesign public and parking Enhance recreational Improve intersections for pedestrians Strangways S treet CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES
4 Vision Curtin group centre is a vibrant and inclusive meeting place for the local community. As a successful urban village, the centre is easily accessible and provides a convenient variety of businesses and services. Character statement The Curtin centre is a busy community hub that offers a broad range of services and facilities to diverse user groups in the catchment area. Sustainable and high quality housing options attract residents to the area, while local businesses and retailers see the centre as an attractive place to do business. There are opportunities for night-time activities, as well as informal recreation and leisure uses. Spatial framework The spatial framework sets out what the broad structure of the group centre could look like and shows how land use, public domain improvements and connections could be delivered over the long term. It recognises the challenges in the centre and brings together the opportunities to shape how the centre could adapt over the lifetime of this master plan. Pedestrians and cyclists are able to access the centre safely and efficiently and are connected to nearby facilities such as schools, aged care accommodation and the rapid transit network on. 1 Centre core 2 community and living 3 Community and open On-road cycle lane Shared paths Potential redevelopment opportunities Enhance entry to Curtin H Potential housing Enhanced open * Central courtyard Entry marker Potential rapid transit stop, community and living Existing surface car parks to remain 2 1 Centre core * H 3 Community and open * PROPOSED CHARACTER PRECINCTS SPATIAL FRAMEWORK
Strategy 1: Reinforce the vibrant, urban village character and social identity of the centre core As the centre and its surrounding community ages, it will be important to attract new residents to the area to maintain its viability. The human scale of the existing centre core could be protected by staggering building heights and protecting solar access to public s. The large trees in the central courtyard and surrounding open areas should be retained and made a feature as the public s are incrementally upgraded over time. Strategy 2: Build on the centre s attractive urban village style of development The existing mix of uses in the centre core works well and is valued by the community. The draft master plan seeks to encourage a greater mix of uses that are staged to promote sustainable growth and caters for future community needs. Active uses such as shops, restaurants, cafes and community uses should be retained at the ground floor. Primary active frontage Secondary active frontage Key pedestrian routes Pedestrian-only area Key public s Medium rise areas (6 storeys) Low to medium rise areas (4 storeys) Low rise areas (2 storeys) Service station Surface parking Supermarket Surface parking Western Open Space Surface parking Theodore Steet Holy Trinity Catholic Church PROPOSED ACTIVE FRONTAGES PROPOSED BUILDING HEIGHTS Central courtyard, Curtin centre Outdoor seating at the Curtin centre
6 Strategy 3: Improve pedestrian amenity and connections across was established as a low-speed vehicle environment (40 km/h) in early 201. This has helped improve safety for all road users and will draw more pedestrian activity to the area. could be further emphasised as a pedestrian-oriented street by introducing additional vibrant ground floor uses and activity, improving the pedestrian amenity and Strategy 4: Create an east west pedestrian and cyclist link to and Deakin There is opportunity to provide a direct east-west connection across the centre that links the development to the west, through the centre to the public transport on. This new link would provide a thoroughfare for residents accessing the Curtin shops, potential rapid transit stop on, and health and education facilities in West Deakin. introducing traffic-calming measures. Improve pedestrian amenity on Strangways Street Network of green s Improved entry plantings Enhance central 1 courtyard Opportunity for children s 2 play area Enhance off-leash dog 3 area 4 New entry markers Opportunity for additional recreational uses Pedestrianised heart of the centre Enhance entry to Curtin On-road cycle lane Existing shared path Proposed shared path Key public s Improved pedestrian and cyclist crossing points Underpass 3 Western Open Space 2 Strangeways Street 1 2 4 4 NETWORK OF OPEN SPACE PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN/CYCLIST NETWORK Strategy : Enhance the western open s for the greater community The open s to the west of the centre core are a valued community asset. The draft master plan provides an opportunity to preserve what is valued by the community and investigate opportunities to improve these s to further benefit the greater community. Opportunity for improvements in the western open
7 Strategy 6: Ensure public s are walkable, safe and attractive Public s in the Curtin centre are major attractors for residents and visitors. They include green s, paved courtyards, streets, parks and playgrounds. The draft master plan proposes to better connect public s and public transport to ensure they are walkable, safe and attractive. Strategy 8: Incorporate environmentally sustainable design measures in the future buildings and public s of the centre Improving the centre s environmental sustainability will enhance the local economy and further strengthen the sense of pride in Curtin. New development and redevelopment provides opportunity to improve the overall sustainability of the centre and can be designed to limit shadowing of public s, provide good northerly orientation for solar access and capture cooling breezes. Protecting and improving the green s in the centre will help: reduce the urban heat island effect through additional shade tree plantings; encourage wildlife, such as birds, to easily move through the area; provide opportunities to improve storm water quality; and encourage more people to ride or walk through improved pedestrian and cyclist amenity. Opportunity for improved cycle connections Strategy 7: Implement efficient and safe traffic and parking strategies Group centres in Canberra are valued for their convenience and parking. Two intersections Carruthers Street/ and / may need to be upgraded to ensure efficient and safe traffic movements in the future. This will provide an opportunity to improve pedestrian crossings at these intersections. Pedestrian crossing on Public art at the Curtin centre