Five years ago, Wollongong City Council set the wheels in motion to transform Lower Crown Street - not as a priority passage for cars, but rather a shared space for people to stay and connect.
The block of Crown Street, between Kembla and Corrimal Street, is an important link through the CBD, and since the gradual changes, it has seen an increase in spending, more event activations, and the average vehicle speed has slowed to 25km/hr.
"The trial at Lower Crown Street has been an exciting project to watch unfold," Wollongong City Council's Transport Manager Jerah Fox said.
"It's awesome to see the community enjoy the benefits today, given that the project was initially rolled out to help activate the city during the recovery phase of COVID-19.
"When we were coming out of the pandemic, we saw an opportunity to create welcoming outdoor spaces near dining hubs to help residents reconnect safely and support nearby businesses.
"Yet to do this, we had to reimagine the design of the road so it could achieve a shared space for all."
The redesign saw the street become one-way to vehicles, the speed limit lowered to 30km/h, and outdoor dining seating and planter boxes were placed along the strip. New transport infrastructure was also installed including a new raised pedestrian crossing, speed bumps and concrete barriers.
Driving more people to stay than to pass by
"The project was delivered as a trial, and in true trial fashion, there were multiple things that came up along the way that we had to pivot and make quick decisions about," Jerah said.
"It was all part of the learning experience, and the end product is really exciting."
Since the changes rolled out, it is reported* that there are:
- 25% fewer vacancies in shopfronts, with multiple businesses extending out to the outdoor dining space.
- 29% increase in spending.
- 31% increase in nighttime spending.
- The average vehicle speed is 25km/hr, down from 43km/hr.
- Additional car parking including two new accessible parking spaces.
The trial project was boosted by funding through the NSW Government's Streets as Shared Spaces grant program in April 2022.
Ms Fox said the changes have also made it easier for event activations.
"We've introduced live music during Friday lunch hours and have also held larger events here such as Culture Mix. It is becoming a valuable multi-purpose street," she said.
"We know the community can take time to adjust to the streetscape changes and we're really proud of the businesses and the community who have come behind this project and continue to use and benefit from Lower Crown Street."
Image: Culture Mix Festival
Image: Friday Live Lunch Performance
Image: Cyclist during UCI World Championships 2022
Roadmap to a better city network
In late 2025, Council endorsed its first City Centre Movement and Place Plan (CCMPP) to outline how people can move in and around the CBD area.
Wollongong is ever-growing with an increasing number of residents and businesses. For the heart of Wollongong, it is predicted that by 2046 there will be an extra 9,000 people living in the City Centre and 10,500 more jobs.
This forecast will have a major impact on how people move in and around the CBD.
Image: Lower Crown Street before 2021
"More often than not, when we think about roads, our minds naturally think cars, but we also want people to see that streets are important public spaces for people to experience ," Jerah said.
"If we continue to solely build and plan our transport network for cars, we're at-risk of losing connection and community in public spaces and impact the liveability of our city.
"We hope this Lower Crown Street revitalisation project can show our community how streetscape changes can contribute to a sustainable transport network for everyone."
Image: Lower Crown Street during concrete barrier install 2021
This project is a case study for one of the plan's key focus areas - to reimagine streets as places of connection and 'staying' rather than a 'pass-through' and vehicle reliant.
Council will continue to work with our community to deliver on actions under the CCMPP and the city-wide Transport Strategy.
