Opinion Page Newcastle Herald Friday 14 August 2015 Text of article: Time for Leadership/Chance to integrate renewal and transport David Crofts Urban Growths announcement of a consultation process to share ideas on how Newcastle could become a world class city provides an opportunity to us all to take a deep breath and look at the opportunities before us. The sale of the former Store building provides a unique opportunity to take Governments Newcastle Renewal Strategy to a higher level. One based on people, drivers of city growth, and on integrated thinking across all agencies. Incorporation of the Store site in the proposed Wickham interchange enables the Interchange to become part of the fabric of the city, not just an add-on. An intensive development with retail, commercial and residential elements will cement the West End as the Citys new commercial core.But this will only occur if the Interchange is an integral part. The current Interchange plans do not achieve this and underplay the importance of this new City asset. Recent study tours of European and US cities have shown me the importance of integrating transport with city development.There is a clear trend toward promoting public transit and integrated transit solutions with urban renewal. A failure to do this leads to disappointing results. Newcastle is in a position to do it right, and should not miss the opportunity. It will not happen again. Access by most transport modes to City West is relatively unconstrained. Mining and topographic constraints are considerably less an issue in City West than further east. The Store/Interchange site is a great opportunity to kick start the transformation of City West, and to catalyse the redevelopment of the area. Perhaps Urban Growths partners in the Mall, GPT could apply their considerable mass retailing and commercial development talents to the less constrained Store/Interchange site?This would then allow the accelerated evolution of the Mall area as a boutique mixed retail/food/commercial and residential precinct in scale with its heritage and its surroundings. It is a true gem, albeit one that needs a little polishing The engineering driven designs for light rail down Hunter Street are worrying. Many in the community had visions of a greener, traffic calmed Hunter Street with wider footpaths, and a frequently stopping tram/streetcar style service. In short, a more people friendly place. As the detail of the light rail service has become apparent, it appears the service will have only a few stops, opportunities for footpath widening will be reduced and on street car parking may be lost. Business disruption during construction will be sizable. In short, opportunities to make Hunter Street a more people friendly place to socialise, shop and have coffee will be reduced. Furthermore, this option is considerably more expensive than the alternative- using the existing corridor for light rail. My overseas study tours, and observations of successful urban centres in Australia, clearly show that those places that are planned for people are those places that prosper. Places that are attractive to people attract shoppers, residents and investment. It is imperative that Hunter Street is transformed from a traffic sewer into a series of linked people friendly attractive places- like pearls in a chain. To achieve this it means the light rail needs to run along the existing rail corridor. This is much cheaper and causes much less business disruption during construction. It still allows easy access to the system. Most importantly, it frees up Hunter Street for creative people oriented solutions such as the trials proposed by Newcastle Council but now on hold. This solution is not necessarily contrary to the options currently on exhibition by Urban Growth. For example, light rail can easily go through or under buildings- it does so all over the world- if that is what the community wants. Equally, it can run through green spaces. The rail corridor solution allows for greater creativity in re-energising Hunter Street than if light rail was in the street. It opens the door for Hunter Street to be a people place. Perhaps the money saved can be directed to creative solutions for Hunter Street, or a well considered mixed use/interchange development on the Store site? It is time for all parties to unite around a common vision for the new Newcastle- one based on the Citys strengths, one based on its future potential, and most importantly, one based on people. David Crofts is Principal of Strategy Hunter Consulting He is a former Group Strategy City Strategy with Newcastle City Council, advised the University of Newcastle on its City Centre Campus, and is a Board member of Newcastle Now. This article is expresses his individual views only. Weblink of article:http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3278027/opinion-chance-to-integrate-renewal-and-transport/?cs=308