South Australian Sites
Windsor Street Linear Trail
introduction / overview / images / location / SA-Projects
Landscape Architect: OXIGEN
Location: Windsor Street, Parkside (Adelaide)
In 2007 the City of Unley completed construction of the Windsor Street Linear Trail, a 950 metre long, linear park that traverses in a north-south direction through the inner-city suburbs of Parkside and Malvern in Adelaide.
Staged over five years, the funding for the trail was a joint initiative of local government (City of Unley) and state government (Planning SA). Central to the success of the project was the care and commitment of the City of Unley and the local community. This has seen the project recognized nationally as an exemplar of urban sustainability and the creation of biodiversity within a suburban context.
Previously the site had been an aging, open concrete drain taking storm water and overflow from the Glen Osmond Creek. Between 1997 and 2000 The City of Unley constructed a closed, concrete culvert to reduce the impact of flooding to local residences.
In August 2000 Council endorsed a proposal to develop a native and indigenous linear reserve along the length of Windsor Street. Oxigen were engaged as the Landscape Architects for the project.
Extensive community consultation was carried out with an overwhelming response being in support of the Linear Reserve and the development of an indigenous plant corridor.
One of the core values of the reserve from the beginning was communication. Inventive, interpretative signage was designed to further enhance this unique project and to educate the local community and visitors to the area. The trail is always in use by local residents and the Council regularly holds walks and information days for schools and the general public.
The success of the Windsor Street Linear Trail has been formally recognized for its commitment to the establishment of biodiversity and the promotion and use of sustainable landscape practices through the AILA state awards and South Australian Civic Trust awards. Recently, Windsor Street featured on the ABC program Gardening Australia where it was able to reach interstate and overseas to a viewing audience of 30 million to promote and educate a wider audience in the principles of sustainability, biodiversity and the charter of landscape architecture.
introduction / overview / images / location / SA-Projects
2008
