Queensland Sites
Emerald Town Centre
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Landscape Architect: HASSELL
Location: Emerald Town Centre, Emerald, Queensland
The Emerald Town Centre Revitalisation Master Plan aims to reinvigorate, attract business and people back to the town centre.
The area s bounded by Egerton Street and Clermont Street, hospital Road and Opal Street. These streets combined to form the town centre of Emerald.
The more specific master plan aims include:
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Develop an attractive, safe, shopping, civic and business precinct.
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Provide increased shade and sun protection. Provide the notion of a continuous avenue of shade along the streetscape.
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Equitable access for all community members.
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Enhanced pedestrian network with an upgraded pedestrian orientated intersections to improve safety, circulation, connections and crate nodes for people to gather. Overall have the pedestrian networks Linkages to stitch the centre of emerald with the neighbouring residential areas.
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Enhanced use of the town centre civic forum.
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To act as a catalyst for increased private investment within the town centre.
- Develop an improved sense of place; and preservation and promotion of the regions history and culture.
The cultural landscape has strongly informed the character of Emerald, thus making it a unique outback town. The plan aims to acknowledge and interpret the town’s rich mining, agriculture, and rail history, design initiatives have were formulated as part of the master plan.
SPECIAL FACTORS
A number of factors combine to make the Emerald Town Centre Master Plan a project unique. These factors include:
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Rural Queensland project in which the community has a had a very strong involvement in developing a design for their community;
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Indigenous involvement for art and planting. Gained support through community workshop;
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Developing a landscape language that re-interprets the towns themes and history in a contemporary way.
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Use of sustainable materials including; solar powered feature lighting that illuminate to reflect the regions precious stone mining.
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Art themes that reflect local industry, mining, agriculture, railway, indigenous influences.
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Pavement colour and pattern to reflect the regions mining history
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Shade structures that reflect the lost vernacular architecture.
The project is estimated to generate $8.4 million within the region, though creating more than 50 additional job opportunities. The project is seen to be a catalyst that will help attract new business, encourage business expansion, improve the promotion of Emerald as a tourist destination within the Central highlands as well as help provide an improved regional lifestyle. The project will help set the precedent for quality design and public realm finish for the upgrade of private assets.
Provide an urban design framework that initiates a vibrant mix of businesses. It will also express the culture and heritage, and providing space for entertainment and community uses.
introduction / overview / images / location / Qld-Projects
2008
