Bob Brown's new vision for Canberra gains traction

I had a dream/nightmare back in around 1988 that City Hill was going to be gouged out and made into and underground car park. I’m surprised that the ACT Government hasn’t thought of it, yet. At least in my dream, the hill remained green.

Bob Brown. Ha ha ha. I presume he would want this “Walkway” named the Bob Brown Democracy Walk or something. He doesn’t even live here so tell him to bugger off.

Rollersk8r said :

Also like the idea of Northbourne going underneath Capital Hill. Although don’t Stanhope and Barr want to cut off Northbourne at London Circuit to discourage its use as a main traffic route?

There are definite mutterings towards that goal but given that there really is no alternative for vehicles undertaking the Northbourne Ave crawl, it would have little impact on the number of vehicles, it would just create longer and longer traffic queues. At least bunging the cars below ground level for half a kilometre in the vicinity of City Hill would allow free passage down this primary axis.

The City Hill ‘tunnels’ wouldn’t need to be built as such, they would only need to be excavated far enough into the hill to whack a cover and some turf etc back over the top. A bit bigger project that the current Kings Avenue flyover, but not excessively so you’d think.

I like the concept although don’t understand exactly what’s being proposed? It’s being referred to as “Canberra’s Champs Elysee”. The Champs Elysee is a grand tree-lined boulevard, and this seems to be a bridge!?

Also like the idea of Northbourne going underneath Capital Hill. Although don’t Stanhope and Barr want to cut off Northbourne at London Circuit to discourage its use as a main traffic route?

A tunnel is under City Hill is a great idea. I hope they use time honoured construction methods and build it one lane each way initially. When widening occurs a fortnight after the grand opening, the govt can also incorporate a “collapse” into the new design…

Good move. I’d love to see pedestrian and cycle access from Civic to PH improved. Why not continue the said pedestrian/cycleway all the way up the centre of Northbourne? Oh that’s right … cars might have to stop and give way … silly me.

This is a good idea, won’t cost squillions (compared to bunging Northbung underground), and will sit perfectly with any future plans to open up City Hill and stop Northborne from cleaving the city in two.

I cycle along Commonwealth Avenue most days, and at different times of the day. When you’re on a bike you notice a lot more that’s going on around you than when you’re in a cage. One thing that I notice, especially during the day, is a pretty high number of tourists (no doubt confused and infuriated by ACTION, but also doing what tourists do in other cities, which is to walk and get a feel for the burg) bumbling along trying to get to or from the parliamentary triangle. It’s pretty embarrassing watching people try and navigate along the wasteland between city hill and the Commonwealth Ave bridge. They usually have a perplexed look on their faces, as if to wonder out loud why on earth they’re crossing exit points on an 80km/h road, walking on a pissy 1200mm wide footpath, and why there isn’t anyone else or any other activity apart from like minded tourists.

It would also help if that whole swathe was really ‘activitated’. Having caffs etc at Vernon Circle, as suggested by H1NGO, is a solid idea, as would a NewActon style development (the only private development that’s been well done in Canberra in my life) where the stoopid footsal slab and ‘temporary’ carparks are along the western side of Commonwealth Ave. (The conversation about how soul-less Northborne is between the city and Dickson can be had another day.) Top work Bob. Pity our own council didn’t come up with it.

What? No! This would disturb the possums and The Old Hobo who is settled in the trees with his beer bottles, across from the Canberra Theatre.

troll-sniffer said :

Northbourne Ave should be buried from somewhere approaching London Circuit to emege on the far side of City Hill,

Anyone who has seen the Plaza Maior in Madrid or most piazzi in Italy, will realise that our Sydney and Melbourne buildings were built inside out. Arcades should surround space not enclose service areas. While the internal parts of the buildings (once residential flats! My parents lived there after they married) could be modified and utilised better (back to the flats?) what is really required is to connect the two buildings with colonnades and open (market?) spaces, and removing the through traffic.

I think that the last time this space was used for true community purposes was the celebration for the end of WW2, where everyone danced the hokey pokey

Of course this is a pipe dream and will be opposed by the Canberra Centre capitalists.

I’ve got a lot of sympathy with comments from Troll Sniffer and H1NGO – planning in Canberra is pretty unimaginative and seems to be pretty much circumscribed by cars and developers…what you’re talking about is really interesting, but I doubt there’s any real chance of it happening.

Maybe Bob Brown’s proposal would at least be something and, given we’re talking federal funding, it might be something that actually happens.