7.0 Place activation

Place activiation in Kirra and Coolangatta will focus on improving vitality and interest within the centres by reinventing:

1. public spaces (murals, art works, events etc.)

2. empty shopfronts within Griffith Street (ideas only)

Based on community feedback, analysis findings and exemplar cases, a number of public spaces have been identified which have the potential to host local community events.

The proposed events fall into two broad categories, short-term interventions and long-term projects. Quick, temporary interventions are typically low cost and in some cases designed to test new ideas which may lead to long- term projects. These events can take place using existing infrastructure and existing City policies and processes. Long-term projects are larger and more complex, involving permanent changes to public spaces. These may require construction of new facilities or the development of a specific policy.

These events aim to enrich the experience of every day life. Events that invite people into a space, encourages them to stay and in the process transforms a physical space into a vibrant, memorable place. One that is inclusive of all ages, abilites and social backgrounds.

“People don’t go to the town centre just for shops, but because it’s pleasant, because they want to meet up.”

Olivier Razemon, Author of ‘How France Killed Its Towns’

Property owners of vacant buildings in Griffith Street could offer short term leases for locals with start-up projects or business ideas subject to the City’s policies and guidelines. This is similar to the place activation idea currently being employed by Maitland City Council. It may encourage a number of local entrepreneurs to offer an array of different products or services. This approach would allow businesses to test ideas without large financial outlay, refine ideas, test existing spaces and initiate new connections between stakeholders to secure permanent tenancies.

The ultimate result would breathe new life into the street by adding colour, energy and people into the vacant buildings on a permanent basis.

Example 1 – Use of art

• Community groups or local primary and high schools hosting art exhibitions as part of the Young Archie Competition and could include a guest appearance by a well known artist. This is an annual competiton for young artists between the ages of five and 18, conducted in conjunction with the Archibald Prize.

• In 2018, a pop-up community exhibition showcasing local artists occured in Griffith Street. From onsite observation, the exhibition garnered a great deal of interest from window-shoppers and others.

• A regular event which combines social gatherings and conversations with art classes such as ‘Cork and Chrome’ or ‘Pinot and Picasso’.

• Level Up Studio which is permantly located inside The Strand could host a temporary exhibition in a vacant building in Griffith Street to provide interest and add some vitality to the street. This would widen their exposure by making them more visible and provide an opportunity to link with local artists.

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Example 2 – Heritage sites and historical stories

• Set up a temporary community museum to celebrate Coolangatta and Kirra’s rich history of surf and beach culture, town history and Indigenous history. Connection with a place is strengthened when there are stories in the streetscape such as historical stories about a place and local identities. Vacant buildings in Griffith Street could be set up as a temporary story-telling lounge as part of an oral history program, to collect stories about life in Coolangatta from life-long residents. The stories would inform a range of other projects including art installations and an update to the existing heritage walk. Indigenous cultural heritage values and stories of the area would be included in conjuntion with City Indigenous officers and the local community. As a long-term project a community museum could be set up to display these stories.

The City’s Heritage Unit has a long standing relationship with the QLD Museum and South East QLD Museum Development Officer (MDO) and have delivered a number of other programs, exhibitions and educational resources in partnership with Queensland Museum.

The development of a small community museum or a rolling program of social history exhibitions could be supported by the City’s Heritage Unit.

In general, there are a number of heritage and historical interpretation opportunities in Coolangatta and Kirra across a range of mediums that locals and tourists could utilise such as QR codes, historypins and a heritage walk app.

• QR codes could be placed on information signs which link to a range of resources such as written stories, oral histories, digital stories and images.

• At various locations physical identification and interpretation could be installed that are already entered in the Gold Coast Local Heritage Register.

• A heritage walk app could be developed that provides supporting material for each place on the Coolangatta Heritage Walk.

The following pages outline potential place activition intentions and concepts for both Coolangatta and Kirra

‘Maitland is embarking on an urban renewal pilot project called Create Maitland to activate vacant properties in key commercial sites by offering short term tenures for creatives.’

Maitland Place Activation Strategy

87Coolangatta and Kirra Business Centre Placed Based Master Plan – February 2020 – Version 3

Griffith Street mid-week produce market

• A mid-week produce market for local farmers could be held in Griffith Street with stalls located at the street corners and areas where the footpath is wide. The market could operate from 10am to 4pm. This could extend into a twilight market from 4pm to 9pm for local artisans and performance artists. At certain times of the year (seasons) the twilight market could host a fashion parade.

Griffith Street long table

• Griffith Street could host a long table dinner or street festival similar to the street parties held at Fifth Avenue, Palm Beach and The Esplanade, Paradise Point.

Railway cutting heritage site

• There are a number of heritage interpretation opportunities that could include different mediums such as QR codes, historypins, a heritage walk app and augmented reality technology.

• A heritage walk app could be developed that provides supporting material for the railway cutting site and other sites listed on the Coolangatta Heritage Walk.

• QR codes/augmented reality tecnology could be placed on information signs at heritage sites that link to written stories, oral histories and images.

KIRRA

Qld State Libray Byron Shire Council

GCCC Libray

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Goodwin Park spring festival

• A community garden could be established next to the Scout Hall.

• This area could also be a venue for a spring flower festival.

• Goodwin Park could be the site of a multicultural event during Harmony week similar to the multicultural event held at Broadwater Parklands in Southport. Design would include features and furniture that have multi-purpose uses such as tiered steppers and open turf areas, moveable furniture and feature lighting to enhance night use.

John Orbansen Park poets place

• This pocket park could be a poets place for spoken word performance or an outdoor stand up comedy venue. Facilities would include power supply for busking and easy access for equipment.

COOLANGATTA

Greenmount headland art installation

• This location offers the opportunity to celebrate the international acheivements of local surfers. An art installation around the headland could include augmented reality with footage of surfers riding waves. Celebrate local identities including Stephanie Gilmore, Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning, Wayne Bartholomew, Mark Occhilupo, and Charlie Fawkner (1914). Connection with place is enhanced when there are stories in the streetscape such as historical stories of place and local identities.

89Coolangatta and Kirra Business Centre Placed Based Master Plan – February 2020 – Version 3

Percy Pease Memorial Park

• This park could be the site of a twilight market and also a long table dinner. Design would include features and furniture that have multipurpose uses such as tiered steppers and open turf areas, moveable furniture and feature lighting to enhance night time use.

Winston Street linear park

• This park could be the location for an outdoor sculptural event similar to Floating Land held at Noosa on the Sunshine Coast. Organisers describe the event as an outdoor scuptural event where ‘visitors will be invited to experience thoughtful, challenging and environmentally aware works that engage sensitively with these special and spectacular spaces’. floatingland.org.au

KIRRA

‘STORYPLACE IS A LOCALLY DRIVEN ARTS EVENT THAT SHARES THE STORIES OF NATURAL AND CONSTRUCTED LANDMARKS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD – STORIES MUSICIANS, ARTISTS AND OTHER COMMUNITY KEEPERS OF KNOWLEDGE.’floatingland.org.au

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‘Plazas are vibrant places that bring people together without separating from the street.’- Dina Bacvic, Architect And Urban Designer,

Plus Architecture

Chalk Street

• This green space could be a temporary sculpture park. Yarn bombing could be installed on the palm trees as a collaboration between members of the CWA and school children.

• Chalk Street could be reimagined from a thoroughfare for people, delivery trucks and garbage trucks into a colourful outdoor gallery for street art with murals painted on blank walls.

Warner Street

• The driveway entry/exits along this stretch of Warner Street and the wide blank walls errode the streetscape amenity. Light projections onto the blank walls would add animated colour. This could be extended into an event to activate streets at night as part of a light festival, similar to Vivid Sydney or Glow Gold Coast. Vivid is an annual festival of light held in Sydney during winter for the last 10 years. It incorporates outdoor light installations and projections, performances by local and international musicians and an ideas forum. Glow Festival is a three day annual festival of light held in July at HOTA Gold Coast.

Dutton Street

• This parklet can serve as a gathering place for the northern end of Griffith Street similar to a town plaza. A community needs places to gather and celebrate together. Places where people exchange ideas, goods and smiles, share stories, create friendships and exchange economic opportunities. While there may not be a town plaza or town square, existing public places can be reimagined to serve this function.

• This parklet could be a place for regular art installations similar to Valentines Day installations at Times Square, New York. Other commemorative days such as World Oceans Day, International Womens Day or Environment Day could be included in the program depending on the interests of the community. These temporary art installations could become a recurring event each year that continue the story of this place over time. Facilities would include power supply for busking and easy access for equipment.

COOLANGATTA

Situ Studio

Justin Bettman for @TSqArts

91Coolangatta and Kirra Business Centre Placed Based Master Plan – February 2020 – Version 3