MASTER
PLANNING
PLACE
MAKING
WALKABILITY
STREETSCAPE
SUSTAINABILITY
TRANSPORT
INTEGRATION
DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS
CASE
ROLE: Urban Design
CLIENT: City Renewal Authority
The light rail network in Canberra will be extended south in the stage 2 network extension. This extension requires rethinking the southern half of Civic's existing suburban and car-oriented urban form to accommodate new urban precincts. The light rail project opened up this opportunity; however, it needed calibrating to look beyond the existing urban condition and envision a new series of places and activation opportunities.
The City Renewal Authority is responsible for the renewal of this precinct, and raising London Circuit was not the baseline response of the Light Rail Delivery Authority. However, raising the intersection and removing the freeway-style ramps improves the walkability of the streets, the developability of the surrounding sites, and the creation of a new urban place.
This work was produced to convince the CRA and LRT boards of a more holistic design approach. This work also needed to gain the support of many other stakeholders including the National Capital Authority and ACT Planning.
“Raising London Circuit is a major city-shaping project, connecting the city with the lake by delivering more accessible footpaths and dedicated bike lanes. It will make Canberra a more connected, sustainable and vibrant place to live and provides an important foundation for extending light rail to Woden.”
ACT Government, 2022
Design Bureau (on Wallumedegal land) acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work, and thrive.
We respect and learn from their cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters, sky, and communities and their enduring contributions.