Square Edge is a haven and a home for creativity and Palmy’s arts community. However, its activities are primarily hidden inside, only visible to those who enter its doors.

Drawing elements of that creativity out into the street, while at the same time encouraging safer and slower speeds driving nearby is the objective of the city’s next Innovating Streets for People project.

Pavement street art is being painted on the street outside Square Edge across to Te Hine o Marae – The Square, this Sunday, 6 June. This tactical urbanism project is designed to influence lingering, cycle movements and to slow vehicles down.

For safety reasons, we’re closing roads near Square Edge on Sunday 6 June. 

“The artwork is a ‘tactical urbanism’ approach to test how we can create attractive, vibrant places that make space for people and help to support local businesses, and our arts community,” says David Murphy, Acting General Manager – Strategy and Planning.

“The artwork should send a clear signal to drivers they are moving into a slower speed area. We have in our City Centre Framework active edges to support the heritage and arts anchors in this quarter. This pilot may also influence the Church Street component of the Streets for People Programme.”

The project is a partnership with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s Innovating Streets project, and they are funding 90 per cent of the costs of the project.

The Innovating Streets pilot fund supports quick, low-cost interim improvements. These projects are an opportunity to test a new approach to co-designing and trialling interventions with the community, to get local insight and feedback. For communities, it is a chance to be involved in co-creating street design changes.

As with all of the city’s Innovating Streets Projects, the community has been involved in the project. The Square Edge community have influenced the street art design and they will be there on Saturday to paint the artwork and are excited about the project.

A poutama pattern features in the artwork. This was designed in partnership with Rangitāne and Toi Warbrick. Poutama can be thought of as the many stairs to the heavens or in this case, the many levels to obtain perfection in one’s art practice.

As with all of the city’s Innovating Streets Projects, the community has been involved in the project. The Square Edge community were given options on the street art design and they will be there on Saturday to paint the artwork.

The vision of the Innovating Streets for People programme is to make it easier to create safer, healthier and more people-friendly towns and cities, and support councils to do things differently by using tactical urbanism.

The Innovating Streets pilot fund supports quick, low-cost interim improvements. These projects are an opportunity to test a new approach to co-designing and trialling interventions with the community, to get local insight and feedback. For communities, it is a chance to be involved in co-creating street design changes.

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