CBD Revitalisation

Reopening the northern end of Todd Mall to traffic and establishing stronger connections between the CBD and the Todd River were two of a suite of projects proposed for the revitalization of Alice Springs’ CBD.   

The east-west connection to the river is enhanced and informed by a specially commissioned bi-cultural framework called the Biodiversity Corridor. Sight lines between a significant sacred river redgum and a stand of sister trees at the river’s edge were re-established by demolishing a 30-year-old sail shade structure and rotunda. Endemic planting, wide pedestrian paving and Moth Shade Structures that reference three of the sacred caterpillars of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) form a linear pedestrian space leading to the river. Sentinel-like brick benches provide an edge to the landscape beds, with the jewel-like colours of their glazed brick inserts derived from the paintings of contemporary Aboriginal artists from the region. 

Water is a key feature of the Biodiversity Corridor. Beneath the sacred river red gum a Rainwater Reflection Pan represents the ephemeral presence of water in the desert, and the Parson Street plantings are irrigated via the gravity-fed Cascade Feature, inspired by a centuries-old urban watering system used in Isfahan in Iran.

The Riverbank Garden provides both a destination point for pedestrians arriving at the river’s edge from the CBD, and a place of rest and recreation for users of the river corridor. The existing mature river red gums are the most important feature and provide cultural depth and visual amenity to this area.

In newly opened Todd Street; lighting, street trees and furniture have been arranged to create clear unimpeded pedestrian access.  Street furniture in the project is bespoke and multifunctional to further rationalise and reduce urban clutter. Light poles double as banners, shade structures and power sources. Bollards serve as lighting and bike storage. Bench seats were designed by a local artist and constructed by Indigenous trainees using panels from abandoned car bodies.

The northern end of Todd Street links through to the Alice Springs Cinema and Youth Hub and creates opportunities for teenagers and young adults, to counter the view that they are a problem and a likely source of ‘anti-social behaviour’, to participate in the CBD. For this reason the northern end of the street is intentionally inclusive and supportive of youth gatherings and activity.  The Caterpillar Seats in this area are another reference to the dreamtime beings who formed the Mparntua landscape, and are designed to encourage skateboarding and play by pre-school age children.  The lighting, including a programmable light sculpture by local artist Ben Ward, has been especially considered to support the night activity around the cinema.

The overall colour and material palette is predominantly warm, to reflect a local identity via the warm  tones of the local landscape and to differentiate from many contemporary urban landscapes in other towns and cities that use cool, light greys. The colour palette is derived predominantly from the materials themselves, to limit maintenance, and to benefit from the ‘live’ quality of natural materials.