George Street 2020 – a Public Domain Activation Strategy

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected

George Street 2020 A Public Domain Activation Strategy

Adopted 10 August 2015 George Street 2020 A Public Domain Activation Strategy

01/ Revitalising George Street 1 Our vision for George Street The Concept Design Policy Framework Related City strategies George Street past and present 02/ The George Street Public Domain 11 Activation principles Organising principles Fixed elements Temporary elements 03/ Building use 35 Fine grain Public rest rooms and storage 04/ Building Elements 45 Signs Awnings Building materials and finish quality 05/ Public domain activation plans 51 06/ Ground floor frontage analysis 57 George Street 2020 - A Public Domain Activation Strategy

Revitalising George Street

1.1 Our vision for George Street Building uses, particularly those associated with the street level, help activate the street by including public amenities By 2020 George Street will be transformed into and a fine grain, diverse offering of goods, services and Sydney’s new civic spine as part of the CBD light rail attractions. project. It will be a high quality pedestrian boulevard, linking Sydney’s future squares and key public Building elements including awnings, signage and spaces. materiality contribute to the pedestrian experience of George Street. This transformation is a unique opportunity for the City to maximise people’s enjoyment of the street, add vibrancy This strategy identifies principles and opportunities relating to the area and support retail and the local economy. This to these elements, and makes recommendations for the strategy plans for elements in the public domain as well design of George Street as well as policy and projects to as building edges and building uses to contribute to the contribute to the ongoing use and experience of the street. success of George Street. The City’s investment in the light rail project is supported New activities may include outdoor dining, vending, by long-term committments to upgrading the connecting creative or cultural activities or simply improving the comfort public domain. Sustainable Sydney 2030 outlines a of pedestrians encouraging people to walk, stroll or linger vision for three linked squares and vibrant city laneways. and enjoy George Street. Existing spaces such as Barrack and Regimental Square, and Martin Place, also provide important opportunities to Public domain elements include fixed items such as public support activity along George Street. These spaces will be seating, lighting and street trees, and temporary elements the subject of future analysis and concept development. such as moveable furniture, outdoor dining, and street vending. This strategy does not program temporary uses or activities, but sets the stage for coordinated and high- quality outcomes.

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Revitalising George Street

Figure 1 - Illustrative view - George Street at Martin Place

1.2 The Concept Design 1.3 Policy Framework Our concept for George Street is guided by the following The transformation of George Street is catalysed by NSW principles: State Government’s light rail project. The light rail and associated upgrade of George Street delivers on a range of State plans and policies, including: 01 An efficient transport spine 02 A pedestrian focused boulevard • NSW 2021 03 A legible spine • Long Term Transport Masterplan 04 An iconic street • Sydney City Centre Access Strategy 05 A 24 hour street • Sydney’s Walking Future 06 Linking the city to the harbour • Sydney’s Cycling Future 07 Connecting three great squares • A Plan for Growing Sydney

In September 2013, Council endorsed the George Street Concept Design, which details public domain improvements along George Street and its adjacent spaces. This concept has been conceived alongside the NSW State Government’s light rail project. This identifies George Street as the north-south route through the city centre. In December 2013 the City entered into an agreement with the NSW State Government to deliver the George Street light rail project. The City continues to work with Transport for NSW to ensure the best possible outcome, with a focus on a high quality public domain for George Street.

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected George Street 2020 - A Public Domain Activation Strategy

Alfred Street

Town Hall Square

Railway Square

George Street spine George Street pedestrianised area 3 squares Existing public spaces Figure 2 - George Street spine and connecting spaces Laneways

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Revitalising George Street

1.4 Related City strategies Detailed public domain improvement proposals will be developed over timefor each precinct within the City. To This study supports the George Street Concept Design, date the City has done studies for Chinatown, Harbour which forms part of the overall City Centre Public Domain Village North and George Street. Plan. Using a precinct based approach, the Public Domain Plan delivers on Sustainable Sydney 2030 Strategic The character and function of George Street will also be Directions: shaped by a range of City policies and strategies. These include the Economic Development Strategy and Retail Action Plan, Cultural Policy, Walking Strategy and Public Art 01 A Globally competitive and innovative City; Strategy. 04 A City for pedestrians and cyclists; 05 A lively and engaging city centre; 06 Vibrant local communities and economies; 07 A cultural and creative city.

Sustainable Sydney 2030

Connecting City Centre Public Public Domain Our City Domain Plan Design Codes

George Street Chinatown & City South Harbour Village North City North Public Concept Design Public Domain Study Public Domain Study Domain Strategy

George Street Activation Strategy & Action Plan

Economic Cultural Walking Strategy / Public Art Development Strategy Policy LGN Strategy

Figure 3 - Strategy Context

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected George Street 2020 - A Public Domain Activation Strategy

George Street Spine Retail Core

Harbour Village North Town Hall Precinct

Western Corridor City South & Chinatown

City North Belmore Park Precinct Figure 4 - City Centre Public Domain Plan study areas

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Revitalising George Street

1.5 George Street past and present George Street is characterised by: George Street is one of Australia’s oldest streets. Originally • Low pedestrian priority; a track for Eora clans that later connected convict • An overload of buses; encampments at The Rocks to the brickpit near today’s • Poor pedestrian amenity; Central Station, the route evolved to become Sydney’s original high street. The construction of Central Station in • Noise; 1855, The GPO in the 1860s and Sydney Town Hall in the • Closed frontages and facades. 1880s, cemeted the civic importance of George Street. It was a centre for commerce and trade as well as connecting to the emerging financial area around today’s Martin Place. The poor performance of George Street for pedestrians has significant impacts for the retail vibrancy of the street. It also George Street has also evolved as an important transport detracts from the walkability of Central Sydney as a whole. route through central Sydney. In 1899 an electric tramway was opened along George Street to Harris Street. Trams were replaced by diesel buses in 1959. Today George Street is dominated by vehicle traffic. Buses have the greatest visual and acoustic impact on the experience of the street. The result is a street which no longer functions efficiently for pedestrians or vehicles.

Number of pedestrians between 10am - 10pm on a summer weekday 126,360 30,250 6pm - 10pm

10am - 6pm 96,110 79,670 13,120 72,100 61,360 15,700 58,140 57,280 66,550 2,130 57,410 55,610 59,230 8,470 14,790 11,510 56,400 12,060 39,780 49,670 45,900 6,040 42,490 43,550 33,740

2007 2007 2004 2004 2002 2005 2005 2004 2004 George St Pitt St Swanston St Bourke St Mall Rundle Mall Drottninggatan Strøget Regent St Oxford St Sydney Sydney Melbourne Melbourne Adelaide Stockholm Copehagen London London

Figure 5 - Source: Public Spaces Public Life - City of Sydney 2007 (Gehl Architects)

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected George Street 2020 - A Public Domain Activation Strategy

Figure 6 - George Street 1930

Figure 7 - George Street today

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Revitalising George Street

Figure 8

Public Spaces/Public Life, 2007 In 2007 the City of Sydney commissioned Gehl Architects to create a blueprint to turn Sydney into a people-friendly, public transport-oriented and green city. The study provided Sydney a comprehensive set of ideas and recommendations to transform the city. The Public Spaces/ Public Life study provided the genesis for the George 64452198712972197264126454671267517912761439486476504319864098765456498645654830282723098025620834765308456084756746574901093874638765038475630486534876530847654756746548457685493187654198347659138476574389347183945693847659348756987465657483987462908364028374673569287562837638

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46574901093874638765038475630486534876530847654756746548457685493187654198347659138476574389347183945693847659348756987465657483987462908364028374673569287562837638675101031478410101157513464673464644876983569387465921153835482314833563434934734976345439176153973165431976513497

• Identity; 61534431417465914876454695468546109874564501834756013846013876748500545448965108376505851533476683651985695186985698457649518645918615439835469813634876530847654756746548457685493187654198347659138476574389347183945693847659348756987465657483987462908364028374673569287562837638

75179127614394864765043198640987654564986456548356450183475601384601387674850054544896510837650585153347668365198569518698569845764951864591861543983546981367513464673464644876983569387465938652115383548231483356343493473497634543917615397316543197651349761534431417465914876454

69546854610987456450183475601384601387674850054544896510837650585153347668365198569518698569845764951864591861543983546981363487653084765475674654845768549318765419834765913847657438934718394569384765934875698746565748398746504319864098765456498645654830282723098025620834765308 • Economics; and 45608475674657490109387463876503847563048653487653084765475674654845768549318765419834765913847657438934718394569384765934875698746565748398746290836402837467356928756283763867510103147841010115751346467346464487698356938746592115383548231483356343493473497634543917615397316543 19765134976153443141746591487645469546854610987456450183475601384601387674850054544896510837650585153347668365198569518698569845764951864591861543983546981363487653084765475674654845768549318765419834765913847657438934718394569384765934875698746565748398746290836402837467356928

75628376386751010314784101011575134646734646448769835693874659386521153835482314833563434934734976345439176153973165431976513497615344314174659148764546954685461098745645018347560138460138767485005454489651083765058515334766836519856951869856984576495186459144521987129721972641

26454671267517912761439486476504319864098765456498645654830282723098025620834765308456084756746574901093874638765038475630486534876530847654756746548457685493187654198347659138476574389347183945693847659348756987465657483987462908364028374673569287562837638675101031478410101157 51346467346464487698356938746593865211538354823148335634349347349763454391761539731654319765134976153443141746591487645469546854610987456450183475601384601387674850054544896510837650585153347668365198569518698569845764951864591861543983546981363487653084DRAFT 18.11.2014 765475674654845768549318 • Environmental impacts. 76541983476591384765743893471839456938476593487569874656574839874629083640283746735692875628376386751010314784101011575134646734646448769835693874659386521153835482314833563434934734976345439176153973165431976513497615344314174659148764546954685461098745645018347560138460138767 48500545448965108376505851533476683651985695186985698457649518645918615439835469813675134646734646448769835693874659386521153835482314833563434934734976345439176153973165431976513497615344314174659148764546954685461098745645018347560138460138767485005454DATA COLLECTION GEORGE STREET SYDNEY 2014 489651083765058515334766

836519856951869856984576495186459186154398354698136348765308476547567465484576854931876541983476591384765743893471839456938476593487569874656574839874629083640283746735687129721972641264546712675179127614394864765043198640987654564986456548302827230980256208347653084560847567461

57490109387463876503847563048653487653084765475674654845768549318765419834765913847657438934718394569384765934875698746565748398746290836402837467356928756283763867510103147841010115751346467346464487698356938746593865211538354823148335634349347349763454391761539731654319765134 The City will use this data to measure the performance of George Street as it transforms to a pedestrian and light rail corridor. This will allow better comparisons to be drawn between George Street and other Sydney streets, as well as great streets in other cities and countries. The benchmarking data will be useful in assessing the pedestrianised area of George Street. It will determine the degree to which we can further activate the street to encourage pedestrian movement.

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected George Street 2020 - A Public Domain Activation Strategy

TRANSFORMING GEORGE STREET

ECONOMICS MOBILITY PUBLIC LIFE IDENTITY DESIGN PRINCIPLES Seven design principles have guided the development of City of Sydney's Concept Design for George Street's transformation.

The overall targets of the design principles are to deliver a strengthened identity, an improved mobility, an invigorated public life, and a more resilient economy. Through achieving these four overarching goals George Street will experience an improved business economy that will benefit the entire city centre as more CONNECTING visitors are attracted and people are invited to A 24-HOUR LINKING THE CITY A LEGIBLE SPINE AN ICONIC THREE GREAT stay longer. AN EFFICIENT A PEDESTRIAN STREET TO THE HARBOUR STREET SQUARES TRANSPORT FOCUSED The links between the overall targets and the BOULEVARD design principles are shown on this page. SPINE

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS The following pages describes central key performance indicators which can be used Circular for measuring the transformation process of Quay Bridge Street Circular Circular Quay George Street. They have been selected based Quay on their ability to deliver the above targets Bridge Street and principles. Based on these indicators four Bridge Street success criteria are suggested. In the coming WynyardCircuClircarular Wynyard Streege Street t ar years other indicators and success criteria QuayQuay BridBgeri d CircuClircarul CircuClaircrular QuayQuay could be added to the list. Market StreetQuayQuay Market Street BridBgeri dStreege Street t BridgeBri dStreege Street t The report continues to present the data Town Hall l Town Hal Town Hall Town Hall collected for this report. This data has been WynyaWynyard rd e Square WynyaWynyard rd Squar organized in four chapters, Identity, Mobility, LiverpoolLiverpool Stree Street t MarMaketr Streeket Street t Public Life and Economics. The first three MarkMaet rStreeket Street t Liverpool Street

chapters focus on conditions and impacts Hay Street Central Hay Street l l Central on George Street, whereas the Economics TownTTo oHawnwnlTl oHaHawnlll Hal Station l l TownTSto Haawntioll nHaTllownT oHawnl Hal e e chapter also considers the transformation SquaSqreuare SquaSqr uar StreeStreet t of George Street in relation to the whole of CentrLaiverpooll LLiverpooliverpoolL Streeiverpool Street t Central Sydney's central business district. LiverpoolLiverpool Stree Street t Hay HayStree Street t CentrCeanl tral Hay HayStree Street t StatioStnation CentrCaelntral StatioStnation 7 04 DATA COLLECTION GEORGE STREET SYDNEY 2014 CentrCaelntral 02 03 An iconic 6 07 01 ntrCeanl tral n A legible 05 0 07 nnecting An effCeicient A pedestria street 05 ur 06Linking the Co DATA COLLECTION GEORGE STREET SYDNEY 2014 spine 04 A 24-ho 6 transport focused 03 to the three great 01 02rd street Linkingcity the Connecting spine bouleva An iconic A 24-hour harbour squares An efficient A pedestrian A legible street city to the three great focused spine 0044street harbour squares transport 0022 0033 Anico iconicnic 66 0077 0011 peestridestrianan A legiblA legible e An 0055 00 007C7oCnnonnectiectingn g spineAnAn eff eiciefficientnt Aboulevard peA d streestreet t 0055 24-ohuorur 006L6inkLinkingin tgh eth e focfocuseudse d spispinene0033 0044 A 24-A h threethree gre great at trantransport1sport 0022 streestreet t citcity toy toth ethe ConnectingConnecting 0spi01ene boboulevulevardard A 24-hourA 24-hour LinkingLinking the the sqsquauaresres spin A pedestrianA pedestrian A legibleA legible AnAn iconic iconic citycityha toha rboto therbo theurur threethree great great AnAn efficient efficient streetstreet streetstreet squaressquares transporttransport focusedfocused spinespine harbourharbour boulevardboulevard Figure 9 - Excerpt - George Street Benchmarkingspinespine Study (Gehl Architects)

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected Figure 10 - Illustrative view - George Street Concept Design

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected George Street 2020 - A Public Domain Activation Strategy

The George Street Public Domain

2.1 Activation principles The City’s vision for George Street is guided by the following principles:

• Maximisation of space for pedestrians • Minimisation of clutter in the streetscape • A balance between public and private occupation of space • A 24-hour street offering diversity of use beyond traditional business hours • A dedicated flex-zone to contain all furnishings and free standing elements • A co-ordinated suite of elements • Universal accessibility • High quality design and materiality

The implications of these principles for the public domain and building edges of George Street will be developed in this strategy.

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected The George Street Public Domain

2.2 Organising principles The flex-zone George Street’s organising principles, general layout The remaining space between the pedestrian movement and extent of pedestrianisation are set out in the zone and either the kerb (in non pedestrianised areas) or George Street Concept Design (endorsed 2013). The the tree zone (in pedestrianised areas) is referred to as the organisation of the public domain is explained below. ‘flex-zone’. It contains all the permanent and temporary public domain elements required along the length of the Universal access street. George Street will be the primary north-south corridor Fixed furniture such as seating, bins and bubblers will for pedestrian movement in Central Sydney. Safe and be located in the flex-zone.Where the width of the street comfortable movement for all is an important part of a high- allows, the wider flex-zone can accommodate activity quality public domain. such as transient seating, outdoor dining or trading. The transformation of George Street, including The pedestrianised area of George Street presents the pedestrianisation of about 1km of the street, is an primary opportunitiy for utilising the flex-zone. Outside the unprecedented opportunity to improve universal access. A pedestrianised area the width of the flex-zone is limited, or continuous shore line is an important tool for pedestrians non-existent. with mobility impairments to find their way along the street The flex-zone is indicated on the block-by-block plans in and use the north-south spine of the city. Part 5 of this document. Providing a clear, uncluttered path of travel is a priority. To achieve this, a 3.6m minimum width pedestrian movement Design recommendations zone will be provided along the property boundary on each side of the street. • Provide a minimum 3.6m clear corridor for pedestrian movement along the property boundary on each side of George Street. Tram movement and infrastructure • Provide an approximately 6.75m wide corridor for light The light rail has allowed for increased pedestrian space rail, clear of any fixtures or intrusions (the light rail DKE). along George Street. In both pedestrianised and non- pedestrianised areas, a safe light rail corridor and adequate • Provide a zone along each side of the light rail DKE to clear space for pedestrian movement are priorities. To accommodate street tree planting and smart poles, as accommodate tram movement and infrastructure these shown. principles will be adopted. • The flex-zone occupies the remainder of the footpath • An approx. 6.75m wide corridor for light rail movement area, and contains all fixed and temporary public domain (referred to as the Light Rail Developed Kinematic elements. Envelope or DKE) will be provided down the centre of the • Where conditions have been satisfied and the remaining street.* flex-zone has a useable width of at least 3m, activity such • A tree zone will be provided along each side of the light as transient seating, outdoor dining or trading can be rail DKE to contain street trees and smart poles. The considered. centreline of trees is to be 0.9m from the DKE in the pedestrianised area.

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected George Street 2020 - A Public Domain Activation Strategy

PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT ZONE 3.6m

varies FLEX ZONE 0-4.2m

TREE ZONE 1.35m

LIGHT RAIL approx. DKE ZONE 6.75m

TREE ZONE 1.35m varies FLEX ZONE 0-4.2m

PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT ZONE 3.6m

Figure 11 - Pedestrianised area - spatial requirement

PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT ZONE 3.6m

FLEX ZONE varies 0-2.7m TREE ZONE 1.35m

TRAFFIC varies

LIGHT RAIL approx. DKE ZONE 6.75m

TRAFFIC varies

TREE ZONE 1.35m PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT ZONE 3.6m

Figure 12 - Non-pedestrianised area - spatial requirements

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected The George Street Public Domain

Flex-Zone Activation Ideas

–– moveable seating

–– outdoor trading

–– food trucks

–– pop-up gardens

–– temporary art Figure 13

–– outdoor dining

–– performances

–– curated displays

–– event information

–– street music Figure 14 –– evening markets

–– busking

–– wi-fi hotspots

–– and more>

Figure 15

Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected