Springwood Town Centre Masterplan

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Consultation has concluded.

A vibrant town centre that reflects Springwood’s welcoming community atmosphere and celebrates its natural bushland setting of the Lower Blue Mountains

The masterplan provides guidance for infrastructure provision and potential residential growth through suggested actions and delivery criteria in six areas:

  1. Natural environment
  2. Culture
  3. Built Form
  4. Public Domain
  5. Access & Movement
  6. Economic Development

The masterplan incorporates three investigation sites that could demonstrate the potential to sensitively revitalise the Springwood Town Centre. As presented in the masterplan, the investigation sites enable testing of the town centre strategies and delivery criteria. The three investigation sites are the Commuter Car Park, Northern Car Park and Southern Car Park.

As part of the implementation of the masterplan Council prepared a draft Public Domain Plan that builds on the existing landscaped blisters along Macquarie Road to increase pedestrian space and encourage people to linger longer in the town centre.



A vibrant town centre that reflects Springwood’s welcoming community atmosphere and celebrates its natural bushland setting of the Lower Blue Mountains

The masterplan provides guidance for infrastructure provision and potential residential growth through suggested actions and delivery criteria in six areas:

  1. Natural environment
  2. Culture
  3. Built Form
  4. Public Domain
  5. Access & Movement
  6. Economic Development

The masterplan incorporates three investigation sites that could demonstrate the potential to sensitively revitalise the Springwood Town Centre. As presented in the masterplan, the investigation sites enable testing of the town centre strategies and delivery criteria. The three investigation sites are the Commuter Car Park, Northern Car Park and Southern Car Park.

As part of the implementation of the masterplan Council prepared a draft Public Domain Plan that builds on the existing landscaped blisters along Macquarie Road to increase pedestrian space and encourage people to linger longer in the town centre.



Consultation has concluded.

  • Community Forum & Walk- August 15

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    We had a great turn-out on Saturday 15 August at our Community Forum and Walk. Thanks everyone who attended and provided valuable input. We were also at town square in the morning and had some great ideas and feedback from passers by.

    The masterplanning process is now into Phase 04: The Preparation of the Draft Masterplan. The latest information is available for you to download from the library on the right hand side of this page. Please have a read and provide any comments below.

    The next stage will be the public exhibition of the draft masterplan, scheduled for late October. There will be further opportunity to comment then.

    Thanks!


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  • Understanding the Place Vitality Criteria

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    Making effective decisions about a complex place such as Springwood Town Centre requires considered thinking.

    Council’s decision to proceed with the creation of a Springwood Town Centre Masterplan is responding to community aspirations. At present a holistic view based on a thorough analysis of the local economic, social, cultural and environmental issues is not guiding the day to day decisions nor the long term desires of the local community.

    By Council dedicating time and resources to work closely with the community to realise a new approach for the Springwood Town Centre will create opportunities for the future.

    The Masterplan Approach - Place Vitality Criteria
    The McGregor Coxall team has developed a town centre revitalisation approach that integrates both masterplanning and placemaking together.

    To ensure a well considered and holistic masterplanning process, six place vitality criteria have been identified. At the core of the vitality criteria is the community and the crucial role they play in informing the strategies, actions, future governance and future implementation of the master plan.

    The Masterplan for Springwood will be developed using this process and will be continuously referred to in all documentation. To find out more about the thinking and approach please follow the "news" articles in the coming weeks



  • Understanding: Natural Environment

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    A KEY FACT - A rich natural environment reduces urban heat island effect in town centres and softens the hard urban character

    Essential to any vital town centre is the balance between hard and soft landscape, ensuring a symbiotic relationship between the urban and natural environment. As town centres expand, natural habitats are enveloped by the urban environment, altering the natural ecosystems and bringing the urban environment into direct contact with the natural environment. Key points to consider when evaluating and strategising ‘Natural Environment’ are as follows:
    - Natural Hazards
    - Nature and Biodiversity
    - Street Trees and Planting
    - Topography and Views


  • Understanding: Culture

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    A KEY FACT - A flexible public domain and built form can support and harness the cultural richness of the local community.

    The cultural uniqueness of a centre comes from the very community that inhabit it. Typically it’s the spontaneous outcomes and the diverse demographic that foster cultural richness in town centres. As it’s through a town centre’s community that the cultural values, unique features and history can be interweaved into a town centre, creating the ‘spirit of a place’. Key points to consider when evaluating and strategising ‘Culture’ are as follows:
    – Heritage
    – Events and Festivals
    – Public Art and Performance
    –Community Facilities



  • Understanding: Public Domain

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    A KEY FACT - Best practice public domain should form a seamless extension to the natural environmental systems.

    A quality public domain beyond providing an aesthetic component for town centres, can support a legible, safe and well connected network of streets and public spaces. It is important that a town centre’s public domain responds to the local user requirements establishing a responsive town centre environment. Key points to consider when evaluating and strategising ‘Public Domain’ are as follows:
    – Open Space Network
    – Safe and Unsafe Zones
    – Streetscape Elements
    – Streetscape Materials



  • Understanding: Built Form

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    KEY FACT - Variety in the scale and massing of the built form can if implemented appropriately provide a richer public domain experience.

    The built form and aesthetics of a town centre is rooted in its urban structure, quality of architecture and the nuances of building height, style, texture and colour. Successful town centres ensure that the built form offers a sense of arrival and enclosure to a collective entity or place. Good built form also forms a physical extension to the public domain. Key points to consider when evaluating and strategising ‘Built Form and Aesthetics’ are as follows:
    – Building Heights
    – Gateway Entrances
    – Town Centre Character
    – Architecture



  • Understanding: Access & Movement

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    A KEY FACT - walking and cycling to local shops is good for business and good for the local economy.

    Motorised vehicles form a dominant characteristic in many town centre’s today. However, the most vital town centres reconcile the dominance of the vehicle by prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and modes of public transport. By emphasising walking, cycling and public transport as a viable mode of transportation with a strong impact of health is leading towards a more sustainable town centre. Key points to consider when evaluating and strategising ‘Access and Movement’ are as follows
    – Street Hierarchy and Traffic Volume
    – Access and Parking
    – Pedestrian and Cycle Network
    – Public Transport Network


  • Understanding: Economic Development

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    A KEY FACT - Localness incentivises the economy, establishes economic resilience and ensures a diverse town centre.

    Successful town centres typically have animation, vitality, and an urban ‘buzz’. To create this vitality and vibrancy a diverse array of uses should be accommodated that cater for all user groups. This variety of uses within a town centre reinforces a multifunctional centre and ensures town centre’s are economically resilient to market changes. Key points to consider when evaluating and strategising ‘Economic Development’ are as follows;
    – Market Economics
    – Economic Heart and Mix
    – Land Uses
    – Active Frontages