The City Renewal Authority is seeking Canberrans’ ideas on how to make City Hill park a more welcoming, comfortable, and engaging public space – the public heart of the city and the apex of the National Triangle.
Over the next six weeks, until 25 March, the community can draw or describe their ideas, and submit them through YourSay.
“This is an exciting opportunity to reimagine City Hill as a city park befitting of its significant location,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
While the City Hill Park is the geographic centre of the City Centre, it is disconnected from the day-to-day life of the city, the ACT Government believes.
City Hill marks one corner of architect Walter Burley Griffin’s Parliamentary triangle. Its planting and formal layout is a symbolic representation of the national capital: the six major avenues that meet at the park create its radial pattern. The ACT Legislative Assembly, the law courts, Civic Square, and local administration offices sit at the hill’s foot within London Circuit.
Today, it is a five-hectare landscaped hill, surrounded by Vernon Circle. Features include a flagpole, six avenues of trees, and the Canberra Centenary Column.
The ACT Government, however, intends to transform the wider City Hill Precinct, making it the municipal heart of central Canberra. Vernon Circle will become a low-speed urban street providing access to City Hill Park.
“Canberrans of all ages are encouraged to share their ideas on how this underutilised site could be turned into a more interesting and engaging public space,” Mr Barr said.
“The consultation will help inform the future of City Hill and the Canberra Civic and Cultural District and our next steps. This includes better understanding the park’s role as a centrepiece between the evolving Acton Waterfront, the Canberra Theatre Centre redevelopment, and connecting light rail.
“I look forward to seeing what the community comes up with.”
The initiative will culminate in an exhibition of City Hill ideas at Civic Library from 9 to 25 March. This will be an opportunity to discover what has been submitted, and to add more ideas and visions to the exhibition, the government says.
A ‘Discover City Hill Day’ will take place on 11 March. It will include a First Nations Walk on Country and tours led by experts in landscape architecture, active travel, and local heritage.
To share your drawing or ideas on the future of City Hill park or to have your say on the Canberra Civic and Cultural District concept, go to: www.yoursay.act.gov.au/cityhill.
