Phillip Street Smart Street, Parramatta
Adam Cook

To reimagine a people focused street that encourages sustainability and a nurturing of urban ecology

Phillip Street, Parramatta has seen evolutions of the change that has continuously met the needs of a growing city. The cities of the future have a valued sustainability focus and there is a significant shift to reprioritise our streets into people-focused spaces, integrated with the environment and urban fabric.

The streets with our cities are the lifeblood of urban life. A complex association of where people live, work and socialise. The challenge is to reimagine the street experience by welcoming people with comfort and safety, encouraging interaction and a relationship that creates active street life. A place framed by a technology layer to facilitate the future aspirations of a growing city. A platform that supports digital connections, provides operational efficiencies, monitors human comfort, provides cooling of the street and harnesses sustainability.

A reimagined people focused environment is aided by reclaiming underutilised road space. This available space is reprioritised into social hubs and environmental outcomes. An urban ecology layer connects and nurtures people with a natural intimacy for the street. A cohesive combination of deciduous trees for sun and shade, the use of water runoff for irrigating planting and garden beds that filtrate water runoff before it enters the valued Parramatta River.

Transformational tree planting ideas are an improvement on traditional methods. Successful tree growth is stimulated by access to consistent soil moisture, increased oxygen and natural rainfall to the root zone through pavement snorkels and increased tree root capacity ensuring trees flourish to their full potential.