Public Open Space needs interogation at North Eveleigh

The public space proposed for the Paint Shop precinct is not protected in the proposed planning controls as recreation space, the whole site has a mixed use zoning and an allocated floor space. In Waterloo South for example there is a public park zoned for recreation. The public open space proposed for North Eveleigh is not a park, or protected as if it was one in the proposed planning controls.

As can be seen from the Open Space Strategy there are three main open spaces proposed.

The first is the existing Traverser between Carriageworks and the Paint Shop which sometimes includes in area calculations the existing viewing platform at Carriageworks called the Upper Plaza.

The second is the Public Square which includes primarily hard surfaces, the required disability access path (because the road is very steep) and the sometimes included covered space under the remanent of the Suburban Car Workshop.

The Third to the east includes the existing CME garden with its well established trees which overshadow parts of the this area, and the space around the Little Eveleigh Street entrance and behind those terraces. 

In the Solar analysis (called a heat map) below everything that is not building is shown green including roads - this is one way of looking at public space and may account for some higher figures in the planning proposal. Locomotive park which is not part of the redevelopment is also shown. The graphic shows how many hours sun different spaces receive in mid-winter if not blocked by buildings. It does not show the solar impact of existing trees like around the CME's building on access to open space.  

If you add up size of the North Eveleigh parks from the table above in the graphic you will see it totals 13,085 m2 where the Statement of Intended Effect uses approx. 12,550 m2 for the proposed public space outcome. The Statement of intended Effects has the Eastern Park 650m2 bigger, the Traverser 310m2 bigger, the Public Square 900m2 smaller and does not include the Upper plaza.

Over the Solar analysis you need to overlay the Street Topologies map below that shows the roads, footpaths, lanes and other pedestrian access and movement areas.

In the Planning Report there is also a graphic that delivers different public space metrics but which breaks it down further into different typologies.

When all these are combined you get a composite like that shown in this summary of public domain amenity considerations from the Urban Design Report (p135). You also start to get an idea of what might be usable public open soft and hard spaces and what is likely to be landscaping, roads. lanes, paths and what might be a bit of green washing.