Parklets and street art set to brighten Nelson Bay this summer Port Stephens Port Stephens News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - December 1, 2020 Parklets are ‘pop up’ spaces that create more room for people on our streets. NELSON Bay’s streets will soon be brighter and more people-friendly with the installation of parklets, street art and activities for locals and visitors to enjoy. The temporary improvements are part of a $700,000 grant from the NSW Government’s Streets as Shared Spaces program. Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer says it’s all designed to help support the community during COVID-19 and restart Port Stephens. “These temporary improvements are all about making our streets more vibrant and attractive for locals and visitors alike,” Mayor Palmer said. “Parklets are ‘pop up’ spaces that create more room for people on our streets. “They’re designed to be used for all sorts of activities including gatherings, café space, performances, restaurant dining, displaying art and more. “We’re currently constructing the parklets, which will be decorated by a local artist before they’re installed in mid-December. “We’re planning plenty of fun activities and activations to make sure there’s always something to enjoy at our new parklets. “While we will lose 5 car spaces, we’ll gain a lot of public space which will help local business and ensure our community stays COVID Safe this summer,” he said. Mayor Palmer says the ideas are based on improvements identified in the Nelson Bay Town Centre Strategy. “As part of the Nelson Bay Public Domain Plan, we identified opportunities to make our streets more people-friendly, and this is one way we can trial these improvements and see if people like them. “Our community will notice we’ve already started ‘stamping’ the road pavement on Magnus Street with blue and sand coloured paint to mark that it’s a shared zone for pedestrians and cars. “We’re constructing new amenities in the town centre in the Donald Street west car park opposite Woolworths, which will be finished before Christmas. “We’ve commissioned a new artwork for the laneway near Stockton Street to make it more attractive and enhance the links through the town centre, which is coming soon. “Next year, we’re also planning to create more public seating at the Stockton Street stage to create a more vibrant town centre.” For more information, visit https://www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au/live/resident-services/capital-works/2020-to-2021/nelson-bay-cbd.
