The City Renewal Authority’s Haig Park Experiments project received the highest accolade for urban design and planning at the national 2021 Planning Institute Australia Awards (PIA Awards) this week (24 May).
The Authority said it collaborated on the project, which sought to change the way the park was perceived and used, with the University of Canberra, Tait Network, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, and Dionysus.
“The project comprised of 26 transformational temporary activations, events and installations that were actioned between June and December 2019,” the Authority said.
“Almost 30,000 people took part in the experiments, offering visitors new ways to experience, view and understand the park,” it said.
“The experiments also offered the multi-disciplinary team an exciting opportunity to test place-making concepts and ideas to better understand how people want to use and experience the park.”
The Authority said that as a result of the project Haig Park saw a massive increase in everyday usage (up by 47 per cent) by a diverse range of people.
“People also started spending longer periods of time in the park, including children and families, showing that community groups were feeling safer and more connected to the space,” it said.
The Authority said it would continue to build on the success and momentum of the Experiments project in future renewal efforts for the park.
