The backstreets of Dapto are perhaps one of the last places you’d expect to find scenes reminiscent of Melbourne’s laneway culture.
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But that’s exactly what Wollongong City Council is hoping to encourage through it’s future plan for the growing population centre.
In a new draft plan released for the town, the council has highlighted a number of short and long term measures it hopes to roll out over the next 10 years as West Dapto continues to expand.
“West Dapto will have its own new town and village centres, which will provide convenience for local residents,” the plan said. “Dapto Town Centre will therefore need to offer more than just convenience to attract shoppers and visitors.”
Using the same Danish urban planning methodology which it has used to encourage street life and small bars in the Wollongong CBD, the council hopes to prioritise pedestrians and make the town centre more safe.
At present, the council says Dapto’s “main roads are noisy and footpath areas are in poor condition, negatively affecting the look and feel of the centre”.
Pedestrian barriers dissect the street and there is 186 metres between pedestrian crossings, while most (66 per cent) of Dapto’s activity takes place indoors.
The draft plan says serious traffic congestion issues are likely to arise if the town is left to grow without intervention, and notes public transport is “inconvenient” and cycleways bypass the CBD.
Further, shops “place more emphasis on car parking than a welcoming street presentation” and the streetscape is dominated by unattractive car parks.
“Ideally, the highway should act as the main street attracting people to stop and visit Dapto with plenty of interesting and active shop fronts,” the plan said.
The council will focus its efforts on revitalising Dapto Square which currently “lacks an identity” and where “the absence of people gives the perception of the area being an unsafe place”.
In the future, the square would offer recreation, comfortable places to spend time and would include artworks, sculpture and representations of Dapto’s history.
It would include play areas, host markets and prioritise water stations and “water play” to keep people cool.
Dapto Square Lane and Mall Lane, around Dapto Mall, would be transformed into art-filled “inviting laneways”, with buildings opening out into the street.
When forming the plan, the council spoke to a number of Dapto residents.
“The best people I’ve met in my life have been in Dapto,” one resident said. “Let’s encourage them to stop in the square instead of walking by.”
“Google towns like Scone, Foster, Mt VIctoria, Crookwell, Armidale,” another resident said. “They all put effort into the beautification of their town and it pays off.”