Business and property owners remain confident they'll win the fight to reopen Wollongong's Crown Street Mall to traffic, despite a push by council to reduce the number of cars in the CBD.
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Crown Diamond Jewellers owner Zak Inan is part of the united group campaigning for change to "reactivate" the CBD by reopening it to traffic between Kembla and Church Streets, as well as seeing rates and levies lowered.
Wollongong City Council voted on Monday night to adopt the City Centre Planning Review, which would allow for better cycling and pedestrian access in the city - something Mr Inan has labelled "stupidity".
"We're not in Denmark and Holland where you see thousands and thousand of bikes in the city centre," Mr Inan said.
"Do they have any idea, do they drive to the office and straight back in the car then back home again?"
Under the plan, Crown Street would become part of a "pedestrian priority core" - covering Burelli and Crown streets from the railway station to Corrimal Street, as well as the square between Burelli, Keira, Market and Corrimal streets.
Various measures have been listed to deincenitivise cars, such as better bicycle access, lowering speed limits to 40km/h and changes to parking.
MMJ commercial real estate agent Travis Machan was part of a forum with council last week, and was one of three to speak on behalf of the group of more than 30 stakeholders (including the Illawarra Business Chamber and Urban Development Institute of Australia).
Mr Machan said council's vision for a pedestrian-friendly city didn't "shrug off cars" entirely, and the consortium was looking forward to further discussions with council regarding ideas for change.
"The mall is wide enough to accommodate a cycle lane, a pedestrian lane ... parking and a thoroughfare," he said.
"What we have proposed is for a single lane of traffic ... and angled parking which would allow for a significant pedestrian thoroughfare."
The group's aim is to have their views incorporated in the City Centre Planning Strategy which council will formulate by the end of the year.
Meantime, Mr Inan said the group would "keep at it with whatever power or strength we have".
"This doesn't impact one or two people, it impacts many."