Junction Court, Nowra

A $900k strategic upgrade by Shoalhaven City Council and Place Score has seen exciting results – including a 30-40% increase in Net Promoter Score – for an underutilised space in the town centre of Nowra, New South Wales.

The Street Revitalisation Project was funded by the NSW government as part of the Your High Street grant program and endorsed by the Nowra CBD Revitalisation Strategy Committee.

Prior to the transformation, Place Score undertook community and stakeholder consultation and measured a ‘before’ snapshot of the performance of the space through a Street PX assessment. This resulted in a clear vision of how it could be improved for the community – and set benchmarks to track impacts.

Junction Court was identified as a potential drawcard for the daytime and weekend economy, said Kylie Legge, CEO of Place Score, with potential to bring more customers and their kids.

“It was unclear to pedestrians whether Junction Court was a road or public space. The project set out to change the dynamic and legibility of the space as somewhere people could spend time in, comfortably,” she said.

A colourful ground mural installed by StreetSTRONG now designates the space for pedestrians, bolstered with defensible spaces laid out with seating curved around mature trees.

“Street Furniture Australia’s Arc seating helped to create a sense of enclosure for visitors to sit and enjoy the space. The curved shape and enclosing backrest particularly helps parents with children to feel comfortable and safe,” said Kylie.

“Timber battens were selected for a warm and welcoming feeling. The quality of the material finish has grounded the centre with an organic, seaside feel, which speaks to the Shoalhaven story. We wanted the furniture to be high quality and beautiful to sit on, so people recognise it as a true investment in public space by Shoalhaven City Council.”

Timber animal sculptures by James Bunter are installed to encourage play. A sheltered area provides a programmable space for performances and events.

Tailored round Frame Planters introduce more greenery, and an Arqua Fountain provides further amenity. Monsoon Bins help to keep the area clean.

Post-installation, the Street PX assessment quantified the positive impact of the upgrade, with scores around cleanliness and maintenance, walkability, amenity, space for group activities and interaction, and overall look and visual character seeing a 10 to 30% increase in performance.

“There was an overall improvement in performance, in fact the street furniture score went from 5.2 out of 10 to 7.8, a huge uplift,” said Kylie.

The community now has a colourful space to relax and play, and the 30-40% increase in Net Promoter Score means locals are now more likely to recommend Junction Court to their friends and family, helping local businesses to thrive.

After transformation. Photo: Place Score.

Before transformation. Photo: Place Score.