Campbell Local Shopping Centre
Project details
Location
Canberra, ACT
Client
ACT Government – Major Projects Canberra
01 / Challenge
Challenge
Campbell’s local shops are part of a familiar neighbourhood setting, with access from Blamey Crescent and public open space to the east. Worn pedestrian areas, changes in level and uneven connections between the shops, rear parking and surrounding paths made the precinct ready for renewal.
The ACT Government needed a design that responded to daily use as well as the character of the place. Community priorities included parking, lighting, accessible routes, landscaping and seating. Mature trees offered valuable shade, while their surface roots required care as new paths and planting were considered.
02 / Response
Response
Redbox Design Group developed the landscape design from final sketch plans through to construction documentation, building on its earlier forward design work. The approach treated the shopfronts, laneways and adjoining open space as connected parts of the same centre.
A paved promenade with seating around existing trees and a communal picnic shelter formed the design’s link towards the eastern parkland. Improved routes through the centre included a connection from Chauvel Street to the central laneway, bringing attention to how people reached the shops from beyond the main car park.
The landscape proposals retained mature trees and used permeable paving to support water infiltration and reduce compaction around roots. Replacement planting in the central island was paired with improved soil conditions, giving future canopy growth a place in the design. Brickwork and paving patterns drew on the relief detail of the existing light poles, carrying a recognisable feature of the centre into the renewed landscape.
Construction planning also considered the businesses at the centre. The documentation set out a staged approach to pavement and car park works, with temporary pedestrian access to individual shops identified as a requirement.
03 / Outcome
Outcome
Completed in September 2023, the Campbell upgrade brings new seating and shade structures, improved parking arrangements, renewed planting and upgraded lighting to the precinct. The path from Chauvel Street connects directly with the central laneway, adding a useful approach to the shops.
The result gives the outdoor spaces a stronger role in everyday visits. Routes, resting places and landscape work together around the businesses, making room for a neighbourhood centre that can be approached, passed through and enjoyed from more than its front door.
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