Students tackle ‘boring’ city centre

As council officials and business leaders debate how best to revitalise Nelson’s “boring” city centre, a group of Nelson College students reckon they might have the answers.

The class of Year 10 students have spent the year listening to experts such as urban planners, developers, engineers, and architects as they build their own research and critical thinking skills ahead of developing their own plans to breathe some much-needed life into the city’s CBD.

“It’s the big end-of-year culmination of the whole year of learning,” says their teacher Richard Brudvik-Lindner.

“Thinking about their own lived experience, but also trying to put a different set of glasses on to see it from the perspective of the different kinds of people that use that space.”

It’s an approach that appears to have paid off.

“It’s a lot more fascinating doing it with your own town that you live in,” says student Max Harrington. “If you’re studying some town in Europe, you might feel a bit disconnected, you might not care as much, but… you’re actually thinking about it a lot more when it’s to do with Nelson.”

The class have drawn their projects from field observations in the CBD, identifying areas where they think work is needed.

Pedestrianising parts of Trafalgar St and Morrison Square, relocating parking from Montgomery Square to a parking building to allow room for more greenspace and café seating areas, adding more street art and buskers, and creating a night market are just some options they have put forward.

“After learning about urban design, you begin to notice areas of deficiency more and areas of potential that we could make better,” Benjamin McDonald says.

“I notice how boring Nelson is when I’m walking around,” Rory Shand adds.

The students will finish the year by presenting their findings to Nelson City Council and to civic and business leaders through the Chamber of Commerce and it’s an opportunity that the class is looking forward to.

“It’s real cool how we’re doing it,” says Max.

“If I was in that position, I think I’d be very happy to hear what the youth have said. If you’re a business owner, that’s your future customers so it’s good to hear so you have it in your mind when you’re making future decisions.”