Case Study 2.1: Bank Street, Whangārei

The focus on the cluster of buildings in Oamaru Victorian Precinct has encouraged businesses like walking tours to establish.

PHOTO CREDIT: TOURISM WAITAKI

Whāngārei’s Bank Street presents an alternative example of grassroots community efforts to pull together a collective, area-based approach to revitalising a heritage streetscape.

Initiated through a discussion at a community arts centre in the area, and building on an existing base of Fairtrade certified workplaces, a number of local businesses began working together to encourage a better community identity built on a shared passion for their street’s heritage character. Working closely with a councillor advocate, the group has worked to inspire others in the community to bring the council along on the journey as a partner and investor.

In a three-year period the group has been successful in securing a series of small improvement projects and building its social and political capital with the council. Additional projects are now planned that will deliver more amenity improvements and further showcase the area’s heritage. This incremental approach, gradually building trust, confidence and capability, is often necessary, particularly when revitalisation efforts are being led by those running their own businesses or with other commitments. Tenacity and patience are also important attributes of this example. The group has not always felt it has the support of key council staff and at times has struggled to get traction for its ideas. While this situation has improved in recent years as staff have changed, key players in the group have had to remain motivated for long periods with less support from the council for their heritage revitalisation goals than they had hoped.

This challenge is relatively common. Efforts to take a collective approach may not always be met by a receptive council or be achieved in the timeframe that stakeholders want. Ensuring that groups of businesses and owners remain motivated and positive in the face of delays or disinterest from councils can be challenging, but is essential to longer-term success.

Focusing on incremental goals and projects that can be achieved with little or no council involvement can be a strategy for keeping those involved motivated during down times. In this situation it is important to continue cultivating relationships with the council, particularly as staff change and new opportunities to advance the project may arise, as has occurred in the Whāngārei example. It is also important to identify a strong, committed political champion who can help to leverage such opportunities and generally work to develop greater support for the idea within the council.