Native planting planned for transformed Bridge Street
Bridge Street will trace a journey from coast to forest as part of the Bridge to Better project, with hundreds of native plants and trees planned for Whakatū Nelson’s city centre.
Developed through a co-design process with iwi, the new streetscape will include native trees, shrubs, grasses and groundcovers chosen for their cultural significance, whakapapa and connection to the city.
Cultural and Design Advisor Rōpata Taylor (Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Koata), who is part of the Bridge to Better iwi design panel, says the planting strategy reflects a different approach to planting in the city centre.
“As someone who’s from this place, these are the trees, these are the species that speak of this land. Bringing that into our streetscape is really critical and it’s appropriate, and I think most of us would say it’s time.”
He says the approach is different from how planting has been used in the city centre in the past.
“One of the big differences is the zoning approach. These are species that belong to specific parts of Whakatū – the coastal fringe, the areas inland – and bringing those back and honouring the plants that belong in those spaces is one of the exciting parts of this project.”
The planting along Bridge Street follows the concept of tai timu, tai pari, ebb and flow, and is expressed through three distinct zones: tai, hono and uta.
At the Rutherford Street end, the tai zone reflects the coastal environment, with plant species such as kōwhai selected.
Through the middle of the street, the hono zone forms a transition between coast and forest, blending species from both environments. Trees such as tī kōuka (cabbage trees) sit alongside a mix of smaller plants.
Further along the street, the uta zone shifts to forest species. Trees such as tītoki and hīnau provide shade, with smaller forest plants underneath.
To read the full Media Release, visit our website at News – Pitopito.
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