Jury comment
Goyder Square in Palmerston changes the game regarding the use of our urban spaces, turning the usual approach of car parks and overdevelopment into a busy, multipurpose public asset that can be adapted over time and activated quickly.
With its well-designed mix of creative spaces, public facilities and lush greenery, the square creates a new civic heart for Palmerston and a place wherepeople can meet, enjoy community and be entertained. The site’s cost-effective transformation is a model for many other towns that have at their centre a dead zone of car parking and asphalt. This project affirms that, with community input and courage from local government and business, good urban design has the ability to transform lost, soulless spaces into attractive, green places that prioritize people and revitalize the local economy.
Goyder Square, Palmsteron is located in Palmerston, Northern Territory, on the land of the Larrikia people.
To view all the winners of the 2021 Australian Urban Design Awards, go here.
