What is Miller Place, the proposed “world class” pedestrian precinct in North Sydney?

North Sydney Council have on Tuesday released a study outlining their vision for a new pedestrian plaza on a stretch of Miller Street.

The proposed “Miller Place” is to be a “world class pedestrian plaza”, according to Mayor Zoe Baker, designed in collaboration with Lendlease and Business Sydney.

Miller Place would cover the area from the Pacific Highway to Berry Street.

The case for Miller Place

The plane tree-lined space will contain new bars, restaurants and pedestrian and child-friendly lawns. There will be public artwork as well as seasonal and festive offerings, the study promises.

The Council said the space “could rival that of cities worldwide” and the study cites the success of George Street’s transformation as well as referencing pedestrian plazas in European cities like Copenhagen, Zurich and Florence.

One of the main reasons the study claimed “pedestrian-friendly hubs are vital” is that by 2036, population growth will cause pedestrian activity to increase by 50% and 22,000 more people will use North Sydney streets and public spaces on weekdays.

What does the community think?

The North Shore Lorikeet reviewed the feedback on social media to get a sense of the community response so far.

“North Sydney needs a better sense of ‘place’ and with the new High Street on-ramp there will be less need for Miller Street to be open to vehicles,” one top comment on a community group Facebook post said.

Another chimed in with: “Definitely something worth considering, especially looking at the success of George Street in the city.”

Some feedback is mixed, with one responder saying they’d prefer for this to wait until the “chaos” of the Warringah freeway upgrade is finished.

Some residents are unsure of the timing with the proposed special rate variation which is currently being assessed by IPART and is itself partly due to the blown-out costs of the North Sydney Olympic Pool.

Mosman Collective reports the project has an estimated value of $40 million and will need state government support if it is to go ahead.

Thumbnail image credit: North Sydney Council’s Miller Place Report