Project Update

Public consultation on the full Concept Plan took place over a four-week period from July to August 2024. The Concept Plan demonstrated how stakeholder feedback gathered throughout the engagement process has been incorporated into the final plan. The community had the opportunity to review the full Concept Plan and provide feedback on the project’s Vision, Design Principles, and the four key plans.

The consultation received 55 survey responses and six written submissions. Feedback revealed strong community interest in enhancing urban design, with a focus on increased greening, event activation, and improved visual amenities. There was a clear preference for a less vehicle-centric design, with greater emphasis on pedestrianisation and active travel. However, a significant portion of the community supported maintaining on-street parking and vehicle access to facilitate trade and visitation.

You can read the engagement summary here and the full engagement report containing all consultation findings here.

The project team has reviewed the feedback and shared it with design consultants for further refinement as the project progresses into the detailed design phase.

The Gouger Street Revitalisation is a major project as part of City of Adelaide’s Main Streets Revitalisation Program. Located in the heart of Adelaide, Gouger Street is a lively and diverse cultural centre known for its dynamic dining scene, bustling markets and rich cultural heritage including the iconic Adelaide Central Markets and Chinatown.

The Gouger Street project area extends from King William Street to Morphett Street, including the space between buildings but excluding their facades and adjoining side streets. The width of the road will remain unchanged.

This $15 million upgrade project presents an exciting opportunity to enhance the area while ensuring its outcomes align with the current and future needs of the community.

Since November 2023, when the project’s planning and investigations commenced, we have actively engaged with key stakeholders and community leaders to gain insights into their roles within the broader Gouger Street community and identify areas of vested interests and potential risk.

As the project entered the pivotal phase of concept design, introductory letters were issued to all residents and businesses within the project area in February 2024. One on one engagement continued and subsequently, interested businesses, residents and community members were invited to participate in collaborative Concept Design workshops which commenced an intensive program of engagement in March.

Continuing into the second round of engagement in May 2024, the process enabled the project team to acquire a thorough understanding of community priorities and concerns and capture a wide range of design comments. This informed the development of the project’s vision, design principles and design strategies in response. Based on community inputs, the design development evolved into a Concept Plan which was presented to and endorsed by Council’s Elected Members on 25 June 2024.

The project team is pleased to announce that, following an open tender process, local landscape design consultancy TCL has been appointed as the lead design consultant.

Based on Grote Street, adjacent to Gouger Street, TCL has a strong track record in delivering high-quality public space upgrades, including the award-winning Victoria Square/ Tarntanyangga public realm project.

TCL will lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary design team, including FMG, Bestec, DesignFlow, and CIRQA.

The team looks forward to building on the work completed to date and developing a fully detailed design ready for construction.

Explore the Concept Design

Click the coloured hotspots of the Key Plans to explore them further.

Key Plan
Click here to see the Gouger Street Concept plan in full open in new window

Project Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - complete

    Concept Design Development

    January to June 2024

    Working with the community to understand their vision for Gouger Street and priorities.

  • Timeline item 2 - complete

    Concept Design Public Consultation

    July to August 2024

    Your chance to review the Concept Design for Gouger Street.

  • Timeline item 3 - active

    Detailed Design Development

    The project team will review feedback to previous engagement opportunities and develop a detailed proposal for construction.

  • Timeline item 4 - incomplete

    Construction

    Planned for late 2025/early 2026

What we heard from our community.

We worked with the community to understand their vision for the future of Gouger. Here are some of their thoughts.
What happens next?

Ongoing stakeholder engagement will continue, with upcoming discussions planned with key businesses to better understand their access and operational needs. This feedback will inform the construction planning process.

Community input remains essential in ensuring the Gouger Street project meets its objectives — to create a thriving, sustainable, safe, and liveable city.