Hutt Street is one of Adelaide’s main streets and is known for its village-like cluster of cafés and restaurants, which operate alongside day-to-day essential community services. There has been no major upgrade in the last 30 years.

In 2022 we completed Master Planning for Hutt Street which identified potential opportunities to enhance Hutt Street. These included upgrading the public realm, creating more space for public activities and improving access.

As part of the revitalisation project, some streetscape assets may also be replaced including stormwater infrastructure, road pavement, public lighting, footpath paving and street furniture. This will be further reviewed as the design is progressed.

Hutt Street will be upgraded between South Terrace and Carrington Street.

We have been holding conversations with the community and undertaking research to better understand the community’s views on the priorities, needs and expectations for Hutt Street over recent years. In 2021, the Lord Mayor held roundtable discussions as part of our main streets consultation that identified key themes to guide the planning for Hutt Street.

These themes included improved greening, more public space, improved lighting, increased street art, bike facilities and opportunities for activation. Further engagement on main street master planning allowed us to develop a draft vision, and a set of design principles and objectives for Hutt Street. These represented the community’s priorities for the street. Read more: Hutt Street Master Plan - December 2021

The design principles that underpin the Hutt Street Revitalisation were developed through community consultation undertaken in 2021 to identify community priorities.

These principles have been used to help develop the concept development options for Hutt Street. The design principles are:

The design principles are:

Provide a well-planned street that is welcoming, accessible and comfortable, that balances the needs of businesses, residents and visitors using all modes of transport and contributes to our wellbeing and sustainability goals.

Celebrate and reinforce the existing leafy green streetscape and historic village charm.

Establish a business and retail identity with a diverse offering to increase its popularity as a destination for locals and visitors.

Rationalise the reallocation of public space from vehicle use (parking and traffic lanes), to achieve a more equitable allocation of public space and a good balance between transport modes, trees/ landscaping, outdoor dining opportunities, to support businesses and enhance social interactions, and provide safer movement.

Create a new public ‘heart’ as the epicentre and provide unique experiences ensuring a robust local community. Public art opportunities, activation and improved amenity to support businesses and enhance the visitor experience, driving future investment and economic uplift.

We are asking community for feedback on the five concept development options for the revitalisation of Hutt Street which are based on early concepts developed as part of a Car Parking Review undertaken in November 2024.

How can I view the concept development options for Hutt Street?

Click on the link to view the 5 concept development options.

What does concept development involve?

Concept development involves preliminary explorations to define and verify a project scope. The concept development phase is informed by a range of information gathering activities including stakeholder engagement and consultation to identify community priorities which are distilled into a project vision and design principles. Site investigations and technical data collection around existing conditions further identify design constraints and opportunities which shape the options available for the project.

During this phase, optioneering is undertaken to assess design option outcomes against cost and risk to determine the most suitable design option to realise through the next phases of a formal concept design and then detailed design for construction. Design options prepared during the concept development phase are high level, focusing upon key structural components and their feasibility to meet the project aims and desired outcomes.

In late November 2024, we were successful in securing a $7.32m grant funding contribution for the revitalisation of Hutt Street under the Australian Government’s Thriving Suburbs Program. The Thriving Suburbs Program aims to support projects that enhance liveability, strengthen social cohesion, and support local amenity in urban and rural communities. We will continue to provide updates to the Australian Government as the project progresses and consultation is completed.

Each design balances different community priorities, including car parking, overall streetscape improvements and cycling access. Some designs keep most or all car parking, while others make changes that may reduce the number of spaces. No decisions have been made yet.

Your feedback will help Council understand community preferences and guide the final design

What is the estimated number of on-street car parks in each option?

There are currently 132 on-street car parks in Hutt Street, between South Terrace and Carrington Street.

Option A - 132

Option B - 112

Option C - 79

Option D - 72

Option E - 76

Could the estimated car parking spaces change?

Yes, the car parking numbers provided for options B to E are indicative and based on a very early concept development level of design detail. We expect there could be some minor changes in the number of car parks as we progress the design with consideration of factors such as distances to traffic signals, vegetation protection requirements and renewal of infrastructure. We will keep the community informed as we progress the design and are able to provide final information.

What will happen to accessible parking?

There will be no reduction in the number of accessible car parks as part of the project. Provision of accessible parking is an important aspect of the design, and we remain committed to maintaining the number of available accessible car parks or even increasing where possible and practicable.

Will on-street car parking on Hutt Street remain angled parking?

The future arrangement for on-street car parking will be dependent on the which option is progressed to detailed design. Currently, Hutt Street provides 60-degree angle parking. Motorists leaving 60-degree angled parks are more likely to impact multiple lanes of road traffic, including unprotected cycle lanes, with heavily restricted sightlines and visibility. Sharper angled car parking is also harder to enter. Of the five streetscapes offered, Option C and E include a change from 60-degree angled parking to 45-degree angle parking which provides improved road safety with better sightlines to oncoming traffic when reversing out of car parks and limiting reversing into the adjacent lane only. Option D provides parallel parking which reduces overall parking numbers but offers clear sightlines along the road reducing the risk of collision for the motorist and other road users, including crossing pedestrians.

No tree removals are planned as part of the Hutt Street Revitalisation Project. All of the Hutt Street concept development options include varying measures to support ongoing tree management and health.

A protected cycle path is a dedicated cycle lane that separates cyclists and people wheeling from cars and pedestrians, making riding safer and more comfortable. These paths usually have a physical barrier—such as kerbs, bollards, or garden beds—between cyclists and vehicle traffic. This helps prevent accidents and encourages more people to ride, including families and less experienced cyclists. Protected cycle paths are designed to improve safety, reduce traffic stress, and make streets more enjoyable for everyone.

An activity zone provides improved pedestrian access. They increase the available space for community events, gatherings and outdoor dining.

They also provide space for us to include greening – with shrubs, grasses and trees. To achieve an increase in activity zones, public space is reallocated from the road to the footpath.

The City of Adelaide is undertaking a separate project to upgrade the intersection of Hutt Road/Street and South Terrace. This initiative aims to mitigate stormwater flooding risks and enhance traffic control. The project involves repositioning and raising the kerb line and level at the northeastern corner of the intersection, renewing underground drainage infrastructure, and lowering and reshaping the road levels to reduce the risk of stormwater pooling. On-site work is set to commence in February 2025 and continue until June 2025, weather permitting. For more information or project updates are available here: South Terrace and Hutt Road/Street - Stormwater… | City of Adelaide

As part of the car parking review undertaken in November 2024 an analysis of on-street parking in the Hutt Street Precinct was completed. To view the Hutt Street Precinct Car Parking Map, click here.