The Sydney suburb of Manly is home to one of the world’s most famous beaches, but a recent project from students in the UTS Master of Project Management has been shining a spotlight on its Esplanade – and how it gets used after dark.
In partnership with Northern Beaches Council, UTS students devised a safety strategy plan for the iconic Manly West Esplanade. Image courtesy Northern Beaches Council.
A team of three students delivered a safety strategy plan and future recommendations for the iconic Manly West Esplanade in partnership with Northern Beaches Council, with an emphasis on night-time usage. This pedestrian and park precinct runs along the beach between the Manly ferry wharf and the Manly Art Gallery and Museum.
The UTS students did a walk-through of the site with representatives from Northern Beaches Council to identify areas needing improvement. These included reviewing and upgrading park furniture, addressing fall risks, improving emergency response access at the tidal pool, and improving night-time lighting along the Esplanade.
“One of the main things they were concerned about was lighting, especially at night, because the other side of Manly Esplanade is kind of a party spot for young people and I think they were concerned about the west side becoming the same,” student Christeena Smyth said.
“So that was one of their key concerns – they wanted to know what we could suggest to make it more family friendly.”
Following the initial consultation with the Council team, the students developed a series of recommendations around park furniture ergonomics, safety railing installations along the Esplanade’s edge, and staffing and equipment requirements for the tidal pool.
To deal with the night-time lighting requirement, they suggested developing a series of public art installations, in conjunction with improving the existing night-time lighting scheme.
The Manly West Esplanade runs from Manly Pavillion to the Ferry wharf. Image courtesy of Northern Beaches Council.
As well as creating opportunities to showcase local art and the unique Aboriginal heritage of the Manly area, these installations are intended to draw different types of people to the area, thereby increasing the diversity of pedestrians accessing the Esplanade space at night.
“When Council expressed lighting and surveillance as a key issue, we thought that a good way to bring people other than just young people into the area was to give them something to look at, which would have a trickle-down effect by attracting others to the area as well,” Ms Smyth added.
The UTS students were part of a broader Council project team that also included marine engineers, cost planners, history and heritage consultants, and Aboriginal heritage consultants.